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"Proximity" key to Apple's advance into the enterprise

Apple Computer's purchase of Proximity Corporation may be part of broader push by the Mac maker into the enterprise market, one Wall Street analyst says.

In a note to clients this week, ThinkEquity analyst Jonathan Hoopes said the acquisition supports his thesis that Apple's industry leading software holds the key to further Mac market share gains and margin expansion.

"We expect Apple to leverage the Proximity asset to bolster its core position in the enterprise space (as defined by creative professionals) and further improve the functionality of the consumer-focused iLife digital lifestyle application suite," he wrote.

Hoopes estimates that creative professionals comprise approximately 3 million to 5 million of the the company's 20+ million active Mac OS X users. "It is from this creative pro user base (further bolstered by Proximity's technology) that we expect Apple to make a stronger push into the enterprise," he explained.

Proximity — a privately held firm with offices in New York, London and Sydney — focused on developing and marketing advanced rich media asset management (RMAM) and workflow optimization software for the broadcast, creative-production, gaming and corporate industries.


Proximity's artbox sofware

In recent years, its artbox workgroup and enterprise software bundles became the de-facto industry standard for next-generation integrated RMAM and workflow for the broadcasting industry, with installations serving some of the biggest names in the business.

According to the Proximity's website, its software solutions cater to over broadcasters in 16 countries. It counts amongst its clients CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, ESPN, BBC (UK), TF1 (France), KBS (Korea), Deutsche Welle (Germany), and Channel 9 News (Australia).

Proximity Artbox software
Proximity's artbox sofware

Word of Apple's acquisition of the software developer was revealed by Proximity itself, which earlier this week posted the following message to its website:

"We are pleased to announce that all Proximity technology and intellectual property, including artbox workgroup and artbox enterprise, was recently acquired by Apple."