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Apple and IBM Focusing on Feedback-Driven Apps and Support in New Enterprise Partnership

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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This past July, Apple and IBM announced an exclusive enterprise mobility partnership that would see both companies collaborating on a series of new business apps and services. As a part of the agreement, IBM would begin selling iOS devices to its corporate customers, create iOS apps, and provide cloud services, while Apple would offer a new AppleCare service tailored to specific enterprise needs.

appleibm.jpg
Apple CEO Tim Cook and IBM CEO Virginia Rometty (Apple/Paul Sakuma)​
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Now, in an interview with Tech Pro Research, IBM executive Glenn Finch has given new details on the company's partnership with Apple, including how its enterprise apps will fit into the iOS ecosystem. According to Finch, IBM will create a hundred apps across a number of industries including software for financial services, telecom, and health. The executive also noted that the apps with be tailored to "client demand", as feedback will play a major role in making design changes.
"The promise of this whole partnership," Finch explained to me, is that "you have a built-in adoption curve already present." His customers in the enterprise already use iPhones and iPads at home; they trust Apple, they trust the apps, and they intuitively know how to work with them. The devices are known.
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Finch also spoke on where the companies overlap, stating Apple's focus on user experience and design compliment IBM's data-driven approach. AppleCare support for enterprises will also be a joint effort between the two companies, as Apple technicians will perform warranty work on hardware while app maintenance and support will be provided by IBM.
From a procurement perspective, Apple already has an enterprise group and IBM isn't looking to step on their toes - however, IBM has an army of salespeople with clients every day, something that Apple is sorely lacking. The two companies are working out the specifics there to make sure they don't trip over each other too much.
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Apple and IBM will begin rolling out its first apps under the new partnership later this fall, as more apps are scheduled to be released in 2015. Both companies will also look to launch AppleCare support for enterprises later this year.

Article Link: Apple and IBM Focusing on Feedback-Driven Apps and Support in New Enterprise Partnership
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2014/09/09/apple-ibm-apps-support-partnership/
ouimetnick

ouimetnick

macrumors 68040
Aug 28, 2008
3,552
6,340
Beverly, Massachusetts
They probably just finished the PowerBook G5!! Forget this iWatch and larger iPhone business. Today the spotlight returns to the notebook. The new PowerBook G5 reaching speeds upto 3.00 GHz will be announced!
 
Tankmaze

Tankmaze

macrumors 68000
Mar 7, 2012
1,704
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Would sell more ipads to the corporate world hence would make ipad a better ecosystem and also would make ibm software relevant. Win-win solution for both companies.
 
J

jpn

Cancelled
Feb 9, 2003
1,854
1,988
its a great partnership

it is a great partnership with good potential.

as long as apple keeps a great chunk of the development in house, and readies itself for an eventual IBM further collapse, then it will get an army of sales people selling business apps and support, and IBM will try to stay relevant.

IBM has such limited reach these days. ever declining relevancy in japan and western europe.

imagine suites of apps that compete with oracle and even SAP.
 
mrxak

mrxak

macrumors 68000
Apr 16, 2004
1,650
697
Drifting through space in a broken escape pod
This is potentially very exciting, but I don't imagine many people here will care too much unless they're stockholders, especially the night before a big Apple event with a rumored new product category.

I do wonder how Microsoft feels about this deal. We know they're jealous of iOS's success, and Microsoft certainly wants to dominate in enterprise.
 
Wayfarer

Wayfarer

macrumors 65816
Jun 15, 2007
1,222
544
Blah, blah, blah, Tim Cook is wearing transition lens, blah blah blah...
 
S

shadebug

macrumors newbie
Sep 8, 2014
1
0
The hope here is that Apple will learn from IBM how to be everywhere for no good reason and IBM will learn from Apple how to make a product that isn't horrific. I work tech support, much of it enterprise, and every time we hear somebody say IBM we die a little inside. They clearly have the ability to make things, they just have no inclination to care about it being usable or functional.
 
macs4nw

macs4nw

macrumors 601
Sep 21, 2010
4,336
1,933
Next-door from the little old lady from Pasadena..
One can't help but notice how much Apple has changed with Tim's tenure. A subtle but gradual shift to a more cooperative and conciliatory way of doing business. And with all Tim's efforts in the charitable arena, he's also definitely given Apple a more 'human' face.

Mutual collaboration with respectful regard for established business practices, can only be good for the companies involved, as well as us, the consumers.

I believe in pooling resources generally speaking, and I welcome partnerships such as these, with the likes of IBM, or even with the new MS under Satya Nadella, and believe these cooperative endeavors could pay big dividends in the long run.

An example of this that comes to mind immediately would be the development of the Compact Disc by Philips & Sony in the late seventies, and introduced in 1982. No protracted lawsuits, just great technology.
 
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