Apple Working With More Than 40 Tech Companies to Make iPad a Better Work Tool

[MacRumors]

Apple is working with more than 40 technology companies to make the iPad a better work tool, according to a new report by The Wall Street Journal. The initiative, which is called the Mobility Partner Program (MPP), is an effort to change the way business is done and boost lagging iPad sales.

The initiative is a bet that Apple, which has never been a big player in the $2 trillion annual spending on workplace technology, can grab a bigger slice of the market by reshaping the nature of work in mobile-friendly settings--where Apple has an edge.

Apple's partners in the program include smaller companies like accounting firm Xero, digital cash register company Revel Systems, and field-service software firm ServiceMax. Some partners, like Xero, have been invited to train Apple business specialists while other undisclosed partners were invited to an Apple sales conference in March, an event that is typically closed to company outsiders.

Within the program, Apple reviews its partners' apps and makes suggestions on their work. Apple has also suggested that companies who make complementary apps work together to make their apps compatible, ensuring a richer experience for users. In fact, the partnership has also worked in the reverse, with the Cupertino company's partners getting Apple in touch with business customers in a way it hasn't before.

However, the program is still shrouded in secrecy. It's unclear which companies are participating in the program, and some of Apple's partners don't even know the other participating companies or what their role is in selling apps. Apple also doesn't want companies to refer to the program by its given name, MPP, in public.

The new initiative is similar to the exclusive partnership Apple and IBM forged last year, in which IBM will begin selling iOS devices to corporate customers and develop 100 industry-specific native apps. As iPad sales continue to shrink and the tablet market continues to decline, it's likely Apple feels boosting enterprise sales of its tablets could offset lack of consumer demand.

Article Link: Apple Working With More Than 40 Tech Companies to Make iPad a Better Work Tool

 

[pat500000]

How about you work on stability before you do anything else? You're getting ahead of yourself.

 

[CFreymarc]

The biggest problem with many of these "enterprise" uses for iPads is that the iPad was designed as a mass consumer and domestic product from the start. While, yes, you can place in a rugged case on an iPad. These currently do nothing to handle the heavy EM fields generated or very EM field sensitive environments.

There are many manufacturing plant environments where the EM emission from a cell phone has contributed to an explosion of volatile gases in an unvented chamber. Converting an iPad making it "intrinsically safe" is a big engineering effort that Cupertino does not allow third parties to access. This a lot of the iPad hardware cannot muster these environments. It is one of the few markets where open source Android wins out.

 

[Aluminum213]

Ultimately it's the limiting OS that runs the iPad that's holding it back, nothing an app will do to fix that

 

[Keirasplace]

How about you work on stability before you do anything else? You're getting ahead of yourself.

It is stable already. Are you using some old Beta?

 

[icebiker76]

I realize this will never happen, but a proper stylus for note taking seems like a no brainer. I have to carry a surface 3 for math classes because apple is lost in its own dogma from 10 years ago.

 

[pat500000]

It is stable already. Are you using some old Beta?

neh, using public...but...it's unstable...weird.

 

[kwikdeth]

"Within the program, Apple reviews its partners' apps and makes suggestions on their work."

"can you make that work with 1GB ram?"

 

[AngerDanger]

Apple reviews its partners' apps and makes suggestions on their work.

"Well, we noticed it's a bit too easy to discern between text boxes and buttons in your app, so you have your work cut out for you."

 

[341328]

Here's an idea Apple.... add bluetooth mouse support. Touch sucks for productivity!

 

[kwikdeth]

Ultimately it's the limiting OS that runs the iPad that's holding it back, nothing an app will do to fix that

truth. enterprise customers arent going to be impressed by multiracial emojis and shaving .2mm off the case size. neither will they care for a ridiculous update and refresh cycle. try telling a Fortune 500 they have to retrain their entire staff because Apple completely changed the UI elements. eventually they'll tire and go to somebody who doesnt pull the rug out from under them every 18 months.

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Much as the large screen of the iPad transformed the iPhone, so a 13" iPad would transform it again.

Even something as simple as reading PDFs would be so much better with a 13" screen. And there are endless scenarios in which having a laptop-size screen that one can carry around will trump a laptop. Weight is the important thing. I think Apple need to keep the weight to 1.5 pounds, the weight of the first iPad, if possible. And if they could reduce or eliminate the bezels, it could be not much bigger than the current iPad.

 

[ProjectManager101]

How about you work on stability before you do anything else? You're getting ahead of yourself.

