In a world of growing technical complexity, even among tech companies sometimes competitors become partners out of necessity. This is the case for Apple and former rival, IBM.
It is no surprise, however, that Apple would choose a company like IBM to help it enter its mobile platform into the business and government market for mobile technology. IBM is a recognized leader in business computing solutions and has made strides in recent years with its cloud solutions for enterprises and small and midsize businesses (SMBs).
BlackBerry may lose even more relevance in the mobile market, as the platform has been known for popularity more in business use. According to at least one report, BlackBerry shares took a dive in the market upon the IBM-Apple partnership news. BlackBerry, a Canadian company that pioneered the concept of smartphones, has employed a strategy to boost revenues by targeting business users. The popularity of Apple's platform could certainly be translated into business use, which would threaten BlackBerry CEO John Chen's plans for the struggling company. BlackBerry's stock was previously up 50 percent for the year, but this news caused some worry among investors.
IBM will reportedly sell iPhones and iPads that are loaded with business apps and utilities. Of those included, there will be approximately 100 industry-specific solutions for enterprise use installed on the devices. IBM's cloud services will also be optimized for use on iOS devices. AppleCare will even have its own enterprise operations. The initiative is expected to begin in the fall, according to sources.
In related news, Google is also launching its own security initiative. The search company on its blog said it's building up security in an effort called Project Zero. The project is aimed at resolving major flaws researchers found regarding the Heartbleed Bug and other issues. Google also earlier announced that it licensed its smart contact lens technology to Novartis, a pharmaceutical company. Google is a major competitor to both Apple and IBM, but for differing products. Google competes with its Android OS for mobile devices and also runs a cloud computing operation for enterprise users. Apple's iCloud service is new and not a major competitor to Google and IBM for cloud technology.
Apple CEO Tim Cook stated IBM is more experienced with enterprise customers and that Apple is more familiar with a consumer base. He called the deal a "watershed partnership." Meanwhile, BlackBerry downplayed the effect the partnership would have on its own business, saying its customers are loyal and committed and that the company continues to innovate.
