IT departments are ALWAYS behind user trends. IT was late to accept Novell Netware, they were late to accept Windows, and mobile devices, and Treos – the list is endless.

Whether or not the iPhone is a good business tool – from an IT/corp perspective – is IRRELEVANT. What users want to use WILL ultimately decide the day (at least until the “next big thing”). IT departments and the necessary tools will ultimately follow. Welcome to modern computing!

We use WinMo and Blackberry devices. We will assist “certain individuals” (read: Executives high enough up the corporate ladder) in setting up email on their own personally-owned iPhones, but they have to sync at home.

We are one of those corporations that Jason refers to above, that doesn’t want iTunes on our network. If we find it on a PC, we remove it, and we block access to the Apple App store in our firewall. Our industry, healthcare, requires that employees pay attention to their jobs because, quite literally, lives can depend on it. Personal cell phones aren’t allowed, especially in clinical areas. There’s also the issue of bandwidth used by dozens of employees downloading games, apps, music or videos.

Right now, the iPhone doesn’t make sense for our business.

Palm Pre Users Complain About Lack of On-Screen Keyboard

Huh? What? Blasphemy? Let’s be honest, when addressing “business” and mobile device, the water is much murkier than that article would have us believe. How many large enterprises incorporate the iPhone into their internal employee deployments vs. WinMo or BlackBerry? If the person works for a large company, it is very unlikely they’ll be able to utilize an iPhone for internal company business.

Why? Most IT departments aren’t going to integrate iTunes as a distribution method for employee mobile device deployments. Right or wrong, today this is still the case. That’s not to say a blank “all” companies, but the vast majority are still going to go with a WinMo or BlackBerry/BES solution today.

IT departments face a battle convincing (if they even “champion” the iPhone as a business tool to begin with) the CTO, CFO, etc. to use iPhones internally. Sure, some PR firms do it. Mac-focused businesses (graphic design, video, etc) will also go this route. Some small businesses may do it, too — if they are not paying for the employee’s device or service.
By and large, though, these are businesses where the employee would be allowed to use *any* mobile device because all they are doing is CHECKING EMAIL only.

There are certainly ways today to integrate iPhones into the enterprise, but honestly, how many companies are actually doing this today? A lot of corporate employees carry an iPhone for personal use, and another device that is “tied” to their corporate infrastructure (corp email, intranet, internal company databases and applications). There is not, however, a one-size-fits all solution — fanboyism or particular mobile platform allegiance aside. This is also putting aside one’s (or one’s company’s) carrier network. Today, companies using Sprint or Verizon or any other carrier besides AT&T cannot even consider using an iPhone for business. And, those on AT&T have to consider the actual dependency on the network. If you’re in an area that will drop calls or not maintain a persistent data connection, it doesn’t bode well for you or your business.

My expectation is that, over time, the trepidation over deploying iPhones for business use will change. I just don’t see Apple giving businesses a “crippled” or modified iTunes distribution method for employee-distributed iPhones. Keep in mind, a lot of large companies still pay for their employee’s devices and service. In this common scenario, the employee does not “own” the device. It’s an issued tool for company business just like a corporate laptop. With a company issued BlackBerry or WinMo device, most employees understand (albeit begrudgingly), that there can be IT policies and restrictions on the device — meaning there may be limits to what functions or applications that an employee can use, access, or even install.

Now take that frame of mind with an iPhone “as a business tool” (the entire Engadget argument). Frankly, there would be a bloody riot if an employee was issued an iPhone with any such restriction (which, today, is not as nearly feasible compared to how WinMo or BlackBerry/BES devices can be controlled via server IT policies).

If you need to view RSS feeds, view sites on the web (public, not behind a corporate firewall via a company’s INTRAnet) then you’re going to be able to do everything with an iPhone. But, that same statement is true if you are using a Nokia e71, TouchPro, BlackBerry 8900, G1, or host of other “smart” phones. But, if that is the case it again boils down to “personal” and not “company” preference.

To date, there have not been to many (or any?) large scale (10-20,000) corporate iPhone deployments. I am focusing on the “corporate” / business aspect because Engadget’s article emphasized business use. Again, a vast number of employees today

Yes, there is a remote wipe/kill function now for the iPhone. Yes, the iPhone can be integrated with Exchange for company email. Accessing internal company applications and intranet sites? Not so much, by and large. That is not the case with WinMo or BlackBerry devices on BES (the enterprise server), which — love ‘em or hate ‘em — are the bread and butter of large business users because of the granular security and encryption provided via their backend server infrastructure.

