Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile

    Apple CEO Tim Cook Bullish on Enterprise Opportunity at BoxWorks

    Written by

    David Needle
    Published September 30, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      SAN FRANCISCO—Apple CEO Tim Cook took pains to tell a packed hall of Box customers here at the BoxWorks conference Sept. 29 that Apple’s interest in the enterprise isn’t anything new.

      “We started many years ago, but kept it quiet, building enterprise features into our software because we realized that people don’t want to carry two phones with them,” Cook said.

      He also noted that the world has changed from one where you had consumer and enterprise products to where in many cases they are one in the same. “You don’t say you want an enterprise smartphone or enterprise car or pen,” Cook said.

      Cook admitted that Apple doesn’t have the same depth of knowledge in industry verticals such as health care, finance and construction that other companies have, so it’s partnered with the likes of IBM, Microsoft, Cisco and Box.

      “We’re very happy with how it’s going. It’s all about giving a suite of applications to the enterprise so we can really change the way people work,” said Cook, adding later, “The enterprise is a huge opportunity for us.”

      Although Apple has been a leading mobile vendor (including the announcement that it shipped more than 13 million of its latest iPhones this past weekend), Cook insisted the opportunity for business and the enterprise is at a very early stage because mobile devices are largely used for basic tasks.

      “You look at the penetration in the enterprise, it’s shocking how low it is, and shocking how few users go beyond email and browsing” on their mobile devices, Cook said.

      He conceded a number of large companies are moving aggressively with their mobile strategy (citing GE and Eli Lilly, customers of content management firm Box, as examples and “pockets” of innovation at other large firms), but added, “I’m not sure anyone, including ourselves, deserves a high grade compared to the opportunity there.”

      At most companies, Cook said “people are already working flat out, so we’re not going to gain productivity by working more hours.” Instead, he said, businesses can benefit by embracing mobility more fully. “You have to rethink everything you’re doing,” said Cook. “There’s no doubt in my mind that the best companies will be the most mobile.”

      In the case of Apple itself, he mentioned how the company rethought the idea of a checkout register at its retail stores. “We don’t want customers waiting in a queue, so we bring the checkout to them,” he said. When an Apple Store associate helps you with a product and you decide to buy it, you can complete the transaction directly with her using an iPhone or iPad and receive it directly without talking to anyone else in the store.

      A Different Strategy From Android

      Cook commented that Apple has no plans to merge Mac OS and its mobile iOS operating system.

      “There is very little today where we say, ‘This is work and this is personal.’ They live together. We have no intention to blend them,” he said. At the same time, he noted that Apple has incorporated “hand-off” features so users can move between devices, like from the iPad to the iPhone or even to the Apple Watch, and continue working on files or view videos where they left off.

      Apple CEO Tim Cook Bullish on Enterprise Opportunity at BoxWorks

      Cook didn’t mention Android by name, but said, “No one wants to deal with a fragmented system,” a clear reference to the many different versions of Android out there.

      “There’s a huge benefit to developing for a single platform and knowing the customers are on the latest version,” said Box CEO Aaron Levie (pictured on left, with Cook), who also was part of the keynote.

      Cook said over 50 percent of iOS users have already upgraded to the latest version, iOS 9, even though it’s been on the market for less than a week. “For others, that percentage is low single digits,” he said.

      Box Releases Capture App Exclusively for iOS

      Executives from IBM and Microsoft joined Box on stage to talk up their partnerships and integration strategies, but specific product news came in the form of a new iOS app. Box Capture is the company’s first mobile-only app for the enterprise and is now available for free download in Apple’s App Store.

      Described as a “purpose-built” mobile app, Box Capture is designed to simplify the task of taking photos, videos and document scans in the field and saving them to the cloud, automatically triggering workflows with colleagues in real time.

      David Needle
      David Needle
      Based in Silicon Valley, veteran technology reporter David Needle covers mobile, bi g data, and social media among other topics. He was formerly News Editor at Infoworld, Editor of Computer Currents and TabTimes and West Coast Bureau Chief for both InformationWeek and Internet.com.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×