HP's Device as a Service now featuring, er, Apple products

Dive Brief:

HP Inc. is expanding its Device as a Service program to include Apple devices, from iPhones to Macs, the company announced Thursday. Under the program, HP will provide support, managed services and analytics for businesses in "mixed operating system environments" that employ an array of devices.
HP is adding Apple products in response to demand. During a company briefing, Michael Park, VP and GM of emerging compute solutions at HP, said the company is "strong" in the PC business, however does not have mobile capabilities like the iPhone, ZDNet reports. Now HP's system can manage the Apple device ecosystem found in businesses, whether it's provided by a company or for personal use.
As part of the DaaS program, customers can have onsite repair or replacement and unified endpoint management, including device and software inventory and security configuration. The Apple DaaS program is available in the U.S. and will be available in other countries over the next year.

Dive Insight:

Though at first glance it seems like HP is pairing with a direct competitor, the company is realizing an opportunity. Apple is the de facto king of the mobile device world, and HP can tap into that market by providing support. The rise of CYOD and BYOD programs mean more employees are going to select the operating system of their choice, regardless of underlying corporate competition.

The mixed-device environments and wide array of endpoints present in an enterprise has made it difficult for many organizations to navigate the endpoint landscape.

Programs like HP's DaaS allow for management and control, but they also work to alleviate IT departments of the headache of some help desk offerings. Rather than rely on internal maintenance, HP service providers can repair and replace as needed.

The new Apple DaaS program also highlights another market shift: Apple is making further inroads into the enterprise.

Rather than try to build out enterprise programs entirely on its own, Apple is partnering with companies already touting robust channel programs. Whether airlines adopting its products or partnerships with other enterprise giants like SAP, Apple is creating different avenues into the workplace, which could greatly expand its market penetration in coming years.