How Apple and Salesforce Are Planning on Joining Forces

By Chris Lange Updated Jan 11, 5:23PM EST · Published Sep 25, 9:45AM EDT

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How Apple and Salesforce Are Planning on Joining Forces — © Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) and Salesforce.com Inc. (NYSE: CRM) announced a strategic partnership on Monday that would redesign the Salesforce app to incorporate new exclusive features with Apple’s new iOS.

The companies are seeking to provide tools and resources for millions of Salesforce developers to build their own native apps with a new Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS, and a new iOS app development course on Trailhead, Salesforce’s free, web-based learning platform.

The initial focus areas of this strategic partnership include:

Native Salesforce iOS apps for business

Empowering Salesforce developers on iOS

Accelerating developer learning and career growth

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Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, commented:

We’re excited to work with Salesforce and that their industry-leading CRM will embrace native iOS and deliver exclusive new features on iPhone and iPad. With the powerful combination of iPhone, iPad and iOS — the best hardware and software for business — together with native Salesforce apps and the new Salesforce SDK, we can deliver great customer experiences for businesses around the world.

Marc Benioff, board chair and co-CEO of Salesforce, added:

With this partnership, we’re bringing together the world’s number one CRM platform with iPhone and iPad, the world’s best devices for business. Together, Salesforce and Apple are defining a new era of mobile innovation with native apps on iOS, and empowering millions of people with access to Trailhead and the skills they need for the jobs of the future.

Shares of Apple traded down slightly at $220.41 early Tuesday. The consensus analyst price target is $233.56, and the 52-week trading range is $150.24 to $229.67.

Salesforce shares traded down fractionally at $158.38, with a consensus price target of $167.90 and a 52-week range of $92.12 to $158.91.

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About the Author Chris Lange →

Chris Lange is a writer for 24/7 Wall St., based in Houston. He has covered financial markets over the past decade with an emphasis on healthcare, tech, and IPOs. During this time, he has published thousands of articles with insightful analysis across these complex fields. Currently, Lange's focus is on military and geopolitical topics.

Lange's work has been quoted or mentioned in Forbes, The New York Times, Business Insider, USA Today, MSN, Yahoo, The Verge, Vice, The Intelligencer, Quartz, Nasdaq, The Motley Fool, Fox Business, International Business Times, The Street, Seeking Alpha, Barron’s, Benzinga, and many other major publications.

A graduate of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Lange majored in business with a particular focus on investments. He has previous experience in the banking industry and startups.