Pinchai Speaks During His Keynote Address at the Google I/O Developers Conference in San Francisco
Sundar Pinchai, Google's senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps, speaks during his keynote address at the Google I/O developers conference in San Francisco, June 25, 2014 REUTERS

The Apple-IBM partnership for enterprise mobile management will rattle Google led Android push in enterprise, reports Computer World. The Apple-IBM deal came close on the heels of Google's initiative to attract business users into Android tablets and smartphones. Google even offers a special mobile device management software to separate work and personal data in the upcoming Android L.

Alarm Bell for Many

Matt Hamblen writes that Apple-IBM partnership is a great boost for Apple as it will sell see more of its iPads and iPhones being sold to businesses and riding piggy back on IBM's big data and analytics software. The deal has rung alarm bells to most of the mobile device management companies. Others going to be affected will be makers of device and application management software such as Microsoft, BlackBerry, SAP, Landesk and Symantec.

Partners in Progress

Under the deal, Apple and IBM will build native apps to deliver IBM analytics insights to end users in enterprises. Importantly only the IBM software will be used for activation and management including its security-related tools. Apple, on its part, will provide email and telephone support along with repair and replacement of products through AppleCare.

Design over Data

According to Anthony Kosner, columnist in Forbes, the deal looks as if IBM is selling Apple's combined hardware and software platform with IBM's big data and analytics as the services. In his opinion, IBM is turning into a channel partner for Apple using its sales force of 100,000 to sell the combined platform in all the verticals they are serving now. Anthony calls the deal as good for IBM but mentions that it also points to a critical juncture in computing when design is overtaking data.

Cloud software services

Though Apple and IBM will be building cloud software services for analytics, data security and device management it is unclear how much software related to managing iOS devices will be new or it will be relying on IBM's existing software to work on mobile device platforms including Windows Phone and Android.

Gartner Praise

Gartner had rated IBM as a leader among top 14 vendors in client management tools with Microsoft at the top. In a May report IBM software was described by Gartner as a not so good choice for organizations requiring simple usability. Perhaps here Apple will be of use in mitigating that shortcoming of IBM.