iPhone: The device IT managers will love to hate
501340
(InfoWorld) - With the release of Apple's iPhone on June 29, IT managers are hustling to find ways to support the devices, anticipating the moment when the CEO walks in with one and demands, "Give me my corporate e-mail on this gizmo." Analysts and IT managers said Thursday the iPhone will be popular among their workers who buy them for consumer uses, but the devices will certainly challenge businesses because of the needed support for e-mail, iTunes songs, and other applications. For example, at communications conglomerate ABC in New York, the official policy, for now, is not to support the iPhone at all, but there will be some exceptions for top executives. "At this point, with a few exceptions, the iPhone is not a supported device, but for one or two ABC presidents, we'll make the walls move to allow it because we're in the communications business" and they will want to see iPhone's capabilities, said Jeff Plotkin, an engineer for broadcast operations and a technology liaison at ABC. "We'll figure out how to allow them access to e-mail." Plotkin and other IT managers said there will be plenty of iPhone allure for their workers even though the multifunction device doesn't support Lotus Notes or Windows Outlook e-mail, which are popular in corporate settings. Instead, iPhone will provide a Web access client for e-mail access, analysts noted. "After it is out and the price point comes down, more people here might set up a business case for it, saying it could do this or that," Plotkin added. "I can see our policy changing eventually." Also, the iPhone will pose a nightmare for IT because it requires an iTunes music directory account for each user, IT managers said, putting IT in the position potentially of providing song storage capacity and justifying that the copyrights for the songs were not violated or that the songs were properly paid for. "How many enterprises want iTunes software running around in the enterprise?" asked Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney. Meanwhile, corporate policy at Marriott already prohibits iTunes registration on Marriott's systems by its workers, said Arnaldo Impelizieri, director of hotel technology for the Grande Lakes Orlando resort, which is run by Marriott. "We're worried about the size of iTunes files and also who is buying songs or not, and the huge concern about potential copyright infringements," he said. However, Impelizieri said the hotel chain faces a dilemma because it will want to support the iPhone, and iTunes, for its hotel guests. "If a customer has one, we'll do our best to support it, but that will require some sorting out. We have to get our hands on the iPhone and see if it's all that it's beefed up to be. When BlackBerry first came out, there was a wave of uncertainty at first." For months, industry analysts have warned about e-mail access, security, and whether the voice quality of the iPhone will be up to corporate standards. Dulaney is finalizing a report describing iPhone concerns but would not discuss it until its release next week. "Lots of Gartner clients are asking" about iPhone for business uses, Dulaney said. "They are scared of this device." Tim Ma, a biomedical engineer at the American Red Cross in Washington who also handles some IT planning, said he expects "pressure from users" to support the iPhone. "It's too early in the game to say if we'd support it. We'd need a proven track record before moving forward." He said he is personally curious about iPhone's features and potential benefits for a large organization and will eventually test it out thoroughly. For one thing, the iPhone will have a full-screen Web browser, an apparent advantage over what Reseach in Motion's BlackBerry offers the Red Cross. Meanwhile, he added, "We have a contract with BlackBerry for a long time." Jack Gold, an analyst at J. Gold Associates, said he doesn't consider the iPhone as currently envisioned suitable for business users unless they limit their use to functions like the phone. "IPhone doesn't have push e-mail," he noted. Early reviews from February that the iPhone's voice quality was not good have raised questions as well, he said. "Everybody assumes that because Apple makes it, the iPhone will be great, but it's hard to make a good phone, let alone pass data," Gold said. "Still, executives are going to come back from the store and tell IT to make it work."
661100
Enough already! Comments It's been a particularly iPhone-strewn week, now that the Yanks have got their hands on the precious device, and the lovers and haters have come right out of the woodwork.â¦
443822
Friday is the big day -- the iPhone cometh. Our interest in the device is primarily to see how people will use it in ways Apple never intended. Tell us what you think will be hacked on the iPhone.
419338
Soon there will be two iPhones on the market. Each will do different things, but at least the companies behind them won't be squabbling over who can use the name and how.
231578
Blog: Exploring future product opportunities using the iPhone's components
323728
As Apple's new gadget debuts, some start-ups are looking to reinvent mobile-phone service
96646
Mike Elgan says a war is shaping up between IT people responsible for company data security and gadget-loving users, who will want to connect to the Wi-Fi network at work and carry sensitive company data around on their iPhones.
176637
The task of securing smart phones and other mobile devices can be a thorn in the side of IT managers. Aventail's Connect Mobile can solve those problems.
119131
As the engine of iPhone hype gears up for its final power thrust, discussions about the new device range from how many units it will sell to how developers can cash in with widgets to how its iPod-like features might cannibalize iPod sales.
629513
Given the iPhone hype, it's easy to forget other phones can play music and browse the Web. Here are three iPhone competitors that offer a lot of features for less money.
526084
Numerous analysts and CIOs have said the iPhone should be kept out of enterprise networks because it lacks security features.
138024
Saying that iPhone âchanged the way we think about how mobile media devices should look, feel and perform,â Time Magazine put iPhone at the top of its list of âTop 10 Gadgets.â iPhoneâs design, Time says, âis exceptional inside and out: Itâs got a slick glass-and-stainless steel case and an elegant touch screen loaded with eye candy. Itâs an iPod and a 2-megapixel camera. Images and video clips display vertically or horizontallyâthey reorient themselves depending on how you hold the thing. When the phone detects a wireless network within rangeâyour own home wi-fi set up or somebody elseâsâit lets you tap once to connect, and then proceed with your Web surfing, Google mapping, emailing and other activities.â
650588
PC World breaks apart Apple's iPhone to analyze the device's internal components.
667952
BURLINGTON, Vt. - There&#39;s a digital ax hanging over John Canning&#39;s head, but he doesn&#39;t much care. He&#39;s too busy surfing the Internet, perusing his e-mail, compiling driving directions and keeping track of the stock market - all on what amounts to a portable computer he cradles in the palm of his hand: his iPhone.
91105
Blog: You've heard and read all about Apple's iPhone. Now, let's get a sense of how many people have the iPhone itch.
318955
What will tomorrow's mobile devices look like? asks Bill Thompson
689805
Does Apple's latest innovation match the hype?