Apple Is Pursuing The Business User With The iPhone

In the past, when business users needed a smartphone, they (or their company) frequently chose the BlackBerry. RIM, the creators of the device have been on the leading edge in the corporate market, until recently.

The features of the BlackBerry have been attractive to the corporate world by nicely managing email and corporate exchange servers. However Apple is going after these business clients and showing off the “business-savvy” features of the iPhone.

Apple has reportedly taken out a full-page ad on the back of The Economist, which is a prominent business magazine. The ad features the iPhone showing productivity apps such as Bloomberg, Cisco, Oracle, The Economist, and iWork.

At the bottom of the page it states:


The iPhone loves business. With over 425,000 apps, the best phone for apps just keeps getting better.

Apple also has a page on their website dedicated to business users. TheApple website expands on the many business friendly features of the iPhone that are available right out of the box, things like: multitasking and FaceTime. The webpage also explains the email integration with Microsoft Exchange, the security of the iPhone, the many existing apps for business, and the opportunities for industry specific application development.

This seems like the right time for Apple to get into the business arena. This has not been Apple’s big marketing push over the past few years, but now with the weakening of RIM, they may capture those who are moving away from the boring business phone.

In a question and answer session during Apple’s 2011 second quarter earnings call, COO Tim Cook stated that 88 percent of Fortune 500 companies are either testing or deploying the iPhone. With the integrative approach of the iPhone and the App Store, Apple believes they have a far better solution than the multi-platform devices found in the Android arena.

Lets hope Apple can capture the interest of business smartphone users. Not only will they have access to thousands of apps that will help them be more productive, they may just have a little more fun as well.

10 Steps To Mobile Worker Support

Today, millions of workers never set foot in offices, and the ability to work from anywhere is a powerful recruiting tool. Fortunately, supporting roving employees is easier than ever. Here's how.

By Kurt Marko ,  InformationWeek 
December 21, 2010 12:00 PM

The permanently mobile workforce is a powerful tool for reducing costs--from real estate and utilities to travel and equipment--while simultaneously boosting productivity and morale. Put in place a strong telework program, and even the smallest company has access to a multinational talent pool. Blizzards, flu pandemics, traffic gridlock, general pestilence? No problem.

But a productivity win for the business can be quite the opposite for IT teams suddenly facing increased security risks from employee use of uncontrolled public networks and the need to accelerate deployment of collaboration and social networking technologies to geographically dispersed workgroups. Planning for remote access and mobility requires a focus on network security, client management, and Internet-centric communications as well as policies that regulate a new work paradigm.

Related Articles

• Get the full report (subscription required)
• Research: VDI Adoption 2010
• Research: Unified Communications

More Global CIO Insights

White Papers

• 5 Emerging Trends Affecting IT Staff in the Recovery
• Closing the 21st Century Service Capability Gap

Reports

• HTML 5 Starts Looking Real (Dr. Dobbs)
• Cloud Computing Advocates Detail Its Future

Videos

Sponsored by: 

  

At CES 2011, David Berlind caught Lenovo showing-off a hybrid tablet/notebook (the tablet snaps out of the clamshell which is more like a dock). At the flick of a switch, the tablet instantly changes from Windows 7 to Android (they run side-by-side).

One CPA firm that supports the federal government makes it clear to employees that mobility and security come with a convenience trade-off. "We use full-disk encryption at the BIOS level for all laptops, standard," a principal with the firm says. On customer sites, auditors employ Seagate BlackArmor NAS devices that provide advanced security capabilities. IT must approve any application installations on company gear. "We try to be flexible, but if IT thinks an application might pose a risk, the employee will need to justify why it's needed."

Setting ground rules up front is smart business, and not just around security. There are many elements to a successful remote worker program, not all of them technology related. We broke our 10 best practices down into hard and soft requirements--those focused on enabling technologies and those dealing with policies, management, and administration.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/global-cio/trends/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228700006

Join Us: http://bit.ly/joincloud