Apple is looking for sales execs to push iPads to businesses

Apple is looking for sales execs to coordinate its enterprise sales push with IBM, according to new company job postings.

These managers will oversee joint Apple-IBM sales teams based in Seattle, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, and New York. The teams will focus on selling iPads and iPhones to enterprises.

Cook pointed out on Apple's last earnings call that nearly all of the Fortune 500 already use iPads, but don't roll them out to very many employees. The trick for these new salespeople will be to convince companies that they can use iPads for a lot more things than they use PCs for today.

One of the reasons Apple partnered with IBM last July was to take advantage of its deep experience selling to enterprises.

The two companies are also working on customizable iOS apps for specific industries. Based on the job listings, Apple appears to be focusing on healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services for now.

Apple and IBM released their first 10 joint business apps in December. CEO Tim Cook said on a recent earnings call that it will release 12 more apps by the end of this quarter and that Apple hopes to have 100 enterprise apps by the end of 2015.

There are also rumors of a larger "iPad Pro" in the works that could energize business sales.

Apple can still succeed if the iPad fails, but Cook needs the IBM partnership to work if he wants to change perceptions that the tablet has hit an insurmountable wall. Here's what's at stake: