iOS is where the real money is
Android might dominate when it comes to overall device shipments, but iOS is where the real money is. And now the Cupertino giant is about to get a lot more cash, this time from enterprise users.
The alliance between tech giant Apple and enterprise heavyweight IBM represents an enormous shot across the bow of both Android and Google. In one swoop Apple has gone from not seeming to care about enterprise to making a huge splash. And it's doing this with one of the biggest and most established names in technology.
iOS has just leapt into the enterprise space in a big way, and it is leaving Android to play catch-up. If you're thinking "well, this is just enterprise so it doesn't matter," or "the real money's in the consumer space" then you're missing the point. Enterprise is really important. Think about where enterprise took companies like Microsoft. Apple's starting out on a similar path.
This is a very long game
We're not asking whether IBM and Apple might get some sales out of this deal. We're asking if the IBM/Apple deal is enough of a game changer to blow Android out of the enterprise water.
Of course not. This is a sales partnership deal for IBM and Apple. IBM makes these deals all the time, for all sorts of markets. They're good at partnering and it does help them close business. But as we all well know, it certainly hasn't helped them keep their competitors out of the game.
Android has proven to be a brutally effective competitor. It has grown in popularity at an almost incomprehensible pace. The combination of complete flexibility, low-cost suppliers, and many vendors has given Android the option to be whatever it needs to be, for whoever needs it. This inherent diversity and flexibility will surely impact the enterprise space, and that's before considering that companies like Google, Dell, and Samsung are themselves pretty fierce competitors.
So, no, Android has most definitely not lost its enterprise chance. This is a very long game and Android stands a very good chance of assimilating everything in its path. IBM and Apple may be resisting Android's dominance for now, but resistance is futile.
Posted by Larry Dignan