iPhone makes enterprise market inroads for Apple

[AppleInsider]

Apple's iPhone has recently seen greater adoption in the enterprise market, with its business market share more than tripling in the past year, a new report has found.

By the end of the year, Apple will have shipped an estimated 2 million iPhones to corporate accounts, according to a new report from Deutsche Bank. As first noted by Fortune Brainstorm Tech, that would give Apple a projected 7 percent share of the enterprise smartphone market, well up from the 2 percent share in 2008.

Exclusively enterprise use still remains just a sliver of total iPhone adoption, though. Of 25 million iPhones cited in the Deutsche Bank study, about 17 million are for consumer use. The remainder -- just over 5 million -- use their iPhone for mixed personal and business use.

Apple's progress in the business world is cited in part because of an October report from J.D. Power and Associates, which found the iphone to be the top smartphone for both consumers and business users. Apple topped all other business smartphones with a score of 803, ahead of second-place BlackBerry with 724.

Another asset for the iPhone is its large library of applications, as well as its virtual keyboard. While the touchscreen keyboard has been cited by many as a reason businesses avoid the iPhone, the report said that the perception that physical keyboards are necessary is a "fallacy."

In June, Apple started to be more aggressive in courting potential enterprise customers when it released a guide to help system administrators deploy iPhones throughout large businesses.

[anantksundaram]

The data seem to conflate 'enterprise' and 'business'. I view the former as large companies, while the latter as all businesses, including mom-and-pop types. I'll bet that a sizable portion of the 'consumer' segment is small businesses (e.g., proprietorships).

[iphonedeveloperthailand]

That's great new for marketing niche. However, they still need to make improvements to tackle the RIM market.

[Rot'nApple]

Although not being a Fortune 500 business, I would much rather use an iPhone over BB or anything else for my business. While I want to succeed in my self employed business, I don't take myself too seriously. Kind of like the "I'm a Mac" relax look versus the "I'm a PC" stodgy business suit look.

Also, I'd rather have a company like Apple that is constantly improving the coding of the phone's OS. Others like RIM probably update their OS but I wonder if it is to the same extent as Apple.

Finally, the chart and numbers is going in the right direction. I'd say give it time.

[DKWalsh4]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Exclusively enterprise use still remains just a sliver of total iPhone adoption, though. Of 25 million iPhones cited in the Deutsche Bank study, about 17 million are for consumer use. The remainder -- just over 5 million -- use their iPhone for mixed personal and business use.

I believe 17+5=22, not 25 million. Or am I misreading something?

[BMWintoxication]

how many are actual BB converters?

[teckstud]

Good luck penetrating corporate accounts with that AT&T ball and chain around your neck.

[samab]

Originally Posted by DKWalsh4

I believe 17+5=22, not 25 million. Or am I misreading something?

17.something + 5.something = 23 million.

25 million - 23 million = 2 million enterprise iphone users.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by iphonedeveloperthailand

That's great new for marketing niche. However, they still need to make improvements to tackle the RIM market.

Yeah they do! It’s gotten better in each revision and some aspects trump RiM’s offering and others, but they need to get a more robust system messaging and email. It’s too consumer orientated in usage to be hassle free as a BB. The changes I propose aren’t even big ones. They’ve already ironed out the biggest problems already.

Originally Posted by teckstud

Good luck penetrating corporate accounts with that AT&T ball and chain around your neck.

Because AT&T doesn’t have corporate accounts already that would consider the iPhone.

[PaulMJohnson]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Good luck penetrating corporate accounts with that AT&T ball and chain around your neck.

Well, we've got the AT&T "ball and chain" with our Blackberrys. I hope our corporate IT masters qualify the iPhone, but I'm not holding my breath.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Good luck penetrating corporate accounts with that AT&T ball and chain around your neck.

they have already beeb deep;y penetrated my buddy . tens of thousand of exec's npw use iphone for enterprise level business

what they now want is for the company to approve of there use and make iphone the official phone .
security and complete instant wipes issues remain
also apple ignoring them is another

i win
i win


yes 9
peace





yanks in 5

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by brucep

yanks in 5

Yanks, yes, but in 7. Bag of hurt tonight....

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by PaulMJohnson

Well, we've got the AT&T "ball and chain" with our Blackberrys. I hope our corporate IT masters qualify the iPhone, but I'm not holding my breath.

