Apple and IBM launch 10 more MobileFirst enterprise iOS apps, raising the total to 32-- with additions covering more business segments including business travel, shift management and field operations.

Announced back in 2014, the Apple-IBM MobileFirst partnership involves the creation of made-for-business iDevice apps bolstered with IBM cloud-powered big data and analytics capabilities. It has the aim of creating over 100 apps covering all industry segments.

The latest app additions include Shift Track (a means for managers to handle staff schedules, time-off requests, shift exceptions and employee hours), Shift Sync (an iPhone and Apple Watch hours for employees wanting to track schedules), Travel Plan (scans Calendar apps, recognises frequent destinations and automatically suggests travel accommodation) and Travel Track (integrates all travel tracking in a single app).

Ingram Micro expands further into mobility device lifecycle services through the acquisition of a pair of European services companies, namely UK-based Canai group and Portugal-based Clarity Technology.

The financial details of the acquisitions are not available.

Canai is a provider of technology recycling services and white-label product, while Lisbon-based Clarity specializes in repairs, parts, diagnostics and reverse logistics for laptops, mobile phones, modems and other peripherals.

According to 451 Research global cellular Internet of Things (IoT) and machine to machine (M2) connection will grow from 252 million in 2014 to 908m in 2019, a nearly fourfold increase.

A number of factors drive such growth-- dropping hardware and bandwidth costs (allowing nearly every enterprise to benefit from virtualising the physical world), easier to use and more secure cloud-based middleware and data platforms and increasing overall awareness of the potential of IoT/M2M in terms of ROI, competitiveness and potential for new business models.

The analyst says connected passenger vehicles and connected energy will drive connection volume, while emerging solutions such as "pay as you drive" insurance will grow the fastest.

IDC reports W. European Q1 2015 tablet shipments are down by -10.5% Y-o-Y to reach 8.5 million units-- a contraction caused mainly by sluggish consumer demand, as the market sees a growth opportunity in the enterprise segment.

One has to note IDC counts both regular tablets and hybrid/2-in-1 devices within its generic "tablets" statistics.

In fact, according to the analyst enterprise shipments are up by 51.3% Y-o-Y. Another opportunity spanning both enterprise and consumer markets comes in the shape of hybrid devices, with shipments growing by 44.4% Y-o-Y even as the category holds just 5.9% Q1 2015 market share.