Apple, SAP to expand enterprise partnership

CEOs Tim Cook, Bill McDermott discuss move to Mac functionality, data security.

By Bob Vavra May 7, 2019

In a bid to expand their mutual partnerships in enterprise resource management, SAP announced it will expand its app offerings to the Mac to match those already offered through iOS apps.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and SAP CEO Bill McDermott shared the stage at the opening event at SAPPHIRE NOW, the annual SAP user group event in Orlando.

They recalled the early days of the relationship between the two enterprise giants. “In 1997 and 1998, we turned to SAP for help with the infrastructure of Apple, and it helped turn the company around,” Cook told more than 20,000 SAP customers at the opening event May 7.

“Apple is on the rise in the enterprise,” said McDermott in a press release. “Our customers love the unmatched security and ease of use iOS is known for, and that it gives them a superior platform to build game-changing business apps. We have a strong partnership, and today’s announcements show SAP’s commitment to continue our innovation with Apple.”

“We are excited for SAP to extend these experiences further on iPhone and iPad, as well as bringing them to the Mac for the first time,” said Cook in the press release.

Moving forward, Cook said the wider use of the Apple/SAP partnership needed to extend to enterprise opportunities. Using the example of a technician using an iPad for maintenance information, Cook said there needed to be a wider use of technology to improve operational excellence. “If you think back to 2008, consumer mobile apps began to take off. It’s amazing the things you can do now. That hasn’t been realized in the enterprise,” Cook said.

Both executives reiterated their commitment to data security and noted the amount of data available to employees within business operations isn’t fully realized.

“It’s one of the top issues of the century,” Cook said. “There’s more data about you on that phone you carry in your pocket than you have in your in your house. The same is true about your business. Your employees and the devices they use have so much information about your business. These are jewels that must be protected. By integrating hardware and software able to do this better than anyone else is.”

Original content can be found at Plant Engineering.


Author Bio: Bob is the Content Manager for Plant Engineering.