Apple teams up with Deloitte to help firms boost efficiency

New York, Sep 29 (IANS) Apple and Deloitte on Thursday joined hands to help companies accelerate their work via solutions available on iPhones and iPads across platforms.

Deloitte is creating a first-of-its-kind Apple practice with over 5,000 strategic advisors focused on helping businesses change the way they work across enterprise, retail, field services and recruiting, research and development, inventory management and back-office systems.

Apple and Deloitte will also collaborate on the development of a new service called EnterpriseNext which is designed to help clients take advantage of the iOS ecosystem of hardware, software and services in the workplace, the companies said in a statement.

"As the leader in digital transformation strategy, Deloitte is an ideal partner that brings a team of Apple-dedicated strategic advisors to help clients truly revolutionise how they work using iOS, iPhone and iPad," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO.

The new offering will help customers discover the highest impact possibilities within their industries and quickly develop custom solutions through rapid prototyping.

"We know that iOS is the best mobile platform for business because we've experienced the benefit ourselves with over 100,000 iOS devices in use by Deloitte's workforce, running 75 custom apps," said Punit Renjen, CEO of Deloitte Global.

The dedicated Apple practice will give global businesses the expertise and resources they need to empower their mobile workforce to take advantage of the powerful ecosystem iOS, iPhone and iPad offer.

EnterpriseNext Value Maps for iOS will help companies discover the highest impact possibilities for iPhone and iPad within their industries, align their mobile opportunities and prioritise digital resources.

EnterpriseNext Workshops for iOS will quickly take ideas from prototype to custom-built iOS solutions.

iOS architects, designers and engineers will help produce easily deployable, high-quality native apps that integrate seamlessly with existing business platforms including ERP, CRM, analytics and HR.

"iPhone and iPad are transforming how people everywhere get work done. And through this partnership, we're able to help even more businesses tap into the incredible capabilities that only the Apple ecosystem can deliver," Cook added.