UK's Boots Pharmacy Chain Onboard with new Apple-IBM Mobile First App for iPads
In July 2015 we posted a report titled "A New Landmark Partnership between Apple and IBM is about to transform the Way Work gets done." Eight months after Apple and IBM began working together on building mobile apps for businesses, some of the first fruits of the alliance are beginning to appear. Moments ago we reported on Air Canada expanding their relationship with the alliance that began earlier this month in Barcelona. Air Canada announced yesterday that they'll have a new Apple Watch by late next month. Today we're also learning about the UK pharmacy chain Boots that has begun equipping store employees with iPads to serve shoppers in the aisles.
These customer service apps are part of a bid by Boots to encourage consumers to pre-order cosmetics and toiletries online, similar to calling ahead for medical prescriptions, while turning its 2,500 retail outlets into convenient pick-up points.
Robin Phillps, who is in charge of digital and e-commerce business at the company, now part of Walgreens Boots Alliance, stated that "These apps put all of Boots' inventory at (employees') fingertips. This makes it easier for them ... to interact with customers on their own terms."
According to Reuters, companies across dozens of different industries are now eyeing how these mobile business apps from Apple and IBM can hook up front-line staff to back-office systems and make them smarter in face-to-face dealings with customers in the field.
IBM says it now has more than 200 global companies gearing up to use mobile phone apps through its partnership with Apple. These include US banking group Citi and Banorte of Mexico, Air Canada, and retailers American Eagle Outfitters and Boots UK.
Katharyn White, IBM's global sales and marketing lead for the IBM-Apple partnership stated that "We are trying to bring that same 'wow' factor, the same changes we have had in our personal lives, to our working lives."
For more information on the new apps from the alliance see our Apple-IBM MobileFirst archive.
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