Technology investor Roger McNamee on Wednesday praised the recently announced partnership between Apple and IBM, saying it shows tech companies can no longer survive as solely a consumer brand or business solutions provider alone.
As part of the deal between the two tech giants, IBM will create more than 100 business applications exclusive to Apple's iOS platform. In return, IBM will sell Apple's products with 100 industry-specific apps to its clients worldwide.
To McNamee, founding partner of Elevation Capital and Silver Lake Capital, the partnership will likely "increase the size of the pie" for both tech behemoths. He thinks it may move the needle for both stocks, too.
More importantly, though, he thinks it signals a shift toward tech companies diversifying their offerings.
"In the future, the failure to integrate mobility into enterprise solutions is going to be punished very severely," McNamee said on "Squawk Alley."
He added that both companies deserve applause for "the fact that they understand that it's an issue and that they've done something that has captured the imagination of customers."
"I don't think there's any doubt that if you are an IBM customer today, you are cheering this. This is going to make your life easier," he said.
—By CNBC's Drew Sandholm.