Apple Inc's new Swift language a "huge leap forward for iOS ecosystem," offers "enormous opportunity
Speaking to analysts, Apple's chief executive Tim Cook called the company's new Swift programming language "a huge leap forward for the iOS ecosystem" and an important contributing factor to the company's new partnership with IBM targeting enterprise app development.
Cook opened his prepared remarks by noting Apple's "best ever" Worldwide Developer Conference had attracted a new record audience of "20 million people from around the world watching our keynote," where the company introduced Swift alongside iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
Referring to Swift as "an innovative new programming language for iOS and OS X," Cook noted that "Swift is the result of the latest research on programming languages, combined with decades of experience building Apple platforms. It makes writing code code interactive and fun, eliminates entire classes of unsafe code, and generates apps that run lightning fast," Cook stated.
"It's easy to learn, allowing even more people to dream big and create whole new categories of apps. We believe our new OS releases combined with Swift will result in a huge leap forward for the Apple ecosystem, and we can't wait to see what developers will create with Yosemite, iOS 8 and Swift."
In the enterprise market, Cook said, "we've forged a relationship with IBM to deliver a new class of mobile business solutions to enterprise customers around the world. We're working together to provide companies access to the power of big data analytics right on every employee's iPhone or iPad.
"Using Swift, we will collaborate to bring over 100 MobileFirst apps to enterprise clients, each addressing a specific industry need or opportunity.
"This is a radical step for enterprise. It opens a large market opportunity for Apple," Cook emphasized. "But more importantly, it's great for productivity and creativity of our enterprise customers."
Cook concluded, "from the pocket, to the car, to the workplace, home and gym, we have a very large vision of what iOS can be and we are incredibly excited about our plans."
Apple has now paid its App Store developers more than $20 billion, the company noted, nearly half of which was paid out over the last 12 months. Cook added that in China, Apple's iTunes software & services, including the App Store is "almost doubling" year over year.
Specific to enterprise apps, Cook also reiterated that Apple and IBM both see "mobile in enterprise is an enormous opportunity." He later responded to a question about whether Apple would continue to take a cut of enterprise apps sold through iTunes by stating there were "no plans to change the rules with enterprise."
Cook added that "some enterprises write proprietary apps they do not want to offer to others, and so we obviously have a way for them to distribute those into their enterprise on just the employees they want to. I'm not worried about changing that. We're all for taking friction out of the system, and not adding it.
"Again, the big thing for us is getting the penetration number up," Cook said. "Getting our products, iPhones and iPad and Macs, in more people's hands. And we think there's a big opportunity in enterprise to do that."
Cook opened his prepared remarks by noting Apple's "best ever" Worldwide Developer Conference had attracted a new record audience of "20 million people from around the world watching our keynote," where the company introduced Swift alongside iOS 8 and OS X Yosemite.
Referring to Swift as "an innovative new programming language for iOS and OS X," Cook noted that "Swift is the result of the latest research on programming languages, combined with decades of experience building Apple platforms. It makes writing code code interactive and fun, eliminates entire classes of unsafe code, and generates apps that run lightning fast," Cook stated.
"It's easy to learn, allowing even more people to dream big and create whole new categories of apps. We believe our new OS releases combined with Swift will result in a huge leap forward for the Apple ecosystem, and we can't wait to see what developers will create with Yosemite, iOS 8 and Swift."
iOS Everywhere, Swiftly
Cook then described Apple as "extending iOS in even more directions," outlining the company's plans for CarPlay as "a safe and intuitive user interface while driving," HealthKit integration with medical providers and fitness sensor makers, and HomeKit, which Cook described as a way to "control lights, doors, thermostats and other connected devices around the house using Siri."In the enterprise market, Cook said, "we've forged a relationship with IBM to deliver a new class of mobile business solutions to enterprise customers around the world. We're working together to provide companies access to the power of big data analytics right on every employee's iPhone or iPad.
"Using Swift, we will collaborate to bring over 100 MobileFirst apps to enterprise clients, each addressing a specific industry need or opportunity.
"This is a radical step for enterprise. It opens a large market opportunity for Apple," Cook emphasized. "But more importantly, it's great for productivity and creativity of our enterprise customers."
Cook concluded, "from the pocket, to the car, to the workplace, home and gym, we have a very large vision of what iOS can be and we are incredibly excited about our plans."
App Store growth off the charts
In the question and answer portion of the conference call, Apple's chief financial officer Luca Maestri outlined that Apple's iTunes billings grew 25 percent year over year to reach an all-time high.Apple has now paid its App Store developers more than $20 billion, the company noted, nearly half of which was paid out over the last 12 months. Cook added that in China, Apple's iTunes software & services, including the App Store is "almost doubling" year over year.
