Apple-IBM Partnership Brings Big Data, Analytics to iOS Platform

Apple and IBM have joined forces to bring Big Blue’s core competencies in big data and analytics to Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The exclusive agreement will result in a new class of more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions, including native apps developed from the ground up for healthcare, insurance, banking and other markets.


Apple and IBM have joined forces to bring Big Blue’s core competencies in big data and analytics to Apple’s iPhone and iPad. The exclusive agreement will result in a new class of more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions, including native apps developed from the ground up for healthcare, insurance, banking and other markets.

Long competitors in the technology space, the tech behemoths are burying the proverbial hatchet to jointly pursue the fast-growing enterprise mobile market. The two companies will work together to develop apps for the iOS platform optimized to work with IBM’s data analytics and cloud services.

Already one of the strongest consumer brands in mobile technology, the partnership with IBM will provide Apple with access to the corporate smartphone and tablet market. Under the agreement, IBM’s worldwide sales force will sell iPhones and iPads with industry-specific solutions to business clients. At the same time, IBM is gaining access to Apple's iPhone and iPad, which have set the standard for other mobile devices in the healthcare industry in particular.

Doctors simply love their iPhones and iPads and are the products of choice for clinicians. As competition in the mobile healthcare market continues to heat up, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company remains the reigning mHealth champion with more healthcare providers using Apple than any other device.

In fact, it can be argued that Apple started the mobile healthcare revolution with the launch of the iPad. And, its smaller and lighter cousin--the iPad Mini released in November 2012—has the size, form factor and convenience of fitting into a physician’s lab coat pocket.

Moreover, currently there are more than 43,000 healthcare apps available for download on the Apple iTunes app store. However, the vast majority of these apps are targeted to consumers and have limited use and simple functionality, with most doing little more than providing information. The new IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions will be tailored for the healthcare enterprise.

The worldwide mobile health market is estimated to reach $26 billion by 2017 with more than 3.4 billion people globally having smartphones or tablets with access to mobile health apps, according to Research2Guidance.