IBM and Apple are joining forces to get more Apple products into the business world, by developing simple business apps for iOS. IBM will offer purpose built apps and support technicians, which will reach IBMs vast customer base.
In 1984 Apple and IBM where at opposite ends of the computer market, where IBM was the entrenched player and Apple was the disruptive new kid. Here is the famous Apple ad 1984, where Apple paints IBM as a Big Brother type figure.
For Apple this is a very positive move as enterprises have not been a core focus of theirs, even though 1/3 of the iPads sold last years were for enterprises. Becoming engrained in the systems of businesses also helps so ensure repeat business because corporate customers are stickier than individuals.
This also has an impact on the smartphone wars, where it is estimated that next year 30% of smartphones sold will be used for enterprise use. So this is an important segment to get a foothold.
The advantage of using Apple is that compared to other product offering, all the hardware and software comes from one company. Your laptop, tablet and phone all are made by the same people and all talk the same language, making integration far easier for the user. This deal looks good for Apple, IBM and enterprise users.