--- description: As its newfound partnership with Apple ramps up, IBM has announced that it'll be offering its employees Mac computers. title: Apple is Getting an Unexpected Huge New Customer image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e39b79035d2f2a7/6988522a2dce0114229e3f17/479433661.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Business](/section/business/) ## Business Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Apple](/tag/apple/) ## Apple Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Apple Is Getting an Unexpected Huge New Customer by [Benjamin Snyder / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Benjamin Snyder / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 29, 2015 1:41 PM CUT  A general view of the IBM The International Business Machines Corporation offices on Madison Avenue on March 11, 2014 in New York City. A general view of the IBM The International Business Machines Corporation offices on Madison Avenue on March 11, 2014 in New York City.Ben Hider—Getty Images by [Benjamin Snyder / Fortune](/author/fortune/) ## Benjamin Snyder / Fortune Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close May 29, 2015 1:41 PM CUT As its newfound partnership with Apple ramps up, IBM has [announced](http://9to5mac.com/2015/05/28/apple-ibm-macs-pc/ "undefined") that it’ll be offering its employees Mac computers, 9to5Mac reports. A memo to employees said that IBM workers would be able to select from a MacBook Pro, a MacBook Air, or a PC when a new workstation is set up. The company reportedly plans to have around 50,000 MacBooks in use by the year’s end. The move is another step in a stunning reversal of Apple and IBM’s longstanding rivalry. Last year, IBM and Apple [announced](http://fortune.com/2014/07/15/apple-and-ibm-partner-to-launch-made-for-business-apps/ "undefined") a partnership to launch “made-for-business apps” for iPhones and iPads. That historical deal came as IBM is doubling down on the enterprise and service offerings, rather than personal computers. IBM sold its PC unit to Chinese technology company Lenovo in 2005. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3901380/apple-ibm-macbooks/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3901380/apple-ibm-macbooks/"},"headline":"Apple Is Getting an Unexpected Huge New Customer","datePublished":"2015-05-29T13:41:43.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T08:05:32.322Z","description":"Big Macs for Big Blue","url":"https://time.com/3901380/apple-ibm-macbooks/","keywords":["Apple","Tech","Retail","Computers","IBM","Enterprise","PC","pubdesk"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e39b79035d2f2a7/6988522a2dce0114229e3f17/479433661.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Benjamin Snyder / Fortune"}],"articleSection":"Business","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt5e39b79035d2f2a7/6988522a2dce0114229e3f17/479433661.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"New York City Exteriors And Landmarks","caption":"New York City Exteriors And Landmarks","creditText":"Ben Hider—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/business/","name":"Business"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/apple/","name":"Apple"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3901380/apple-ibm-macbooks/","name":"Apple Is Getting an Unexpected Huge New Customer"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"5 Ways Jonathan Ive Changed Your World","description":"Jonathan Ive has been essential in designing the envelope-pushing products for Apple for nearly two decades.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/U5Oyjh6b/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-03-17T07:04:35.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/U5Oyjh6b.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3901380/apple-ibm-macbooks/","duration":"PT3M22S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3901380/apple-ibm-macbooks/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```