But your IT masters can change its battery- can't they?

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by brucep

they have already beeb deep;y penetrated my buddy . tens of thousand of exec's npw use iphone for enterprise level business

what they now want is for the company to approve of there use and make iphone the official phone .
security and complete instant wipes issues remain
also apple ignoring them is another

i win
i win


yes 9
peace





yanks in 5

Yanks in 5.
Philly Cream Cheese tonight.

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by solipsism

Because AT&T doesn’t have corporate accounts already that would consider the iPhone.

Not when they can't change the battery on-site. Nor can they disable the iPod functions.

[hill60]

Wouldn't AT&T offer the advantage of being able to use data and voice at the same time e.g. Fire off an email or consult a webpage at the same time as talking about it, instead of having to hang up, wait some indeterminate period then call back?

The Verizon ball and chain.

Besides last quarter International iPhone sales outstripped US sales there are many places that don't have the same issues as AT&T.

Originally Posted by teckstud

Good luck penetrating corporate accounts with that AT&T ball and chain around your neck.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Not when they can't change the battery on-site. Nor can they disable the iPod functions.

Wrong and wrong. A small screwdriver in hand and the battery is out in a jiffy. You can’t disable the iPod, but I can and corporate can. I can disable anything I want on my iPhone. I even have an alphanumeric passphrase for my lock screen, just like corporate can do. The corporate functions have been there for a while now, but you wouldn’t know that because you fail to comprehend what you read.

[PaulMJohnson]

Originally Posted by teckstud

But your IT masters can change its battery- can't they?

I don't think that really matters, none of my Blackberries have ever lasted longer than a year.

The last one died after the screen broke when I, somewhat ironically, dropped my Macbook Pro on it.

[spudit]

We've got both iPhone and BB in a corporate enviroment, but I wouldn't characterize it as anything near an 'Enterprise'. The line for these titles are a charcoal fuzzy blur anyway.

iPhone is most liked because it is the best outside of work enviroment. I use nearly all of the home applications on iPhone. With my old BB, I used maybe 4 total. Email on iPhone has gotten better, but still isn't as rock solid as the BB.

BB - Bulletproof for email. Many still like these solely because the email always works, and they can type. Although I will say that on many of the newer devices we have had a terrible time with the mini-USB port going bad.

Being a tech nut, the iphone is a more useful device for me- But for the sales folks that only care if they got their last email, BB is a more reliable device. Women at our company mostly prefer the BB because they can still type with long nails. Sounds like a weak argument for a device, but the numbers speak for themselves.

[mickeymantle]

it's hard to meet the demands of business with a phone created for consumers. Use the apple brain power to come up with a killer iphone for business instead of trying a one size fits all approach.

[Robin Huber]

Originally Posted by teckstud

Not when they can't change the battery on-site. Nor can they disable the iPod functions.

What's with the battery concern? I have a first gen iPhone and the battery is fine. With the beating that corporate phones take I am guessing that they would be replaced and/or upgraded long before the battery ceased being effective. . . . or are you being facetious? It's hard to tell with you sometimes.

[JupiterOne]

Originally Posted by Robin Huber

What's with the battery concern?

Nothing. You have to understand techstud. Each time he gets one of his "points" knocked down, he nonchalantly moves on to some other point.....as if that was really the point all along. So first it was AT&T being a ball and chain, now it is battery replacement. He'll be moving on to "no multi-tasking" any minute now.

[spudit]

Originally Posted by mickeymantle

it's hard to meet the demands of business with a phone created for consumers. Use the apple brain power to come up with a killer iphone for business instead of trying a one size fits all approach.

Yep- And this is why BB is still around, they cater the device to the culture. Apple comes up with fantastic devices and tries to create its own culture.

Cool, but it's exactly why it will never work for everyone.

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by iphonedeveloperthailand

That's great new for marketing niche. However, they still need to make improvements to tackle the RIM market.

Apple is locked i'm with microsoft's activesync development cycle. Good news is that it's always getting better, but blackberries are still more secure by design

[lakorai]

Apple needs to do several things to help the iPhone make it in an enterprise market:

1: make an iPhone available on ANY network. Make it available for ATT, but also Sprint, Verizon, and yes even cruddy T-Mobile. Regional carriers, such as US cellular and AllTell need in on the action too. LOWER your outrageous cut that you demand from the bill every month.

