Apple launches global development hub Garage in Bengaluru

Apple yesterday opened a global development hub called Garage for iOS apps in Bengaluru.

The initiative which is aimed to push digital transformation in India, in partnership with IBM would coordinate efforts with existing design locations in Atlanta, Chicago, Cupertino in the US and Toronto in Canada.

The Garage would allow clients to complete digital mobility projects as quickly as possible.

"With each IBM MobileFirst for iOS client's success, we see the conversation shifting from wanting a single app to cultivating a broader business transformation led by mobile," said Mahmoud Naghshineh, general manager, Apple partnership, IBM, in a statement.

The Garage workforce comprises 22 inter-disciplinary teams that deploy end-to-end DevOps, IBM Design Thinking and agile delivery approaches to deliver iOS solutions in weeks not months.

Furthermore, IBM Mobile announced Mobile at Scale for iOS, a new offering specifically for clients wish to invest in digital transformation projects that include more than three iOS apps over a multi-year period.

Clients opting for this model would get full access to IBM's portfolio of MobileFirst for iOS apps to kick start their digital transformation, iOS App Accelerators for rapid app development and customisation, and Enterprise Design Services aligning app experience with the needs of the user.

According to IBM, its partnership with Apple to cross-sell devices and services to enterprise customers drove deals worth $1 billion for it during the year 2015.

The two information technology giants entered into the deal in July 2014, which had led to the development of more than 100 enterprise apps and 2,000 client engagements for IBM, according to Naghshineh.

IBM is making significant investments to double the number of iOS developers at Apple-IBM centres from 500 to 1,000 by the end of 2016.

 ''Bengaluru is the fifth centre but is the first one to have the full capabilities from design, development, implementation, delivery and maintenance of the full suite of applications. We plan to add more centres in China, Latin America and Romania for Europe,'' added Naghshineh.