​Will Cisco become Apple’s most valuable enterprise partner yet?

Apple and Cisco have joined forces to create a fast lane for iOS business users by optimising Cisco networks for iOS devices and apps, integrating iPhone with Cisco enterprise environments and providing collaboration on iPhone and iPad.

“iOS is the world’s best mobile platform, and nearly every Fortune 500 and Global 500 company today has put iOS at the centre of their mobile strategy,” says Tim Cook, CEO, Apple.

“iPhone and iPad have become essential tools for the modern workforce and are changing the way work gets done.

“Together with Cisco, we believe we can give businesses the tools to maximise the potential of iOS and help employees become even more productive using the devices they already love.”

To address the ever-increasing demands on corporate infrastructure, Cook says Cisco networks and iOS devices will be optimised so that they work together more efficiently.

An example centres around both parties plans to make the iPhone a better business collaboration tool in Cisco voice and video environments, with the goal of providing employees with a “seamless experience” between iPhone and their desk phone.

“Ninety-five percent of companies in the Fortune 500 count on Cisco Collaboration and Cisco networks to help their teams be more productive,” adds John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco.

“Through this engineering and go-to-market partnership, we’re offering our joint customers the ability to seamlessly extend that awesome Cisco environment to their favourite iOS devices.

“Together, we’re going to help teams achieve higher levels of productivity and effectiveness.”

With Apple's support, Chambers says Cisco will deliver experiences specially optimised for iOS across mobile, cloud, and premises-based collaboration tools such as Cisco Spark, Cisco Telepresence and Cisco WebEx in order to deliver better team collaboration and reinvent the meeting experience.