2: Make an enterprise deployment application, such as Blackberry Enterprise Server or Systems Management Server for Windows Mobile available for iPhones. The push features in Snow Leopard Server (which I just installed at our law office) work well, but they hardly can compete with Exchange ActiveSync (especially Exchange 2007/2010 which uses Exchange Web Services over WebDAV). You HAVE to make this application available for Windows Server 2003/2008 and various Linux flavors; making it only available for OSX Server is a bad idea, as enterprises are not going to spend thousands more on Snow Leopard server(s) just to manage iPhones.

I don't know if you guys have seen Blackberry Enterprise Server or SMS for WinMO, but they rock. I can lock down everything on a phone. I can do remote wipe. I can install and enforce applications and preferences. I can run firmware updates/OS updates. All from the Blackberry management console. I CANNOT do this with an iPhone.

Running with Exchange ActiveSync was a very smart move. Making remote wipe work is also a great plus.

3: Make iPhones available without a camera. Yes some companies, like Lockheed Martin, would never allow an Iphone due to the camera. Many courtrooms will not allow a cellphone in the courthouse unless if the phone is camera-less.

4: Battery has to be user replaceable. It is unacceptable for a user to be without a phone for a week or two while they wait for a replaceable phone. If the battery was user replaceable (read: using a door), then this would be a non issue. I could, as an admin, with some extensive user interaction, have replacement $600 iPhones on hand and I could FedEX overnight one. But $600 is way more expensive than a $20 battery.

5: Make it easy for the company (this would apply for large corporations) to deploy custom applications without having to pay a high fee to Apple to get it "approved". Apple actually has an application deployment tool and free development tools for the iPhone, but some companies may want to run a custom app.

Example: I used to work for a merchandising company called Mosaic Sales Solutions. They use Windows Mobile 6 HP and Symbol handhelds. They load a SQL syncing program called Qrelay that allows the reports to be filled out in the field by the rep. The rep then connects via Wifi and syncs to Mosaic so they don't have to enter in the reports by hand. This saves at least an hour or two of labor by the rep.

Mosaic would never consider the iPod touch or the Iphone because they cannot just make their proprietary program and deploy it. They are not going to expose their code (which is confidential) to Apple just to get it "approved".

Windows Mobile may not be perfect (won't be really good until WinMo 7 Photon comes out), but at least you can write a program and deploy it without paying some sky high fee to Microsoft.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by lakorai

Apple needs to do several things to help the iPhone make it in an enterprise market:

1: make an iPhone available on ANY network. ...... etc etc..... paying some sky high fee to Microsoft.

#1-#4: Out of the question; #5: Maybe, but I doubt it.

Enjoy your Windows Mobile!

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by lakorai

Apple needs to do several things to help the iPhone make it in an enterprise market:

1: make an iPhone available on ANY network. Make it available for ATT, but also Sprint, Verizon, and yes even cruddy T-Mobile. Regional carriers, such as US cellular and AllTell need in on the action too. LOWER your outrageous cut that you demand from the bill every month.

2: Make an enterprise deployment application, such as Blackberry Enterprise Server or Systems Management Server for Windows Mobile available for iPhones. The push features in Snow Leopard Server (which I just installed at our law office) work well, but they hardly can compete with Exchange ActiveSync (especially Exchange 2007/2010 which uses Exchange Web Services over WebDAV). You HAVE to make this application available for Windows Server 2003/2008 and various Linux flavors; making it only available for OSX Server is a bad idea, as enterprises are not going to spend thousands more on Snow Leopard server(s) just to manage iPhones.

I don't know if you guys have seen Blackberry Enterprise Server or SMS for WinMO, but they rock. I can lock down everything on a phone. I can do remote wipe. I can install and enforce applications and preferences. I can run firmware updates/OS updates. All from the Blackberry management console. I CANNOT do this with an iPhone.

Running with Exchange ActiveSync was a very smart move. Making remote wipe work is also a great plus.

3: Make iPhones available without a camera. Yes some companies, like Lockheed Martin, would never allow an Iphone due to the camera. Many courtrooms will not allow a cellphone in the courthouse unless if the phone is camera-less.

4: Battery has to be user replaceable. It is unacceptable for a user to be without a phone for a week or two while they wait for a replaceable phone. If the battery was user replaceable (read: using a door), then this would be a non issue. I could, as an admin, with some extensive user interaction, have replacement $600 iPhones on hand and I could FedEX overnight one. But $600 is way more expensive than a $20 battery.