"Mobile in enterprise is an enormous opportunity" - Tim Cook
Specific to enterprise apps, Cook also reiterated that Apple and IBM both see "mobile in enterprise is an enormous opportunity." He later responded to a question about whether Apple would continue to take a cut of enterprise apps sold through iTunes by stating there were "no plans to change the rules with enterprise."
Cook added that "some enterprises write proprietary apps they do not want to offer to others, and so we obviously have a way for them to distribute those into their enterprise on just the employees they want to. I'm not worried about changing that. We're all for taking friction out of the system, and not adding it.
"Again, the big thing for us is getting the penetration number up," Cook said. "Getting our products, iPhones and iPad and Macs, in more people's hands. And we think there's a big opportunity in enterprise to do that."
Comments
I hadn't thought of the connection between Swift and IBM enterprise apps for iPad, but it seems pretty obvious now that it's pointed out :-)
If Apple can actually meet cook's goal of going from 20 percent enterprise penetration to 60 percent, that would be a pretty big deal.
So, will Swift make it easier for a programming noob to develop basic apps?
No matter how you slice it, if you have no affinity for programming nothing will improve the experience.
If Microsoft isn't in the process of writing Windows or their compiler from scratch, they're done. Companies have put up with their security holes since Windows 3.11.
no. Basic apps don't require Swift.
Swift... another differentiating technology that will make it even more difficult to compete against Apple. I don't see how Android users can live on this planet and still choose Android. All the cool innovation and manufacturing breakthroughs are happening in Cupertino.
Or is there an "Android Insider" forum chock full of rabid Android fans? And what do they get jacked up about other than how fractured their OS is...
I too didn't expect there to be a connection between the Swift language and the IBM partnership. I hadn't heard the 20% to 60% numbers before. When did Cook say that? If that is their goal, then that will indeed blow the lid off of sales of iDevices. In fact a 60% penetration of Exxon alone would be worth breaking out the century-old champaign.
That hole out behind Microsoft's Redmond offices needs to be expanded to hold all the Surface Pro 3s. When filled and covered, I understand there will a break dance exhibit done on the mound... that is after Ballmer does his obligatory monkey dance.
In any good diverse ecosystem there are important niches for bottom-feeders and sucker fish.
Since, supposedly the music business has tanked, all this growth must be coming from app sales and/or in-app sales??
The future holds much for the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation. A merger with Microsoft is very likely in the future, benefiting both companies. However SCC has expressed concerns that its Quality of Product could be adversely effected. However, Bill Gates Has assured he will oversee and 'Captain' the proposed merger; SCC shares continue to fall.
In any good diverse ecosystem there are important niches for bottom-feeders and sucker fish.
Don't forget the Babel fish - Dude
That's depressing.
And here I am, brain the size of a planet...
I hadn't thought of the connection between Swift and IBM enterprise apps for iPad, but it seems pretty obvious now that it's pointed out :-)
If Apple can actually meet cook's goal of going from 20 percent enterprise penetration to 60 percent, that would be a pretty big deal.
Swift can make it be a much easier transition for all those enterprise Java programers. It is really interesting to think that Apple had the creation of Swift on their todo list in part for getting deeper into Enterprise. There are obviously other benefits, but that is certainly looking at the chess board several moves ahead of the game.
In the question and answer portion of the conference call, Apple's chief financial officer Luca Maestri outlined that Apple's iTunes billings grew 25 percent year over year to reach an all-time high.
Since, supposedly the music business has tanked, all this growth must be coming from app sales and/or in-app sales??
They said it was on the strength of the App Store.
So, will Swift make it easier for a programming noob to develop basic apps?
I can tell you right now, that after my 25+ years of programming experience... just because you can hold a hammer, most will have no business building houses with it.
I suspect we'll see the emergence of more "I am rich" crap apps, and weekend wannabe coders suddenly proclaiming themselves to be software engineers because they were able to compile a "Hello World" example.
That's what Java and Android are for.
So, will Swift make it easier for a programming noob to develop basic apps?
If you're somewhat familiar with a language such as C#, I'd say it wouldn't make it much easier. I'd even wager to go out and say if you're vaguely familiar with C-style Syntax that Swift will probably do you slightly better than most other C derivatives/subsets/successors. It's just a matter of getting accommodated.
Someone can correct me if wrong(Syntax wise)
That is if this is the "noob" you are referring to. If the problem instead lies in the grasping of computation, logic and critical thinking? Well that is an entirely other issue that should be addressed in immediacy regardless of the programming language. A tool is only as useful as the person behind it.
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EDIT: From a language purity standpoint this comment stands.
From a feature standpoint...things like Interactive Playgrounds are a HUGE benefit to programmers easily capable of boosting productivity, and its object oriented nature is a plus for generally most people today. Add in memory safety features and you've got some killer bonuses for a new language, again for most programmers(Though I think everyone can agree that Interactive Playgrounds is an indisputably welcome addition).
When Swift becomes part of LLVM/Clang proper then I know how serious IBM is with this partnership.