SAP SE (ADR) (NYSE:SAP) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) have created a partnership that will oversee the creation of an enterprise app for iPhones and iPads.
Apple plans to use the partnership to attract more customers as well as keeping existing customers interested through the endeavor that aims to secure a larger share as one of the top technology suppliers. The project will employ the SAP HANA platform. SAP has also revealed that it will have a training academy as well as an iOS software development kit. The latter will allow businesses to develop their own business apps for Apple devices.
Pushing growth in the handset sector
The partnership between the two firms comes at the height of worries about declining iPhone sales following the maturity of the smartphone industry and the recent upgrade for the iPhone 6. Apple, therefore, needs to employ a strategy for the business-to-business market. The company’s CEO, Tim Cook, has been busy securing business deals. Enterprise firms have also been busy seeking their way into the iPhone developer base, and analysts believe that partnerships with Apple make enterprise companies more attractive to developers.
Mr. Cook noted in one of his statements that the partnership will take advantage of the developer base and the HANA platform to come up with innovative enterprise apps. Bill McDermott, the CEO of SAP also stated that creating access to a spontaneous business experience will give people access to more knowledge as well as the ability to do more. Apart from being a partner to SAP, the iPhone company also happens to be a customer.
SAP also has a similar partnership with International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM). More apps are expected in the future as Apple places more focus on the business market. The iPad Pro is one of the tools that the company plans to use to reach out to business-oriented customers. Neither of the two firms have revealed when the SDK will be accessible to developers.