5: Make it easy for the company (this would apply for large corporations) to deploy custom applications without having to pay a high fee to Apple to get it "approved". Apple actually has an application deployment tool and free development tools for the iPhone, but some companies may want to run a custom app.

Example: I used to work for a merchandising company called Mosaic Sales Solutions. They use Windows Mobile 6 HP and Symbol handhelds. They load a SQL syncing program called Qrelay that allows the reports to be filled out in the field by the rep. The rep then connects via Wifi and syncs to Mosaic so they don't have to enter in the reports by hand. This saves at least an hour or two of labor by the rep.

Mosaic would never consider the iPod touch or the Iphone because they cannot just make their proprietary program and deploy it. They are not going to expose their code (which is confidential) to Apple just to get it "approved".

Windows Mobile may not be perfect (won't be really good until WinMo 7 Photon comes out), but at least you can write a program and deploy it without paying some sky high fee to Microsoft.

1) How would this be done? Would each Apple Store carry a phone for each of the carriers in every flash capacity? Seems an unlikely thing and since they seem to being working at full capacity as it is, making many new phones for different networks seems an unlikely occurance.

2) You don’t need SL to connect your iPhone to Enterprise. The licensed ActiveSync for a reason. BES is an antiquated system that is very expensive. RiM’s business model, once great, is starting to fall now that it’s cheaper and easier for devices to connect right back to the company without filtering through Canada.

3) I like this. I have no need for whatever crappy camera they put on a phone. Megapixels do not make a good camera.I want it for concerts and such where photography is prohibited.

4) The battery is easy to remove, you just need a tiny philips head screwdriver, but the easier solution is to just use an external battery. But all that is assuming that the battery has suddenly died, that is not a very common problem to have and the number of people with backup batteries is low, and Apple has even moved away from that in their notebooks so you can assured it ain’t a comin’.

5) They have all that already. It’s called the Enterprise Program. It “for companies with 500 or more employees who are creating proprietary in-house applications for iPhone and iPod touch.” They even have a really nifty app for setting up profiles that will dis-sallow any app or functions that the company wants. Lots of stuff, even a password instead of a pin number to access the phone.

[solipsism]

Want Exchnage email on a Droid phone? It’ll cost you an extra $15/month from Verizon…

• http://infoworld.com/d/mobilize/want...-you-extra-575

[myapplelove]

the iphone has by all accounts the greatest momentum in the business. period.

I have to admit, despite my being an ardent apple fan and admirer, I had my reservations when I bought my first iphone, I just couldn't see why it was so imperative to remove the buttons. So what I said, what's the great advantage. I lacked the vision. That said I was not well versed in the subject so my inexperience was doing the talking.

Nowadays every day this is made more an more clearer to me. No buttons means COMPLETE developer freedom for screen customization. Thus any app can ESSENTIALLY CREAT A PHONE OF ITS ONE, A COMPUTER OF ITS OWN, which in essence redefines user interface, in that the interface is not bounded by the os anymore (only to a little extent) and any application doesn't have to rely on buttons, it is its own interface. No wonder why in every super high tec application developers choose the iphone as their platform. I was just watching the beed and it had a report on a car being driven by a mobile phone (typical of the beeb they didn't specify the iphone), which was non other than the iphone of course.

Now if you add to that the legendary stability and effectiveness of the unix core, the alluring doric styling of Steve and co, the multiple sensors -that will get more an more in the future- the camera, compass, gpas, orientation sensor, proximity sensor, acceleration sensor and the tremendous progress of arm cpus and flash memory and you got the biggest revolution since the mac. Let me also add the great integration that apl has with the open source community wherein they take and give back all the time, thus enabling private profit, patents and innovation (as well as a large pool of talent) as well as compliance and openness to the people that do hard work with the nitty gritty of cs out of their shear love for the work.

A pocket computer where it's easy to and simple to design an app suiting most any need, that is also an intelligent hub, a media device, an internet terminal, a music player, a gps device, an rfid interface, a multi sensor intelligence accumulator and a phone. What more does on need?

Only after a couple of years or even more will the general public realize what a revolution the iphone has been. It's that law of it (please remind me the name) that people overestimate the change technology can bring to their lives in the long term, but underestimate the change it can bring in the short term.

