Commentary--iPhone 2.0 with Enterprise Capabilities

As most of you already know, Apple held an event last Thursday (see it via QuickTime) to announce that the iPhone will be getting all of the features that the enterprise CIO's said were missing for the iPhone to be supported in the corporate environment. These features will arrive in a free software update for the iPhone in June. BTW, the iPod touch will get the same features in a software update that will carry a nominal charge because of Apple's accounting practices--remember the charge for enabling 802.11n Wi-Fi? Same thing.

The features are basically those of Microsoft's Exchange server for Outlook. i.e. push for mail, calendars and contacts plus encryption and remote wiping for lost iPhones. Apple licensed Microsoft's ActiveSync to make this happen. Apple deserves a lot of credit for tackling this problem and especially for making improvements over RIM's offering. As a result, I expect Apple's iPhone to make great inroads as a smartphone device in companies that already support a significant number of Macs. Apple announced a private iPhone Enterprise Beta Program.

While this is good news to many, if you live in a work world where the CIO has already chosen RIM's BlackBerry as the company's sole standard, don't expect to be able to get a company iPhone (or to use your own for that matter) any time soon. First, the iPhone 2.0 software won't be out until June. Second, many CIOs have already invested in creating proprietary company software for the BlackBerry. Third, strangely CIO's tend to be the arch curmudgeons of the corporate world when it comes to adopting something new even if it is better for the user to get work done more efficiently and effectively. Fourth, there is still a huge bias against allowing use of anything from Apple.

Apple also announced it's long-awaited iPhone application SDK and a program for iPhone application developers to sell their applications only though Apple's App Store that will appear on the iPhone. Developers set the price, including being free, and Apple keeps 30 percent to support the store and development tools. Apple will screen the applications to ensure no malicious ones are made available nor those that are illegal, involve pornography, etc. A free beta SDK is available from Apple or via MacUpdate.

Whether the enterprise attempt is broadly successful or not, the introduction of third-party applications will be a huge success in my opinion. [Bill Fox]