Apple And Cisco Team Up To Make iOS Enterprise Fit

iOS is one of if not the best mobile operating system, but so far its primary focus has been consumers. But some of those consumers are also employees, business men and women, enterprise workers, and the such. And that is one market where Apple is trying to make some headway. Strengthening its push towards the enterprise, Apple has struck up a deal with Cisco, one of the industry's leading networking and collaborative services provider to integrate iPhones and iPads more deeply into users' enterprise lives and workflows.

This integration practically means that iPhones and iPads will work seamlessly with existing Cisco environments and services, such as collaboration tools like Cisco Spark, Cisco Telepresence, and Cisco WebEx. The two companies will also put special focus on making sure that the iPhone will work without a hitch in Cisco's voice and video environments, like how users will be able to seamlessly switch between their iPhone and their desk phone.

Apple has been increasing its push to the enterprise of late in order to capitalize on an untapped market that has once largely been BlackBerry's domain. Last year, Apple and IBM also teamed up in a "MobileFirst" campaign to bridge the gap between mobile platforms and the enterprise. Rumors of a large iPad Pro also abound, believed to be Apple's first iOS device specifically designed for the enterprise.

Cisco, on the other hand, has been trying to find ways to make room for the growing number of mobile devices invading the workspace. While convenient, these devices also sometimes present a security risk as they normally bypass secured enterprise networks and tools. By integrating mobile devices into the workflow and the technology, the best of both worlds can be had.

One thing the partnership doesn't seem to address is the separation of personal and work data and the security attached to that division. Most enterprise-oriented mobile platforms advertise some sort of silo or protected space for business files and apps to shield them from malware, hacks, and personal uses.