Well, you bet they got that input right away.
I had two iPads and gave away one. I have one iPad 4 but is collecting dust. I feel better with a MBP 15" in bed. The iPad is fun to watch things here and there but that's it

 

[Karma*Police]

I realize this will never happen, but a proper stylus for note taking seems like a no brainer. I have to carry a surface 3 for math classes because apple is lost in its own dogma from 10 years ago.

I agree, a stylus would make the iPad more versatile. But never say never. Apple has a bunch of patents related to styluses.

Apple should also think about a more integrated detachable hardware keyboard which would essentially compete with ultrabooks, but I think it would move the needle.

Personally, if I had a choice between Mac or iPad "convertible", I'd choose an iPad... and this is coming from someone whose first Mac was a IIsi from way back in the day.

 

[Soccertess]

I realize this will never happen, but a proper stylus for note taking seems like a no brainer. I have to carry a surface 3 for math classes because apple is lost in its own dogma from 10 years ago.

and the surface 3 keyboards are pretty solid. Just gives you more screenestate. Surface 3 is a great machine. Not sure what I would choose for university now, a Macbook air or a surface 3.

Hopefully Apple will innovate their arse off, but don't forget.... ROSE GOLD is coming!

 

[a.gomez]

get rid of iOS... problem solved.

 

[geenosr]

Having a bigger screen is a no-brainer. What really would help is to have multiple user abilities in the OS. Not having that ability is unbelievable. Well they are catching up to Same-Sung with split screen/multi tasking (about time), so multiple users shouldn't be available for another year? Come on Apple, don't hate that the competition had it first, if you want productivity and businesses to come on board, just catch up to the rest of the tablet world.

 

[pat500000]

Well, you bet they got that input right away.
I had two iPads and gave away one. I have one iPad 4 but is collecting dust. I feel better with a MBP 15" in bed. The iPad is fun to watch things here and there but that's it

apparently my iPad 4 got fried...like Kentucky fried chicken.

 

[Rogifan]

Ultimately it's the limiting OS that runs the iPad that's holding it back, nothing an app will do to fix that

Right because you've surveyed businesses and that's what they've told you. Obviously IBM doesn't think so and apparently neither do the 40 businesses Apple is working with in this story.

 

[Rogifan]

and the surface 3 keyboards are pretty solid. Just gives you more screenestate. Surface 3 is a great machine. Not sure what I would choose for university now, a Macbook air or a surface 3.

Hopefully Apple will innovate their arse off, but don't forget.... ROSE GOLD is coming!

So adding pen capabilities to a tablet is innovating your arse off now? Didn't Microsoft tablet PCs have that functionality like 15 years a go?

Anyway I thought Apple was screwing things up with iOS now by making it too complex and it was so much better when it was simple under Steve Jobs.

 

[caliguy]

Here's an idea Apple.... add bluetooth mouse support. Touch sucks for productivity!

If you use Citrix Receiver as a virtual desktop, Citrix sells the X1 mouse. Totally changes the game for iPad, IMO.
https://www.citrix.com/products/mouse/overview.html.

I think they will be adding support for their ShareConnect / GoToMyPC apps as well.

 

[munakib]

Unless they bring full OSX to iPad Pro, only enterprises without long-run vision will fall for the magical iPad fad and burn their cash. If MS seriously starts discounting the Surface 3 for enterprise, it will be all over. Like many, I was shocked to learn that IBM is on the process of going all in with Apple.

BTW that render looks so amazing on the iPad - unfortunately made on a windows machine before being exported to the iPad.

 

[ProjectManager101]

apparently my iPad 4 got fried...like Kentucky fried chicken.

I had to give my to my mom after she vandalized hers with make up and all the creams she wears. I had to be a nice daughter and gave her one of the two I had but with such pity for it. Mine looks brand new, I take care of stuff.

 

[Karma*Police]

and the surface 3 keyboards are pretty solid. Just gives you more screenestate. Surface 3 is a great machine. Not sure what I would choose for university now, a Macbook air or a surface 3.

Hopefully Apple will innovate their arse off, but don't forget.... ROSE GOLD is coming!

I don't know... The problem is, the Surface weighs too much to be a good tablet... it's almost 2x heavier than the iPad, and with the keyboard, I think it even weighs a bit more than the MB.

It doesn't make a great laptop either due to the crappy trackpad and the kickstand makes it hard to balance on your lap. And the OS is still schizo.

The build quality is nice and the touchscreen comes in handy at times, but many Windows laptops have touch screens with a real trackpad and keyboard that makes for a better overall experience IMO.

 

[Attirex]

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