IBM unveils Apple app centre in Bengaluru

IBM on Thursday unveiled a centre in Bengaluru that develops enterprise apps for Apple's iPhones and iPads. Called MobileFirst for

iOS

Garage, it’s the fifth such centre in the world and is also the only facility that encompasses the full suite of apps functionality from designing and development to testing, and finally helping enterprises with integration and implementation.

The IBM programme, which has 500 developers across the five centres, is looking to double its headcount by end of this year, said Mahmoud Naghshineh, general manager, Apple partnership at IBM.

The iOS Garage programme is part of a partnership that IBM entered with Apple two years ago. IBM has generated more than $1 billion in revenue through this programme. It has worked with clients for over 2,000 such projects developing over 100 enterprise apps across 15 industries. "The India team has had a big role in developing and implementing those 100 apps," Naghshineh added.

The four other centres are in Atlanta, Toronto, Chicago and Cupertino (inside the Apple campus).

The apps are developed based on client requests and requirements. The developers use Apple's Swift language and Naghshineh said the company sees plenty of Swift developers in Bengaluru. IBM and Apple also train the engineers at the centre.


"We see the conversation shifting from wanting a single app to cultivating a broader business transformation led by mobile. Our global network of MobileFirst for iOS Garages are a key accelerator for our clients and a significant differentiator for IBM,” Naghshineh said. IBM is also planning to open such centres in China, Brazil and Romania soon to serve clients in those respective regions.

There are 22 interdisciplinary teams working in the Garage in Bengaluru. The centre can develop most apps within 6-8 weeks. "We work to mask the complexity in the legacy systems being used by our clients. The final product will have simple user interface and experience to make employees happy," said Naghshineh.

Kalyan Jewelers, one of the leading jewelers in the country, is a client. IBM has also developed for the airline industry an app that helps flight attendants to help passengers with new flight bookings in case of delays or cancellations.