In a surprise announcement, Apple and IBM said they have teamed up to create iPhone and iPad software and hardware for business customers.
The companies were rivals during the early days of personal computing.
Apple and IBM are teaming up to create iPhones and iPads for businesses, the two companies announced in a surprise announcement Tuesday.
In a far-reaching partnership, the two technology giants, rivals for decades, will create a suite of applications and services aimed at business customers.
Under the agreement, IBM will develop iOS applications targeting the retail, banking, insurance, transportation, and telecommunications industries under the umbrella of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Solutions.
An end-to-end platform from the company called IBM MobileFirst Platform. The companies will also launch an enterprise version of AppleCare, Apple’s customer service.
“For the first time in history, technology giants are joining forces to make IBM technology accessible to iOS users, opening up a huge market opportunity for Apple,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.
“We’re thrilled to join forces with Apple, whose innovations have transformed our lives in ways we take for granted but can’t imagine life without,” said IBM CEO Ginni Rometty.
iPhones currently account for 82 percent of smartphones used in U.S. businesses, while iPads make up 73 percent of tablets.
The partnership will give Apple a leg up against competitors like Google, which is integrating the technology into its own devices and the latest version of its Android software, and is vying to acquire phone maker BlackBerry.
BlackBerry stock fell 3.6 percent in after-hours trading following the partnership news.
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