Apple and IBM have inked an exclusive enterprise mobility partnership, for a new class of business apps for the iPhone and iPad. As part of the agreement, IBM will start selling iPhones and iPads with industry-specific solutions to business clients worldwide.

Tim Cook (CEO, Apple): For the first time ever we’re putting IBM’s renowned big data analytics at iOS users’ fingertips, which opens up a large market opportunity for Apple.

Ginni Rometty (Chairman, president and CEO, IBM):  We are delighted to be teaming with Apple, whose innovations have transformed our lives in ways we take for granted, but can’t imagine living without. Our alliance will bring the same kind of transformation to the way people work, industries operate and companies perform.

Apple and IBM will be working together in four capabilities:

• Designing a new class of more than 100 industry-specific enterprise solutions including native apps, developed from the ground up. Apple and IBM will be working together to build enterprise apps targeting specific industries —  retail, healthcare, banking, travel and transportation, telecommunications and insurance. The enterprise apps will become available starting this fall, and into 2015.

• Optimizing IBM cloud services for iOS, including device management, security, analytics and mobile integration.  Enhanced mobile management includes a private app catalog, data and transaction security services, and productivity suite for all IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions. In addition to on-premise software solutions, all these services will be available on Bluemix—IBM’s development platform on the IBM Cloud Marketplace.

• Building new AppleCare service and support offering for the enterprise market. AppleCare for Enterprise will provide IT departments and end users with 24/7 assistance from Apple’s customer support group, with on-site service delivered by IBM. IBM is introducing IBM MobileFirst Supply and Management for device supply, activation and management services for iPhone and iPad, with leasing options.

• Working on new packaged offerings from IBM for device activation, supply and management. The IBM MobileFirst Platform for iOS will deliver the services required for an end-to-end enterprise capability; from analytics, workflow and cloud storage, to fleet-scale device management, security and integration.

Your move, Microsoft!