Updated 10:12 PM EDT, Fri, Apr 19, 2024

Apple and IBM Partner on Office Software in Bid to Rule Your Work Life

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Apple and IBM announced a new partnership between the two tech giants that they are hailing as a "landmark partnership" aimed at utilizing the strengths of both companies in order to better serve the enterprise or business market.

What is being proposed is combining Apple's penchant for pristine and intuitive user interfaces (think iOS) with IBM's analytics and "big data" expertise.

This is a big move for Apple, which has traditionally served only consumer markets with their hardware and software wares. And if everything works out, this could dramatically reshape the business computing landscape--a market heretofore dominated mostly by Microsoft. 

According to the Verge, IBM wants to sell Apple mobile devices (iPads and iPhones) to enterprise clients that will come with special business software pre-installed and co-developed by both companies. And it looks like this will all be happening sooner rather than later, as some of these enterprise apps will be available later this year and early next year.

This venture is initially looking to penetrate markets like retail, healthcare, banking, telecom, travel and insurance. It has also been announced that Apple will launch a new corporate support division called "AppleCare for Enterprise" to provide clients with around the clock support. 

Tim Cook admitted to Recode that Apple simply lacked the industry experience and know how in order to realize their vision for enterprise solutions.

"We're good at building a simple experience and in building devices," Cook confessed. "The kind of deep industry expertise you would need to really transform the enterprise isn't in our DNA. But it is in IBM's."

It should be known that Apple has already enjoyed some success in the enterprise market, with thousands of iOS devices sold to corporate clients. However, those sales were not at the level they would like. 

That's where this partnership with IBM comes in.

In another interview with CNBC, Cook stated "Arguably there is a new level to achieve in business. We knew we couldn't do it alone."

One catalyst that has dramatically aided the partnership in its early development has been IBM's own CEO Ginni Rometty, who Cook calls a "kindred spirit."

Rometty seemed to share a great appreciation for what IBM's new partner brings to the table:

"We are delighted to be teaming with Apple, whose innovations have transformed our lives in ways we take for granted, but can't imagine living without. Our alliance will bring the same kind of transformation to the way people work,industries operate and companies perform," he said.

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