SWOSU ?The Apple Inc and IBM Partnership Questions Discussion The Apple and IBM Partnership Apple and IBM formed an exclusive partnership that combines th

SWOSU ?The Apple Inc and IBM Partnership Questions Discussion The Apple and IBM Partnership

Apple and IBM formed an exclusive partnership that combines the market-leading strength of each company to transform enterprise mobility through a new class of business apps—teaming IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to the iPhone and iPad.1 As part of the agreement, IBM will sell iPhones and iPads with the industry-specific solutions to business customers worldwide. The new IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions includes over 100 industry-specific applications.

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, observes: “iPhone and iPad are the best mobile devices in the world and have transformed the way people work with over 98 percent of the Fortune 500 and over 92 percent of the Global 500 using iOS devices in their business today.2 Ginni Rometty, IBM Chairman, President and CEO, adds: “This alliance with Apple will build on our momentum in bringing innovations to our clients globally, and leverages IBM’s leadership in analytics, cloud, software, and services.”3

The two companies are developing a new class of “made-for-business apps,” targeting specific issues in retail, healthcare, banking, transportation, among many others.4 The apps capitalize on what IBM refers to as the “mobile moment.”5 This means that an employer can access the information required to make a decision on that device in that moment. For example, a Plan Flight app gives airline pilots a hands-on optimization system for jet fuel management and a Sales Assist Retail app enables associates to connect with customer profiles and make suggestions based on past purchases.

1Apple and IBM Forge Global Partnership to Transform Enterprise Mobility (Apple, Inc.), July 15, 2014, accessed January 2, 2015, http://www.apple.com.

2Ibid., 1.

3Ibid., 1.

4Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps (Apple, Inc.), December 10, 2014, accessed January 2, 2015, http://www.apple.com.

5Anthony Wing Kosner, Apple and IBM Seize the Mobile Moment to Energize Enterprise Software (Forbes), December 28, 2014, accessed January 3, 2015, http://www.forbes.com.

answer is two questions
Explore the pros and cons of the alliance from the perspective of each party.

Describe particular mobile moments that come up for a marketing manager or salesperson that could be supported by a MobileFirst application.