Agentless Backup is Not a Myth

Corporate fanbois rejoice – a new consortium has been launched in Japan designed to spur the adoption of iOS in enterprise environments.

The new group has 15 initial members from industries as far removed as software development and nappy-manufacturing, each of whom will be charged $3,000 a year for the privilege, according to IDG.

The group will therefore help firms that want to build iOS apps and those who want to use such tools to make themselves more competitive, the report said.

It’s still early days for the group – given the scarcity of content on its web site – so it probably won’t be until August before its consulting services and planned seminars get off the ground. Its first general meeting is slated for 25 July.

All of which provides yet more proof, if it were needed, of the indelible mark foreign handset and platform providers – led by Apple – have made on Japan.

The days when the land of the rising sun was dominated exclusively by home-grown tech firms are long gone.

The runaway success of the iPhone 4S propelled Apple to number one in the domestic smartphone handset market as of the final quarter of 2011 and it now has a 27 per cent share, with Fujitsu and Sharp in second and third place with 18 per cent and 16 per cent, according to IDC figures.

Android, meanwhile, dominates from a platform perspective, with a share of 61.4 per cent to iOS’s 34.2 per cent, according to recent comScore stats.

Apple obviously still has some way to go before it convinces the historically conservative Japanese business community to take a punt on its products.

But with the iOS consortium doing the hard work for the fondleslab maker, it’s surely only a matter of time before Japanese firms follow corporates around the world in embracing Apple’s shiny toys.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on this story. ®

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