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Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

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Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#11

Post by raptormissle »

lnanek2 wrote: post #5
smackfu wrote: post #2

I think I'm missing something. These sounds like generic industry apps, but Fortune 500 companies don't use generic apps, they use stuff tailored to their business. It says they are customizable, but that's a lot easier said than done.

Tailored is exactly what IBM wants. They are basically a consulting and services company nowadays, having let go most of their hardware divisions after analyzing their business and deciding they weren't profitable. They will be exceedingly happy to sell you consultants time to tailor the apps for you, in fact, if the app didn't require tailoring, they probably wouldn't want it in their line up.

I see you decided to pull something out of your ass then do a simple search.

  26 Billion of their 2013 revenue came from Software division  
  14 Billion came from the Systems and Technology division  
  2 Billion came from the Global Financing division

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#13

Post by rjayatilleka »

chiph wrote: post #10
lnanek2 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tailored is exactly what IBM wants. They are basically a consulting and services company nowadays, having let go most of their hardware divisions after analyzing their business and deciding they weren't profitable. They will be exceedingly happy to sell you consultants time to tailor the apps for you, in fact, if the app didn't require tailoring, they probably wouldn't want it in their line up.

I'm amazed by that decision (to leave the hardware & software biz). Look at Apple -- that's pretty much all they do, and they have a $650B market cap, 4x that of IBM.

I suspect Apple and IBM's software and hardware businesses have different margins. Another comment said that IBM still does some software work, but has basically exited 'low margin hardware' business.

Whereas Apple's software is nearly all free (and used to supplement hardware sales) while their hardware is extremely expensive for consumers and has huge margins.

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#14

Post by smackfu »

chiph wrote: post #10
lnanek2 wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tailored is exactly what IBM wants. They are basically a consulting and services company nowadays, having let go most of their hardware divisions after analyzing their business and deciding they weren't profitable. They will be exceedingly happy to sell you consultants time to tailor the apps for you, in fact, if the app didn't require tailoring, they probably wouldn't want it in their line up.

I'm amazed by that decision (to leave the hardware & software biz). Look at Apple -- that's pretty much all they do, and they have a $650B market cap, 4x that of IBM.

It's not simply that Apple is in the hardware biz, it's that Apple has a strategy for the hardware biz that enables 40% margins. They're an outlier. None of their hardware competitors have that.

If someone could show IBM a strategy for their hardware that had those kind of margins, I bet they would stay in hardware.

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#15

Post by jayvanguard »

smackfu wrote: post #2

I think I'm missing something. These sounds like generic industry apps, but Fortune 500 companies don't use generic apps, they use stuff tailored to their business. It says they are customizable, but that's a lot easier said than done.

My thoughts as well. This looks like a hodge-podge of app ideas that got created in some brainstorming session.

Then instead of focussing on a real product line they build 20 of them and are trying to see what will stick when they throw them against the wall.

Which really means what can they use as bait to get big consulting contracts since no-one will ever use these off the shelf.

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#16

Post by Gorbzel »

ha292 wrote: post #7

IBM is playing to two of it's strengths here -- decades of enterprise sales relationships and development manpower, largely based in India. In effect, they're becoming a sales and System Integration channel for Apple. In return they get to give their customers mobile apps that put lipstick on the pigs (Mainframe software, WebSphere/J2EE apps). What I find amusing is how IBM is spinning this into a "Data and Analytics…

Really? Largely based in India? :-(

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#17

Post by steedsofwar »

smackfu wrote: post #2

I think I'm missing something. These sounds like generic industry apps, but Fortune 500 companies don't use generic apps, they use stuff tailored to their business. It says they are customizable, but that's a lot easier said than done.

I use to freelance for a large investment bank. They had one large open source initiative, that had two offerings: one that was completely open source, and less powerful and the second enterprise class and highly customised for there needs.

When i left they started a new project, making iOs apps, that would make use of employees phones, rather than dish out expensive (basically hired the phones) blackberries. Again this was customised, security and restrictions and what not.

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#18

Post by DINKDINK »

Gorbzel wrote: post #16
ha292 wrote: post #7

IBM is playing to two of it's strengths here -- decades of enterprise sales relationships and development manpower, largely based in India. In effect, they're becoming a sales and System Integration channel for Apple. In return they get to give their customers mobile apps that put lipstick on the pigs (Mainframe software, WebSphere/J2EE apps). What I find amusing is how IBM is spinning this into a "Data and Analytics…

Really? Largely based in India? :-(

Why is that a bad thing?

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#19

Post by r0h1n »

Gorbzel wrote: post #16
ha292 wrote: post #7

IBM is playing to two of it's strengths here -- decades of enterprise sales relationships and development manpower, largely based in India. In effect, they're becoming a sales and System Integration channel for Apple. In return they get to give their customers mobile apps that put lipstick on the pigs (Mainframe software, WebSphere/J2EE apps). What I find amusing is how IBM is spinning this into a "Data and Analytics…

Really? Largely based in India? :-(

No more than Apple is "largely manufactured in China"?

Re: Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

#20

Post by alecco »

ha292 wrote: post #7

IBM is playing to two of it's strengths here -- decades of enterprise sales relationships and development manpower, largely based in India. In effect, they're becoming a sales and System Integration channel for Apple. In return they get to give their customers mobile apps that put lipstick on the pigs (Mainframe software, WebSphere/J2EE apps). What I find amusing is how IBM is spinning this into a "Data and Analytics…

IBM India is a clusterfuck, according to several IBMers I know. Sure, there might be pockets of good devs, but as a whole it's less than zero. I don't blame India, this is most likely a problem caused higher up looking to cut costs above having good teams. Talented guys in India are not that cheap.
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