To me, if a large number of device users cannot access their actual business data via their mobile to begin with — that limits how a device can be a business tool. If the “business” use is merely checking email? Sure. Surfing the web? OK. Reading RSS feeds? Check. Playing games or watching videos on company time? Double check. Pulling data from an internal SAP or Oracle database behind your client’s or employer’s firewall? Not so fast.

There are, of course, exceptions to every rule. This is, however, the “crux” of the argument for most companies and employees — not a physical versus virtual keyboard, or even multitasking/apps running in the background when many employees aren’t going to be able to put their device on a business network to begin with. Apple is not going to “cripple” or limit iTunes for a carrier or a business so that IT departments have more granular management of corporate iPhones. Most (large) companies just don’t want to put iTunes on their corporate network — and cannot even consider going down that path without an alternate to iTunes. Let’s be honest here, most employers (especially if they have paid for the device and want specific return on investment from you as a “mobile employee”) don’t want you installing games or purchasing music on company time.

Do not get me wrong, Apple has set — and will continue to set — the standard for a popular mobile media device that *can* be used for work/business. I’ve been able to multitask, check email, surf the web, stream music via A2DP bluetooth, and (yes) shoot and upload video from mobile devices for quite some time before the 3GS. But, again, the iPhone now handles these features more elegantly (I won’t cross into “better” since that is also personal preference). Add the fact that I’m not rebooting an iPhone frequently like “other” devices because of memory leaks or JVM errors…and that is another benefit that is checked off in my “happy user” experience box.

Yes, I realize the Engadget piece is strictly one person’s point of view and “user experience.” Just look at how many comments and discussions it has sparked as a result. But, that article neglected to address the “business” needs and requirements that must be touched on for the majority of users/employees/actual businesses.

Will corporate America catch up and embrace the iPhone as a business device for employees? It’s gonna take a while…

Ditto my 20 year old HP200LX …

I think it comes down to the fact that different people want different things from their phones…one of my co-workers commented right before the Pre launched that he couldn’t see why someone wouldn’t just move to AT&T and buy an iPhone, unless they really liked Sprint. We had a long discussion about why there are lots of other phones out there that might be better than an iPhone, but I’m still not sure I convinced him…I think he thinks I don’t use an iPhone because I just like fiddling more.

Which is part of it, but I also like alarms on my tasks. I feel like a broken record. Alarms, meet tasks. Tasks, meet alarms. If a 15 year old Palm Pilot could do it, why can’t the iPhone?

In comparison to other phones – I think the iPhone is kicking ass. Taken by itself as a business tool – it has a lot of shortcomings. But fewer than most competitors.

I think for me the biggest flaw on the iPhone is email. I can live with the on-screen keyboard. I absolutely need a GREAT push email experience with Gmail. The fact that this is STILL not available boggles my mind and actually causes me to carry a BlackBerry for heavy duty emailing.

Moreover, I’m not sure you can use broad strokes when defining a “business device” either since different work environments have different requirements.

Where I think the iPhone misses the boat is here- of all the current devices I believe it has the greatest potential to be attractive to the greatest audience. It would be simple to add a removable keyboard for those who need one. Apple won’t allow it. It would likely work well to have two or three chosen apps running in the background. Apple won’t allow it. With just a bit
more flexibility the iPhone could be even
more useful to more people than it is now. But not until Apple allows it.

I spend a lot of time talking to people in enterprises around communications and it seems that a keyboard is a big deal. The other big deal is seamless, easy and responsive ability to get email (be it Blackberry Enterprise Server – BES or Exchange). It’s not a blanket statement but it is one that seems to hold true 90% of the time.

At Spanlink we have several employees who use iPhones and have no problem using them in our enterprise environment. Likewise we have customers who do the same. I don’t think it is the best solution out there but it is a solution – if it fits your needs.

For me, the ability to edit Word and Excel files is a big deal and Windows Phones do that best – hands down and no I won’t argue with you on it.

My point it, one device doesn’t fit all and a keyboard does not make or break a business device. It depends on the user.

Background apps… yup, we should have the option to run one or two. It is a bad call no matter how you slice it.

And as you point out so wisely Carly, the fact that bluetooth headphones are finally a go but a bluetooth keyboard is not is just dumb.

All I know is, in the past few months I have tried two Windows Mobile devices, a Nokia e71 and, after reading the piece just now, my sister’s Blackberry Curve. It is FAR from perfect but me, I’ll take the iPhone for work AND play. Different needs and tastes… different devices.

Hey that’s why there are different flavors of ice cream too!