Apple CEO Steve Jobs said months ago they didn’t see RIM catching up with Cupertino’s extraordinary success in the “foreseeable future”, and everyone’s been talking about the fast growth of Apple devices such as the iPhone and iPad in the business market (and enterprise). Businesses were already “jumping on the iPad” back in August (and July too, we recall), now the deployment of iOS devices continues with JPMorgan Chase & Co giving iPads to investment bankers.
Bankers will be able to use the iPad for both business and personal use, they’ll be able to download personal apps on the tablet while keeping tabs on their tasks using business apps sold in the App Store or developed internally. Of course the Wall Street folks will have the ability to access their emails, calendars and meeting notes on the iPad.
Morgan Stanley unveiled an application for the iPhone and the iPad on Aug. 23, allowing its clients to access the New York-based bank’s research on mobile phones. Credit Suisse, based in Zurich, followed with its own equity and fixed-income research application on Oct. 21 and JPMorgan said Nov. 15 that customers can access its investment-bank reports on the iPad. Barclays Plc is planning to release an application early next year, according to a person familiar with the process.
The Bloomberg story contains several interesting statements from Wall Street analysts who, guess what, predict Apple products will be huge in business in 2011. Of course we don’t take analysts’ words for granted, but we’re also big believers of the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” theory: if Wall Street’s talking about iOS devices so much, then something’s definitely going on.
Predictions or not, who’s losing market share in its most beloved segment is RIM. They better come out with their PlayBook, and soon. Mostly because once businesses such as JPMorgan and Wells Fargo have settled with a device, it’s over for at least the next 3 years.
