As the fruits of a relationship forged last May, Apple and SAP will offer developer tools and training to build iOS apps for the enterprise. Apple and SAP are preparing to release new tools and training to help developers build enterprise apps for iOS devices. SAP Cloud Platform SDK for iOS, which is integrated with Apple’s Swift programming language, will be available on March 30, according to SAP, which announced the plans this week at Mobile World Congress. The companies have been working on the developer tools that can take advantage of native capabilities of iOS devices and the SAP Academy for iOS since they inked a wide-ranging agreement in May. The new SDK, design language and academy were expected to roll out before the end of 2016. Some early customers have been using the SDK in a more limited fashion, but general availability was delayed by at least three months. The SAP Academy for iOS is open for registration now, but the resources are limited and will be expanded further later this year, according to SAP. “This is far and away the most developer-centric partnership that Apple has done,” says Van Baker, research vice president at Gartner. The Apple-SAP partnership is “very different” and “somewhat stronger” than Apple’s longer arrangement with IBM, he says. “This feels like it’s a little more developer oriented and providing the tools that the development community needs to go build applications that integrate with SAP backends.” [ Related: SAP design chief talks details of Apple deal ] Susan Prescott, vice president of product marketing at Apple, described SAP as a leader in enterprise software that can strengthen Apple’s capability to transform how people work. “We’re already seeing the impact that the combination of iOS and SAP brings to businesses to enable better, more efficient and effective processes across industries,” she said in a statement. Apple and SAP combine the power of 15,000 developers SAP and Apple are also trying to leverage their massive developer bases to advance enterprise app development. SAP has more than 2.5 million developers and Apple brings at least 13 million to the table. The first set of courses in the SAP Academy for iOS are aimed at providing developers the tools and resources to make the best use of the SDK, cloud platform and latest features of Apple iOS devices and software for their organization, according to SAP. SAP also created a suggested learning path for mobile developers to follow when they get started. “SAP is pervasive. Almost everybody has some kind of SAP backend out there,” Baker says. “So from that perspective it’s going to be a huge appeal for developers that are trying to build business development applications. It puts Apple in good footing in the market as being the preferred mobile tool, but at the same time it gives SAP the most preferred mobile platform.” [Related: Apple’s SAP deal means more iOS enterprise apps] Apple has inked four major enterprise partnerships in less than three years. While IBM was first and remains highly visible in the market, SAP is serving a different need by equipping developers with the tools to integrate SAP backend systems into their organization’s mobile apps. “The Apple-IBM partnership is more focused on delivering pre-built applications that can be configured for use in the enterprise and licensed for use in the enterprise,” Baker says. Related content feature IT leaders’ AI talent needs hinge on reskilling Most organizations see the need to revamp their training programs to address AI skills shortages — an approach that delivers intangibles hiring can’t provide. By Grant Gross May 31, 2024 7 mins Hiring Generative AI IT Skills feature Skills the Irish Government CIO uses to advance digital transformation In his eight-year tenure as CIO at Ireland’s Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Barry Lowry always had a vision of what digital government could look like. Here, he details how an approach built on transparency and innovation is conti By Ian Campbell May 31, 2024 8 mins CIO Government IT Cloud Management brandpost Sponsored by Cisco 3 reasons you should adopt cloud monitoring Cloud network management offers increased security, operational efficiencies, and more. By D Matthew Landry May 30, 2024 4 mins Machine Learning opinion Faultless with serverless: Cloud best practices for optimized returns What does a well-defined serverless approach look like? Let's learn some of the best modern approaches to handling Enterprises and SMEs growing serverless computing needs. By Yash Mehta May 30, 2024 5 mins Serverless Computing PODCASTS VIDEOS RESOURCES EVENTS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe