Apple is spreading its wings into selling business technology by initiating a partnership with the Deloitte consulting firm to advise companies on using iPhones, iPads and Apple software in the workplace.
While Apple mainly sells to the consumer market, it’s facing global slowdown in demand for smartphones and tablets, forcing it to announce corporate focused partnerships with companies that sell technology to corporate customers namely IBM, SAP and Cisco.
Apple informs, it sold products and services worth $25 billion to businesses in the 12 months through September 2015. That was a 40 % increase, but just a slice of its $233 billion in total sales.
Analysts say businesses are using more Apple devices after years of relying on computers running Microsoft programs like Windows, Office and Exchange.
Apple has also promoted its latest tablet, the iPad Pro, as a device that’s well-suited for work because of its larger screen and accessories like a physical keyboard and stylus.
Deloitte’s 244,000 workers are currently using about 100,000 Apple devices, many of them running custom software apps. Deloitte has created a team of 5,000 consultants to advise corporate clients on how to deploy Apple devices for specialized business tasks.
