New “iCloud for Enterprise” to increase iCloud users and boost Apple service revenue
Barclays analyst Mark Moskowitz has detailed how a new “iCloud for Enterprise” service will help Apple compete against the big industry players including Dropbox, which Apple reportedly tried to purchase in 2009 for a staggering nine-figure sum, noting how a new business focused iCloud service could increase Apple’s ARPU [average revenue per user] for iCloud as well as help further expand the company’s services business.
Presumably an “iCloud for Enterprise” service would offer businesses a larger amount of storage available on iCloud Drive, removing the current cap of 2TB that is available monthly for £6.99/$9.99, with Apple possibly offering an annual subscription at a reduced price and enhanced features to help make iCloud more useful in the workplace.
Mark continued his report claiming that average revenue per user for iCloud is very low and is estimated between $2 to $3 per-user per-month compared to $9.99 for Music and App Store spending…
We believe the iCloud for Enterprise could be activated using a code provided by the employer through a separate app or when users set up personal iCloud account. The personal iCloud and professional iCloud could work separately, and data stored in enterprise iCloud will be monitored and managed by the employer. Users will be able to switch between the two environments freely and potentially experience lower latency (i.e., access time). By offering an “iCloud for Enterprise” with a higher price point (i.e., $14.99-19.99/month), not only could the paid subscription penetration expand, overall monthly ARPU also could increase dramatically. Enterprise users normally pay higher premium for high-value added features like content management, sharing, collaboration, security, and analytics, which we view as a natural extension from traditional cloud storage.