Device makers that usually dominate the agenda at the annual Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week are set to receive some unexpected competition.

German software giant SAP SE made its presence at the event felt today by unveiling an ambitious new initiative aimed at courting iOS developers. The push is part of a wide-reaching partnership that it struck with Apple Inc. last year to establish a bigger presence in the mobile market. The first fruit of their collaboration is a software development kit that will provide the ability to harness the SAP Cloud Platform, the company’s platform-as-a-service suite, for powering iPhone and iPhone apps.

The suite’s main draw is a managed implementation of the firm’s speedy HANA database. Designed with analytic applications in mind, the in-memory store lends itself to processing everything from neatly structured business records to satellite measurements. The new SDK aims to lower the entry barrier for developers by providing various resources that can help speed up their projects.

Among others, the bundle includes reusable design components and a library of pre-packaged code aimed at making it easier to take advantage of iOS’s capabilities. SAP is introducing the SDK alongside a new global training program that will offer app creators courses about its various products. According to the company, many of the curriculum materials that will become available through the initiative have been created in collaboration with Apple.

The training program and the SDK will both be generally available on March 30. In the meantime, SAP has already started developing a series of business apps based on its platform-as-a-service offering to establish an initial presence in the App Store. The first in the series is Project Companion, a productivity tool aimed at consulting professionals that will launch alongside its other new offerings at the end of the next month.

The approach that SAP is taking toward entering the iOS ecosystem mirrors its strategy for Android. Back in 2014, SAP teamed up with Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. to develop a set of apps for Google’s operating system that likewise target the business world. The company hopes that bringing third-party developers into the picture will boost demand for HANA and its cloud services, which stand at the center of its efforts to move beyond selling traditional on-premises software.

SAP hopes today’s announcements represent a major milestone in that push. The partnership with Apple is arguably much more significant than the Samsung deal because iPhones and iPads dominate the workplace. Moreover, SAP’s partnership with the mobile giant has the added benefit of leveling the playing field against IBM Corp., which landed a similar deal to develop business apps for iOS in 2014.

Photo of Apple CEO Tim Cook (left) and SAP CEO Bill McDermott: SAP/Apple