Feature
On the heels of its summer mega deal with Apple, enterprise software and hardware giant IBM struck a partnership with Twitter.
Today, IBM unveiled the first offering from that Apple deal -- IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions. IBM's apps and cloud services mesh IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone and iPad users in the enterprise.
In reality, these IBM deals are enterprise-targeted, but the foundation is business giant meets consumer giant.
International Consumer Machines? ICM? Not quite, but in a year where IBM could use a boost, they're definitely turning to their consumer friends to boost their enterprise big data and analytics offerings.
Mobility, Meet Big Data
Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president of IBM Global Business Services, said in a statement the Apple-IBM collaboration "combines IBM’s industry expertise and unmatched position in enterprise computing, with Apple’s legendary user experience and excellence in product design to lift the performance of a new generation of business professionals.”
It's like the Mobility King and Big Data Queen are finally sitting at the dinner table together -- analytics and information available on mobile phones and iPads for business decision-making. The IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps are built exclusively for iPhone and iPad.
The first verticals targeted include travel and transportation, banking and financial markets, insurance, government, retail and telecommunications.
Features Analyzed
The partnership between Apple and IBM also includes:
- Mobile platform and enterprise integration: Leverages IBM’s global industry consulting, client experience design and enterprise systems integration from analytics, workflow and cloud storage, to fleet-scale device management, security and integration. Offered on-premises and through Bluemix, IBM’s development platform on the IBM Cloud Marketplace.
- Streamlined end-to-end procurement, deployment and lifecycle management: And cloud solutions for enterprise security, device management and data and process integration.
- AppleCare for the enterprise: 24/7 assistance for their devices from Apple’s customer support group, with on-site service delivered by IBM
Title image by Clifton Johnston (Flickr) via a CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 license
