Apple and IBM release enterprise iOS apps

Apple and IBM have released the first apps developed as part of their partnership. The iOS applications should help Apple gain a foothold in the enterprise market and grow IBM in the enterprise mobile app market.

The IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps should give employees more mobility in their work. For example, the example is given of an employee who can request information from a customer from his own company faster, more simply and more securely during a sales conversation. The location of the employee should no longer play a significant role.

However, the apps target different markets. For example, Apple and IBM target corporate clients from the banking, retail, insurance, financial services, telecom, government and airline sectors. For example, pilots can use the Plan Flight app, which allows them to create a flight schedule. Planning, an overview of the crew or fuel schedules should then be considered. Incident Aware is also an application that should support crime prevention. Police officers could get real-time information about an incident. This includes information about the victim or the escalation risk.

The apps would have an extra layer of security. However, it is unclear exactly how that security works. There must also be sufficient analysis possibilities and links with the main company infrastructure. The apps are business-tailored and then deployed, managed, and updated through IBM’s cloud services.

The new apps are the result of the partnership between Apple and IBM. A few months ago, both parties entered into an agreement to jointly focus on the business market. Apple has gained market share in the enterprise market in recent years, but the mutual agreement should further strengthen that position.