[myapplelove]

Originally Posted by lakorai

Apple needs to do several things to help the iPhone make it in an enterprise market:
(...)

With all respect lakorai but it's been a long time since I read such a cliche ridden backward vision free post. Every single shortsighted critique of the iphone par excellence. Excuse me saying this, and I don't mean to play smug, it's a matter of using my time wisely, but I won't even bother replying to all that at all. Just wanted to say what a pastiche of every misguided criticism of the iphone I 've ever read your post was.

Still, the iphone according to Balmer was suppose to be a failure, yet its the most profitable and highest growing platform.

That's why some people are bold and innovative and some get bogged down with the way things had been done in the past and all sorts of anal minor points: nb these people are known as pundits, analysts and journalists.

[anantksundaram]

Originally Posted by myapplelove

the iphone has by all accounts the greatest momentum in the business. period. .....

A pocket computer where it's easy to and simple to design an app suiting most any need, that is also an intelligent hub, a media device, an internet terminal, a music player, a gps device, an rfid interface, a multi sensor intelligence accumulator and a phone. What more does on need?

Well said.

[al_bundy]

Originally Posted by solipsism

What Exchnage email on a Droid phone? It’ll cost you an extra $15/month from Verizon…

• http://infoworld.com/d/mobilize/want...-you-extra-575

will they enforce it? AT&T says you are supposed to pay more, but they will probably enforce it only for corporate customers.

I think everyone is looking the other way because Microsoft is trying to flood the market with activesync

[addabox]

Originally Posted by mickeymantle

it's hard to meet the demands of business with a phone created for consumers. Use the apple brain power to come up with a killer iphone for business instead of trying a one size fits all approach.

Except for the keyboard, you're talking about software, which Apple has been steadily improving, along with business friendly functionality.

Apple no more needs to make a "business iPhone" than they need to make a "business" laptop. The whole point of a general purpose computing device with a flexible UI is that one (hardware) size does fit all.

[masternav]

Originally Posted by lakorai

Apple needs to do several things to help the iPhone make it in an enterprise market:

Inaccurate post. My Fortune 50 company already has these deployed in some of our units. May well overtake BB in time due to lower server-side costs - not having to deploy/manage BES units in our datacenters and depend on RIM NOC availability.

1: make an iPhone available on ANY network. Make it available for ATT, but also Sprint, Verizon, and yes even cruddy T-Mobile. Regional carriers, such as US cellular and AllTell need in on the action too. LOWER your outrageous cut that you demand from the bill every month.

>> We use specific/favored vendors all the time. The ubiquity argument is not a corporate deal-killer.<<

2: Make an enterprise deployment application, such as Blackberry Enterprise Server or Systems Management Server for Windows Mobile available for iPhones. The push features in Snow Leopard Server (which I just installed at our law office) work well, but they hardly can compete with Exchange ActiveSync (especially Exchange 2007/2010 which uses Exchange Web Services over WebDAV). You HAVE to make this application available for Windows Server 2003/2008 and various Linux flavors; making it only available for OSX Server is a bad idea, as enterprises are not going to spend thousands more on Snow Leopard server(s) just to manage iPhones.

>>You mean something like Windows XP Service Pack 3 with .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1, or Windows Vista Service Pack 1 with .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1. Which supports the iPhone Configuration Utility which in turn lets you create, encrypt, and install configuration profiles, track and install provisioning profiles and authorized applications, and capture device
information (including console logs). Also, since we are using Exchange Server 2007 we can initiate remote wipe using Outlook Web Access, the Exchange Management Console, or the Exchange ActiveSync Mobile Administration Web Tool.<<

I don't know if you guys have seen Blackberry Enterprise Server or SMS for WinMO, but they rock. I can lock down everything on a phone. I can do remote wipe. I can install and enforce applications and preferences. I can run firmware updates/OS updates. All from the Blackberry management console. I CANNOT do this with an iPhone.

>>Seen both, not impressed. Both problematic, neither one unique. Errr, you CAN. Actually.<<

Running with Exchange ActiveSync was a very smart move. Making remote wipe work is also a great plus.

3: Make iPhones available without a camera. Yes some companies, like Lockheed Martin, would never allow an Iphone due to the camera. Many courtrooms will not allow a cellphone in the courthouse unless if the phone is camera-less.

