Apple and IBM partnership bares fruit with the duo announcing 3 new apps
Apple and IBM have unveiled three new apps to aid professionals using the iOS platform after working together for almost seven months.
The apps are part of the first major push from the union since it was formed July. Built exclusively for iPhone and iPad, the apps span the travel, retail and financial industries.
More than 50 clients are already on board including Air Canada, American Eagle Outfitters, Banorte, Boots UK, Citi and Sprint.
Announced today (Monday 2 March) at World Mobile Congress, the IBM MobileFirst apps include:
‘Passenger Care’, a travel app designed to address traveller needs by speeding up check-in and easing airport congestion.
‘Dynamic Buy’, an app created to grant retailers real-time perspective and data-driven recommendations on how products are performing.
And finally, ‘Advisor Alerts’ an analytics powered financial services aid to help professionals prioritise client-related tasks.
Fred Balboni, IBM general manager of the IBM and Apple partnership, said: “Apple and IBM are the only companies that could partner to develop a new category of made-for-business apps that is truly transforming how works gets done.
“We set out to transform how millions of workers consume, process and use information when they are outside the four walls of the office. Our goal is to boost the performance of every enterprise by making all its data and processes available to any employee with an iOS device – anytime, anywhere.”
Robin Phillips, director of multichannel, Boots UK, commented on the retailer's uptake of the ‘Dynamic Buy’ app: “Delivering exceptional customer care is at the heart of the Boots customer experience, and mobile technology unlocks new levels of convenience and accessibility for our customers.
“The pilot of the IBM MobileFirst for iOS Sales Assist app will seek to explore how we can further empower our colleagues to be able to turn each customer interaction into a unique and personal experience [as] Boots colleagues will have access to real-time data and insight from across the company in the palm of their hands.
The apps for the professional industries will help boost traffic to the App Store, which in January reported its busiest week ever with half a billion dollars being spent on New Year’s Day.