Bloomberg reports that Apple has brought in IT service provider Unisys to help with support for its corporate and government customers, a growing area of focus for Apple.
Unisys will provide maintenance and other services to companies and government agencies that purchase Apple devices, Gene Zapfel, a managing partner at Unisys, said in an interview. One of the first of its kind for Apple, the contract was signed this month, Zapfel said. He didn't discuss terms of the deal.
During Apple's earnings conference call last week, Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook noted that while Apple is not looking to offer business-specific hardware, the company is stepping up its efforts in enterprise sales in an attempt to bring more business and their volume purchases on board. Cook noted that Apple has seen great momentum in areas where employees are involved in the purchasing decisions, but that the company is building additional corporate-focused capacity to address the broader market.
Apple has in particular been looking to ride the success of the iPhone and iPad to new corporate market share across the company's lines. Apple routinely highlights the percentage of top companies piloting or using the iPhone and iPad, and has partnered with carriers to offer business-specific rate plans and support.
