iPad Loses Its Luster, So Apple Turns To Businesses

Tablets are losing their appeal to the general public as smartphones get bigger and become more advanced.

The iPad, once a ground-breaking money maker for Apple Inc. AAPL, has posted declining sales recently as consumers continue to focus on mobile devices. To combat those losses, Apple is hoping to partner with other businesses to market the device to corporate customers as an all-in-one solution for sector-specific problems.

New Strategy

While Apple has historically tackled new projects on its own, its latest delve into the corporate world has prompted the company to try a new, collaborative strategy. The Silicon Valley giant has reportedly partnered with some 40 other firms to develop new offerings for the iPad that will appeal to corporate customers.

Related Link: Apple's Success Comes From Products 'Consumers Didn't Know They Wanted Or Needed'

Accounting firm Xero Ltd, digital cash register company Revel Systems and software developer ServiceMax are among Apple's new partners.

Package Deal

Few details about Apple's new initiative, called the Mobility Partner Program (MPP), are known, but speculation has been flying. Most expect that the company will offer firms a package deal which would include iPads that have been fully loaded with apps and programs that are relevant to a specific business. At the moment, Apple appears to be ensuring that the iPad programs work together seamlessly, so that the MPP offers corporate customers the same promise that every day users enjoy— that "It just works."