>>Camera can be disabled via profile.<< There were rumors also of special runs of iPhones made for the Feds to use under house rules (no camera installed), but I maintain that as rumor since I have no indication that that actually occurred.

4: Battery has to be user replaceable. It is unacceptable for a user to be without a phone for a week or two while they wait for a replaceable phone. If the battery was user replaceable (read: using a door), then this would be a non issue. I could, as an admin, with some extensive user interaction, have replacement $600 iPhones on hand and I could FedEX overnight one. But $600 is way more expensive than a $20 battery.

>>This is not an issue here. Units are swapped actively all the time for more than just battery issues. Battery issues actually comprise only 2% of mobile device failures - out of all classes of mobile devices in our enterprise.<<

5: Make it easy for the company (this would apply for large corporations) to deploy custom applications without having to pay a high fee to Apple to get it "approved". Apple actually has an application deployment tool and free development tools for the iPhone, but some companies may want to run a custom app.

>> Already deployed as a the corporate/enterprise part of the APP Store (something consumers do not see), we already have custom apps deployed using that.<<

Example: I used to work for a merchandising company called Mosaic Sales Solutions. They use Windows Mobile 6 HP and Symbol handhelds. They load a SQL syncing program called Qrelay that allows the reports to be filled out in the field by the rep. The rep then connects via Wifi and syncs to Mosaic so they don't have to enter in the reports by hand. This saves at least an hour or two of labor by the rep.

Mosaic would never consider the iPod touch or the Iphone because they cannot just make their proprietary program and deploy it. They are not going to expose their code (which is confidential) to Apple just to get it "approved".

>> Per your example, the app itself would only have to be the connector, not the proprietary app you seem to think is in need of protection from Apple's "prying eyes"<<

Windows Mobile may not be perfect (won't be really good until WinMo 7 Photon comes out), but at least you can write a program and deploy it without paying some sky high fee to Microsoft.

I responded inline above. I validated the info with our mobile groups. We are a Fortune 50 company, perhaps we have access to better talent than your company does. That may make a difference.

[brucep]

Originally Posted by anantksundaram

Yanks, yes, but in 7. Bag of hurt tonight....

6-2 8th inning
phillies winning

[cameronj]

Originally Posted by solipsism

1) How would this be done? Would each Apple Store carry a phone for each of the carriers in every flash capacity? Seems an unlikely thing and since they seem to being working at full capacity as it is, making many new phones for different networks seems an unlikely occurance.

2) You don’t need SL to connect your iPhone to Enterprise. The licensed ActiveSync for a reason. BES is an antiquated system that is very expensive. RiM’s business model, once great, is starting to fall now that it’s cheaper and easier for devices to connect right back to the company without filtering through Canada.

3) I like this. I have no need for whatever crappy camera they put on a phone. Megapixels do not make a good camera.I want it for concerts and such where photography is prohibited.

4) The battery is easy to remove, you just need a tiny philips head screwdriver, but the easier solution is to just use an external battery. But all that is assuming that the battery has suddenly died, that is not a very common problem to have and the number of people with backup batteries is low, and Apple has even moved away from that in their notebooks so you can assured it ain’t a comin’.

5) They have all that already. It’s called the Enterprise Program. It “for companies with 500 or more employees who are creating proprietary in-house applications for iPhone and iPod touch.” They even have a really nifty app for setting up profiles that will dis-sallow any app or functions that the company wants. Lots of stuff, even a password instead of a pin number to access the phone.

Yeah BUT, what if I want to make up a list of reasons that someone from Verizon told me and use THOSE reasons for why the iPhone isn't ready for enterprise?

[lakorai]

Originally Posted by masternav

I responded inline above. I validated the info with our mobile groups. We are a Fortune 50 company, perhaps we have access to better talent than your company does. That may make a difference.

I am aware of the Enterprise app that Apple has. BES and Systems Management Server can do application pushes, profile management, security enforcement and software updates over the air using a console application. The Apple aaplication doesn't allow you to do this per an application per say; you have to creat profiles and then have the user accept them. . It allows a profile to be pulled over the air; but requires a CA setup (according to Apple's enterprise deployment guide). It's not an integrated console application or web interface.

