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Apple and IBM roll out details of AppleCare for Enterprise
When Apple and IBM revealed their enterprise partnership earlier this year, one of the big announcements was AppleCare for Enterprise, a combined support service. The company today published the details of the plan on a new support page on the Apple website. Analysts are bullish on the partnership, saying that it could bring Apple as many as 42 million new users. This is particularly important in light of flat iPad sales during the past few quarters. IBM plans to sell, lease and manage Apple mobile devices with its MobileFirst for iOS, a suite of software including big data and analytics. As typical with IBM, the devices will be targeted towards different verticals - travel, transport, healthcare, and banking among others. AppleCare for Enterprise provides IT shops with remote assistance, while IBM will deliver onsite support. The site notes that enterprise customers will have a dedicated AppleCare account manager providing a one-hour response time for urgent issues. Apple also provides support for mobile device management issues, Active Directory integration problems, and helps companies deal with IBM's MobileFirst apps. Apple also plans to offload work for customer helpdesks by taking on questions about Apple hardware, operating systems, iWork apps, and personal accounts and settings. IBM's Global Technology Services (GTS) unit just happens to be an Authorized Apple Reseller now, and the two companies will offer onsite hardware service under deals either one, two or three years in length. GTS will provide onsite service within one business day, which aligns with Apple's iOS service direct program offering next day replacement of iOS hardware that has failed. Customers can also replace up to 10 percent of covered iPads and iPhones if an employee breaks one. The service is offered in the US, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy and the UK. Potential customers need to contact AppleCare for Enterprise directly for pricing information.
