Is iPhone ready for your company? At least three firms we spoke with — including Kraft Foods and Oracle — think it is.
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The big iPhone lessons are: It’s more than just another device; it drives business culture change; it gives employees freedom to choose their own tools; and it changes the support model to self-service.
The biggest obstacle to Macs and iPhones in the enterprise has always been the IT Department. Back when I was working in corporate IT, the word Mac was treated with disdain even though my older model Mac OS X-sporting PowerBook G3 easily beat any of the Windows 2000-equipped DELL Latitudes that we were supplied with. Speed? Check. Battery Life? Check. Compatibility with our network? Check. Ability to access our servers? Check. The fact it ran a UNIX and had a great Java layer (at the time) just sealed the deal. I’ve never been one to just put up with technology because it’s supplied free of charge to me. I spent my own money to be better at my job.
Look at the lessons above which Forrester Research has highlighted?
It drives Business Culture Change
It gives Employees freedom to choose their own tools
It changes the support model to self-service.
Is it any wonder that IT departments are resistant. These things would actually require several things off any established (entrenched) IT department: value, user-centred care and possibly budget-reduction.
Looking at those items as a CEO, they’re obviously going to be attractive. Looking at them as a CIO, they’re a nightmare. Very few CIOs (and none in Northern Ireland that I’ve ever met) have worked hard to reduce their annual budget. Cost reduction is a bit of a sham – it’s all about finding lower cost (cheaper) tools, shaving pennies off the budget rather than finding real value.
I’ve talked about this before. Forrester is agreeing here. You’ll make real savings, you’ll have happier users, you’ll see increased productivity.
Don’t agree. Lack of enterprise adoption has more to do with poor Exchange support and the single carrier model. Exchange support is now almost complete but lack of Tasks integration is a killer for many of my clients.
You’re reading this wrong. There isn’t a problem with enterprise adoption – quite the opposite.
You have to think in terms of a truly disruptive technology, i.e. a technology with sufficient potential to reshape mindsets and paradigms, then process and culture will follow. Thinking that the iPhone will not sweep over enterprise IT because of Exchange legacy, is akin to buggy manufacturers dismissing Henry Ford because it didn’t have a buggy whip?
The iPhone is so far from business ready its laughable. I have one and love it, but would not lose my blackberry for love nor money. Try roaming with a blackberry. Its 10 years behind the rest of the mobile world.
http://www.pmooney.net/pmooney/pmooneynet.nsf/d6plinks/PMOY-7R2MB5
Well, look at the facts:
Forrester Research, Kraft Foods and Oracle says it’s ready for business. I currently use it for business.
You say it’s not ready.
I dunno, Paul, there seems to be a lack of authority here? I’m nt suggesting that iphone is better for “you” but you will become a significant minority as time goes on. And that’s the key here – there’s 34 million OS compatible devices out there in less than two years – that’s a 10% market share in around 18 months. It’s taken RIM 10 years to attain a 19% market share. Add to that the fact that most Symbian devices on that graph are really just featurephones and you’ve got an extremely compelling offering.
Your link highlights a bug with that phone – as I commented, I’ve roamed in 7 countries and never had an issue. You have a single problem and suddenly the sky is falling? Your post, supposedly outlining why iPhone is unsuitable for ‘business’ just comes off as being defensive. There’s no substance to your argument.
Most of the corporate execs who are serious about their technology have their business Vodafone N95 and their O2 or AT&T iPhone with them everywhere and it’s no surprise which one they use more.
iPhone v3 is coming out in the summer. And all RIM has in their arsenal is the Storm? A sluggish Wi-Fi-less monster of a device with shoddy hardware. Good luck RIM!
MJ – I responded on my thread, but will post a response here aswell.
Firstly, I’m a mac fanboy. I want to just use my iPhone for business. I’m a blackberry fanboy too, but gave away my Storm after RIM gave one to me (I will stick with the Bold thank you).
“Lack of authority?”. I have little time for reaserach companies like Forrester, Radicatti or Gartner these days. Most of the people at the conference I am presenting at this week also have little time for them. That being said, I am no authority for anyone to pay attention to either, and feel free to remove my post if you like. I was just passing through.
My post is not defensive for any platform. I have kicked out the storm and other devices over the years (just search my site). Thinking like a consumer, the Storm is unworkable. Thinking like a consumer, the iPod is brilliant. Thinking like a business user, the iPhone is not ready yet. The roaming bug is a problem, especially in europe for business people. Things that do not “just work” need to be fixed. Im sure Apple will fix this but lack of background applications, battery life (although I hasten to add I dont blame vendors for battery life these days – the battery technology just has not kept up), slow processor, data roaming costs, useless camera (although that does not bother me in the least) and many other things will just niggle at business users. When they are fixed, it will be ready. Business users that love technology carry around the iPhone and AN Other device. Must business users will not want this (or to burden themselves with the carrier/device costs).
Next gen iPhone comes out in a few months and this is a good thing. I will be on the queue as usual (unless the Pre is as good as it looks). I have used the next gen Storm, and it is an improvement, but we will have to wait and see when it is released.
Again, the roaming bug you identify is an artifact, not a constant experience. I’ve done, and will continue to do, plenty of roaming (travel being part of the job)
If you picked on a ‘real’ issue with the iPhone (lack of background processing or even push, lack of ‘cron/launchd’ then I’d be right there with you.
I’m not going to comment about “slow processor” (because I don’t agree), data roaming costs (because that’s not an iPhone criticism but rather the operators screwing us over). The camera, yes, it’s shit but it’s not in my radar of things I want fixed with the next generation of iPhone.
The thing about research companies like Forrester, is that they measure the tempo of the industry. Oracle, Kraft – the fact they have said iPhone is “ready for prime time” means something and it holds more authority than any PC World reviewer or Gizmodo wag. Forrester is basing their report on companies like these.
I disagree with some of the comments and agree with others.
One thing to add to the enterprise adoption argument is that IT departments in the business world have to be concerned about information security and in particular ensuring mobile devices connecting to our corporate systems and data sources adhere to our information security policies.
I personally think a lot of these policies air on the side of caution, and don’t take into consideration a lot of the use arguments of such devices. I personally think it’s not a black and white approach needed, but one that takes an informed decision based on risk and what data and systems the user is using.
One thing apple could do to help, is provide or allow device encryption. For a few organisations I know and have read about, this has been the single reason the iPhone was ruled out for corporate adoption.