You are still tethered to iTunes for device activation and for firmware updates. You aparently still need iTunes to install and manage program updates. You can't push an app from your server to the phone directly. Or update the app automatically. You can see how this will create a problem. YOu have to rely on the user to install the app updates or additional apps.

According to Apple's own documentation, http://manuals.info.apple.com/en_US/...ment_Guide.pdf, on page 64, users must still use iTunes to pull the application and to install it. This is not "hands off management". It still requires the user to do something, which creates downtime, and requires you to hound every user to get the app installed. It is not pushed from a console or directly from the company's servers. YOu know how often a user would bother to update their own off-site windows machines and apps? Never. You would have to design a push update system because they don't know how or won't do it themselvers; quite frankly it's not their job to ensure their system is up to date. It's the IT admins job.

This problem of updating apps and relying on the user creates a big issue with keeping phones in the right configuration all the time. This is NOT an issue with BES or SMS.

While you may not like BES, and yes going through RIM's servers is a bit silly (and a potential security risk), their Windows deployment application is great. Want to install an app? Add the app, add it to the group of phones and click deploy. Done. Over the air.

Want to require an immediate password change? Boom. Done. Over the air.

With Exchange 2007 there is some limited capability (for the iPhone, it's much better with Exchange 2006 vs. 2003). You can do remote wipe, disable to camera, some policy configuration. BUt Exchange does not do total phone management. SMS for Windows Mobile does, but it doesn't support the iphone currently. Nor does it support Android phones, Symbian phones or other phones that support ActiveSync.


Your company has the money to be able to support a $600 handset if it breaks, gets lost or stolen without having to buy insurance. In this tough economy it will be hard to justify swallowing that price for most businesses; especially SMBs. That's why we have insurance on all our Sprint Windows Mobile and BB phones. Far cheaper to get a refurb under insurance than to buy another $600 phone.

I wasn't aware that Apple allowed private development to such a degree; it appears you must have over 500 users however. other platforms (Android, Blackerry, WinMO) don't require that.

I think the iPhone is a great product. The $99 a month or more for my usage and the lack of a insurance option makes it unacceptable for my needs (Plus ATT sucks compared to Verizon coverage wise), but for specialized needs it could work in a SMB or enterprise enviornment assuming admins can live with the limitations of the device and the configuration/management options.

[ivan.rnn01]

Promoting the corporate iPhone solution, coming with small business server and working smoothly, isn't the worst idea ever.
Everything depends on how well that platform will sell.
You should not blame corporate customer for inept usage of file sharing, while your solution just is not being able to backup his PC machines.

[anonymouse]

Originally Posted by lakorai

... You are still tethered to iTunes for device activation and for firmware updates. You aparently still need iTunes to install and manage program updates. You can't push an app from your server to the phone directly. Or update the app automatically. ...

... This is not "hands off management". It still requires the user to do something, which creates downtime, and requires you to hound every user to get the app installed. It is not pushed from a console or directly from the company's servers. YOu know how often a user would bother to update their own off-site windows machines and apps? Never. You would have to design a push update system because they don't know how or won't do it themselvers; quite frankly it's not their job to ensure their system is up to date. It's the IT admins job.

This problem of updating apps and relying on the user creates a big issue with keeping phones in the right configuration all the time.

This is actually a big deal for some mobile enterprise apps. Particularly for apps where data is entered in the field, you do need to be able to force app updates to the devices, or bug fixes and new releases can be a real nightmare. (It's not such a big deal when you are just pushing data out to devices since it won't screw your database, just individual user data.) You can (you have to) develop around the problem to some extent, but being able to push updates to devices when you want to makes life so much better.

I'm not at all familiar with Apple's enterprise iPhone tools/programs, but this should probably be at or near the top of the list if it can't be done now. I'd also suggest they have some sort of program for smaller companies, say, 50 users, rather than 500. I think there are a lot of companies with between 50 & 500 users (they might have more employees, that's just the number of mobile users for their own apps) that would use iPhones for mobile computing if these 'enterprise' programs were open to them.

[JohnnyKrz]

As a business iPhone user, we are very happy with all but one thing. VPN has not worked since the 3.1 update. The last time it worked was on the 3.1 beta. There is a discussion on Apple's forums about it and I talked to someone at Apple who said the problem was being looked into, but nothing has come of it for four months now. If they want to keep people interested in using the iPhone for business, this needs to be fixed. BTW, the VPN is on an OS X Server.