Applications & Apps Business

Apple and VMware in Enterprise Team-up?

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As the Microsoft Surface edges towards launch, Apple might just have an enterprise oriented ace up its sleeve-- CRN reports the iPad maker is joining forces with VMware to build cloud-based version of the iWorks suite. 

VMware iCloudAccording to "sources with knowledge of the project" the team-up combines VMware View virtual desktop software with cloud-based versions of Pages, Keynote and Numbers. 

The service will run on Apple infrastructure, but is separate from the iCloud consumer cloud storage service.  

"Apple wants Pages to be seen as a replacement for Microsoft Word, Numbers as a replacement for Excel and Keynote as a replacement for PowerPoint," on source says. Currently the iWorks suite is regarded as a more consumer-oriented offering-- something Apple surely wants to change. After all, Office is the most lucrative Microsoft product, accounting for over $22 billion in fiscal 2011 revenue. 

Apparently the partnership also includes iOS versions of the VMware take on enterprise app stores, Horizon Application Manager, and BYOD solution Horizon Mobile. 

The two companies decline to comment on the CRN story. 

Go Apple, VMware Team On iPad Microsoft Office Killer (CRN)

ABI: BYOD Drives Enterprise Mobility

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Mobility suppliers need to pay attention to the enterprise market, ABI Research reports-- forecasting mobile enterprise revenues will total $340 billion by 2017. 

enterprise mobilityThe ABI data covers voice, messaging, handset data plans, mobile broadband and enterprise apps as well as management services revenues. 

According to the analyst enterprise revenues represent over 30% of the total mobile services market-- and "will grow twice as fast as the consumer market." The driver behind such growth? The BYOD trend (as coupled with smartphone adoption), of course.

Smartphone penetration is set to reach 90% in W. Europe by 2017.  

"Without a strategy to serve the employee audience with apps and services that addresses their business and personal needs, suppliers will miss out on this important market,” ABI continues. 

The analyst suggests IT and platform suppliers should build the best partnerships to serve the growing mobile enterprise market, with solutions addressing vertical needs. 

Smartphone vendors should have "a portfolio of enterprise-ready devices" (complete with not only security, but also preloaded business apps), while operators have an opportunity when it comes to packaging and pricing. 

Go ABI Research: Enterprise Mobility Applications and Services

HTC Invests in Mobile Enterprise

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HTC spends $35.4 million for a 17.1% stake in US-based enterprise mobility platform developer Magnet Systems, opening a door (or maybe a window) in the potentially lucrative bring-you-own-device (BYOD) market. 

HTC"The investment will bring social, mobile, and cloud capabilities to HTC's portfolio of service offerings to its mobile enterprise customers," the HTC statement on the purchase says. Does the company want an iCloud rival, perhaps?

Magnet currently offers SalesWIN-- a mobile sales management for Android and iOS devices running on the Magnet cloud platform.

HTC already blew huge amounts of cash in (perhaps) ill advised consumer offerings ($40m in cloud gaming service OnLive, $300m in headphone maker Beats). Will enterprise make a better investment for the mobile maker?

Go HTC

Apple Buys into Mobile Security

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Apple makes a rare big purchase-- AuthenTec, buying the mobile security firm for $365 million.

AuthentecThe news comes from an 8K document from AuthenTec, one which at one point (perhaps unsurprisingly) remarks "Authentec cannot comment on Apple's intentions."

Authentec makes fingerprint recognition and NFC chips for mobile device and PC use. It also makes security software-- and recently signed a big contract with Samsung for the use AuthenTecs' QuickSec Mobile VPN Client in new Android devices. 

Other AuthenTec customers include Lenovo, Fujitsu and Dell. 

What will Apple do with a mobile security firm? Authentec owns around 200 patents covering fingerprint sensors, sensor packaging and software. Not to mention issues involving the security of personal info stored on iDevices and tightening of iTunes and App Store security. 

The purchase does raise a simple question-- will Apple follow Google and create its own NFC-based mobile payments system now that it has the means?

Go AuthenTek Apple Purchase 8K

Go AuthenTec Shares Up on Samsung Contract (Reuters)

The Enterprise Mobility Opportunity

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Mobility and the bring-your-own-device trend add complexity to the enterprise IT market-- but also add opportunities across sectors as varied as security, unified communications and WLANs, Canalys says.

mobilesFor example, businesses demand education on mobile device security. To enable a mobile workforce, customers need network monitoring and control, not to mention context-based data access policies. The market lacks a single solution covering protection and control on all fronts, meaning channel partners have a role in advising the best products suiting the needs of individual customers. 

Mobility also affects the WLAN market-- as more employees connect mobile devices to wireless corporate networks, the need for secure WLANs able to handle bandwidth-hungry applications drives the market for "significant" capacity upgrades.

Unified communications (UC) vendors also have to extend their offerings to cover all kinds of mobile devices, with no degradation in experience or productivity. 

In an increasingly mobile IT environment, it makes sense for channel partners to become increasingly nimble at hunting down the more lucrative opportunities. 

Go Enterprise Mobility Adds Complexity, Creating Opportunities (Canalys)