Apple CEO Tim Cook & Cisco CEO John Chambers today
Apple has announced a new partnership with Cisco that will result in a “fast lane” for enterprise customers using iOS devices on Cisco’s networks and push iPhone and iPad into Cisco’s enterprise environments. At a joint event today, Tim Cook reportedly said Apple is “all in on the enterprise” while calling the Cisco deal “the Holy Grail” of partnerships.
With Apple’s support, Cisco will deliver experiences specially optimized for iOS across mobile, cloud, and premises-based collaboration tools such as Cisco Spark, Cisco Telepresence and Cisco WebEx in order to deliver seamless team collaboration and reinvent the meeting experience.
The Cisco partnership adds to Apple’s increasing effort at targeting business with iPhones and iPads. Last year Apple established a connection with IBM that has resulted in several dedicated enterprise apps for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple is also said to be working with over 40 companies to make the iPad a better tool for business.
As we’ve seen with the IBM MobileFirst partnership, which started out focused on creating enterprise apps for iOS and creating AppleCare support for enterprise customers and has since vastly expanded, the Cisco announcement may potentially be the first of many similar collaborations to come. Also like the IBM deal, Apple’s partnership with Cisco is a healthy precursor to the rumored iPad Pro, which is expected to be a hit among enterprise users. Interestingly, Cisco originally backed Android in the tablet space with its own Cius business tablet years ago, but ended the effort in favor of a BYOD program thanks largely to the iPad’s success. Also worth remembering is that Cisco owned the “IPHONE” trademark when Apple’s iPhone launched in 2007 which meant Apple had a few other names in the bag before the iPhone launched.
[tweet https://twitter.com/tim_cook/status/638556575381131269 align=’center’]
Cisco detailed areas where the partnership will first target specifically:
Initially, our teams will focus on:
- Delivering unparalleled performance and end-to-end solutions on Cisco networks and iOS devices
- Extending the Cisco Unified Communications experience to the iPhone
- Transforming team collaboration with iOS experiences on Cisco Spark, Cisco TelePresence, and Cisco WebEx
Strategic partnerships and co-development are both key pillars of Cisco’s innovation strategy. This relationship highlights the value and innovative customer solutions that result when we do both.
Apple’s press release announcing the partnership follows:
Apple and Cisco Partner to Deliver Fast Lane for iOS Enterprise Users
CUPERTINO, California and SAN JOSE, California — August 31, 2015 — Apple® and Cisco today announced a partnership to create a fast lane for iOS business users by optimizing Cisco networks for iOS devices and apps, integrating iPhone® with Cisco enterprise environments and providing unique collaboration on iPhone and iPad®.
“iOS is the world’s best mobile platform, and nearly every Fortune 500 and Global 500 company today has put iOS at the center of their mobile strategy,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “iPhone and iPad have become essential tools for the modern workforce and are changing the way work gets done. Together with Cisco, we believe we can give businesses the tools to maximize the potential of iOS and help employees become even more productive using the devices they already love.”
“Ninety-five percent of companies in the Fortune 500 count on Cisco Collaboration and Cisco networks to help their teams be more productive,” said Cisco Executive Chairman John Chambers. “Through this engineering and go-to-market partnership, we’re offering our joint customers the ability to seamlessly extend that awesome Cisco environment to their favorite iOS devices. Together, we’re going to help teams achieve higher levels of productivity and effectiveness.”
To address the ever-increasing demands on corporate infrastructure, Cisco networks and iOS devices will be optimized so that they work together more efficiently and reliably with the goal of providing users with even greater performance.
Apple and Cisco are also working together to make iPhone an even better business collaboration tool in Cisco voice and video environments, with the goal of providing employees with a seamless experience between iPhone and their desk phone.
With Apple’s support, Cisco will deliver experiences specially optimized for iOS across mobile, cloud, and premises-based collaboration tools such as Cisco Spark, Cisco Telepresence and Cisco WebEx in order to deliver seamless team collaboration and reinvent the meeting experience.
Cisco is the worldwide leader in helping companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by delivering the amazing results that come from connecting the previously unconnected. Cisco is empowering countries, cities, industries and businesses around the globe to move faster in order to keep pace with digital transformation and the move to the Internet of Everything (IoE). With approximately 70,000 partners, Cisco is very well positioned to provide our customers with next generation of networking, security, data center, and collaboration products and solutions that help them achieve their desired business outcomes. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.
Press Contacts:
Ryan James
Apple
ryanj@apple.com
+ 1 (408) 862-5585
Linda Horiuchi
Cisco
lhoriuch@cisco.com
+ 1 (646) 674-7310
Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPad are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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I wonder if Cisco will finally get the Webex productivity tools working for Outlook 365 for Mac or if they will continue to ignore Macs. The new Outlook has only been out for a year now, and officially released for a month.
Well, contact Cisco and ask them.
As a Cisco employee, this is very exciting.
Like a deal with the devil’s ugly cousin… this will not end well.
I doubt it will help Apple. Cisco and Apple have different business style.
Yet use the same name for their software