Businesses and education are turning to Apple during coronavirus

iPad Pro with Smart Keyboard Folio

As part of its second quarter earnings call, Apple described how the coronavirus outbreak has prompted businesses and education to adopt its hardware and software products at a rapid clip.

"At this time of social distance of shuttered schools and gathering places of delayed plans and new ways of socializing," said Apple CEO Tim Cook, "we have seen significant evidence that our products have taken a renewed importance for our customers. Teachers and students around the world are relying on our technology to teach, learn, and stay connected with each other."

"Since early March we've seen unprecedented demand for our pro apps from students, enthusiasts, and creative professionals," he said. "These folks are keeping us all entertained and inspired as we stay at home, and to help them do it, we made Final Cut Pro X and Logic Pro X available for free for 90 days for everyone. And the reaction has been overwhelming, driving software downloads and usage to record levels."

Cook also gave examples of iPad adoption, which he described as "our largest educational iPad deployment ever."

"We are in the process of deploying major orders of iPads to school systems, working to keep learning going strong at a distance," he said, "including tens of thousands in Ontario, Canada, Glasgow, Scotland, and Puerto Rico. A hundred thousand to the city of Los Angeles and three hundred fifty thousand [iPads] to New York City."

He added that health businesses aare utilizing the Apple Watch. "Doctors and medical professionals are making even greater use of Apple Watch [too]," he said, "and other health features to communicate with patients and to treat them safely from a distance when necessary."

Cook said that he expects this increased use to continue even after the COVID-19 outbreak. "I think many people are finding that they can learn remotely, and so I suspect that trend will accelerate some," he said.

"I think that's probably also true about working remotely, in some areas, in some jobs," he continued. "And so I think we have significant solutions and products for all of those groups."