Outfitting the iPhone for business
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You've heard it all before. The CEO buys an iPhone, falls in love, and leans on IT to shift its stack of tasks to make work-enabling his new gadget IT Priority No. 1.But as IT departments scramble to sync e-mail and slap together Web apps for Safari-based iPhone access, the question remains: Can Apple's ear-candy crush object draft off this executive effect to true enterprise mobile legitimacy, or are execs' iPhone fetishes jeopardizing the integrity of their company's mobile strategy?[ For an in-depth review of the iPhone, see "iPhone: The $1,975 iPod" ]Here we examine the iPhone ecosystem's evolving backdoor bid for enterprise, one that pits security concerns, vendor intentions, and gadget affinities against caution-minded enterprise IT.Executive inroads to the enterprise A midsize company providing inventory supply services to schools, government facilities, and other institutions across the United States was perfectly happy with its mobile Palm-based inventory software until the CEO and other high-level execs purchased their own iPhones.?Suddenly, they were saying, ?Hey, this is really nice,? and reevaluating their whole handheld strategy,? says Ben Gottlieb, president of Stand Alone, which provides business inventory software and consulting services to the aforementioned inventory supplier. ?Then came the questions about where the Palm OS was headed and whether their inventory application could be iPhone-enabled.?Mark Russell, vice president of sales and marketing at U-Line, a Milwaukee-based manufacturer of under-counter icemakers and refrigerators, had an iPhone for fun and a Nokia E70 for work until he accidentally crushed the Nokia device in his mother-in-law?s recliner. Instead of getting a new E70, he asked IT to sync his iPhone with the corporate Exchange server.?Our IT guy was nervous at first, but when Visto added iPhone capability to its Visto Enterprise Server, he gave it a try,? Russell says, referring to the mobile messaging service provider, Visto. U-Line was already using Visto to sync its smartphones with Exchange.Russell is perfectly happy with his business iPhone and has no intention of repurchasing the Nokia or any other device. And according to Daniel Koshute, U-Line systems administrator, several other employees are ready to make the switch as well.The above examples are not unique. Like the PDAs, USB storage devices, and Wi-Fi devices that came before it, the iPhone is pushing its way through the side door of today's enterprises, thanks to a sexy interface, a superior mobile browser, and executive pressure.?Apple has definitely achieved its goal of making you smile every time you press a keystroke,? says Ken Dulaney, an analyst at Gartner.And it's precisely that smile that has enterprise IT nervous. After all, Apple has very openly targeted the iPhone as a consumer device, doing little to enable it with the security, management, and other features the typical enterprise IT department demands from any mobile platform it supports. Not to mention that Apple?s enterprise sales and support -- or lack thereof -- have not exactly endeared the company to the enterprise in the past. Yet analysts and vendors of smartphone software report that enterprise demand for the iPhone is rising.?When the iPhone came out, we had a surge of enterprise IT customers asking when we would support it,? says Senthil Krishnapillai, director of product management for Sybase iAnywhere, which will soon offer an iPhone enterprise e-mail syncing solution. ?They told us that management was asking for it.??We?re definitely seeing enterprise interest in the iPhone, mostly driven by executives and rogue users, rather than IT,? says Matt Parks, director of product management at Visto, which recently introduced iPhone/Exchange/Domino syncing for its Visto Mobile Enterprise server.IT in the crosshairs Perhaps most disturbing to IT is the security quandary it faces in supporting the iPhone.?An enterprise must ensure that whatever device comes into the environment doesn?t breach any of the security policies it has in place,? Dulaney says. ?Otherwise, they have two choices: Be a hypocrite, or lower their overall investment in security because one breach, no matter how small, is a breach after all.?Although it does come with VPN capability, the iPhone?s built-in security just doesn?t measure up to those of its more enterprise-focused BlackBerry and Windows Mobile competitors.?Most enterprises cite two must-have security features for any supported mobile device: the ability to force the user to create a complex power-on password, and the ability to wipe out the data on the device remotely if it?s lost,? Dulaney says. ?In order to do that, you need the right hooks in the firmware, which Apple doesn?t provide.?And because they aren?t yet in the firmware, software vendors that support the iPhone, including Visto and Sybase, can?t offer those capabilities.Other security, usability, and management issues are also conspiring to ensure that the iPhone will not dominate the enterprise any time soon.As opposed to the BlackBerry, the iPhone doesn?t provide any inherent firewall or data encryption. Now holding up to 16GB, the iPhone's storage capacity gives IT jitters because it can be used to steal large amounts of data from an unprotected PC. Moreover, the iPhone comes with a built-in camera, which many IT departments do not allow as a matter of policy.?One of the things that really scares me, particularly with government agencies, is that Apple?s core iPhone framework allows it to take pictures or video and record sound without any flashing light or other indicator that anything is happening,? says Jonathan Zdziarski, research scientist for a security vendor and author of iPhone Open Application Development, which explains how to develop iPhone applications using Objective-C and an open source, community-developed iPhone toolkit.?This lets Joe Hacker create software that can secretly eavesdrop on conversations and record video, then send the audio or video file anywhere over the network,? Zdziarski says.Apple could prevent such hacks by requiring the user to visually authenticate an application's ability to access the camera or microphone much like Leopard does for applications that want to listen for incoming connections, Zdziarski adds.Others have taken issue with the fact that the iPhone is based on the OS X operating system and Safari Web browser, both of which have been around long enough for hackers to know how to exploit. Yet, at the same time, it?s a closed system, at least until Apple releases a native SDK in late February or early March, so security software vendors are unable to provide protection software for it.Where?s the road map? Even when Apple?s SDK comes out, nobody knows whether it will provide the kernel and hardware hooks that security vendors demand. And that brings up another sticking point that enterprises have with Apple: the lack of a publicized road map.Enterprise IT depends on the technology road maps published by established enterprise vendors such as Intel, Microsoft, IBM, and HP to plan and budget for hardware and software upgrades. Apple?s road maps are a closely held secret.?Since Apple is primarily a consumer company, they won?t tell you anything until the day of release,? Gartner's Dulaney says.In the meantime, according to Zdziarski, some prospective iPhone software vendors and enterprise developers have used the Open Source SDK to get their feet wet. Others, such as NetSuite and Salesforce.com, are taking advantage of AJAX for the Safari browser, but this doesn?t provide the flexibility and access to the OS that a native SDK would provide.Another sticking point: Apple?s enterprise sales and support staff are minimal, rumored to be in the teens, although Apple would not divulge this information, and Apple has never demonstrated a real commitment to the enterprise, nor does it have any developed enterprise sales channel.?Apple needs to develop key enterprise partners to help them get past executive appeal and get traction on the IT side, and they simply haven?t done it,? says Sean Ryan, research analyst for mobile enterprise solutions at IDC.As for management, Apple offers nothing even remotely similar to the centralized device management capabilities offered by RIM or Microsoft. There are no tools for monitoring mobile assets or enforcing corporate software policies, and the iPhone?s reliance on iTunes for activation and software updates just doesn?t sit well with IT, nor does the need to send the iPhone back to Apple for a battery change.Waiting for the SDK Finally, until the iPhone SDK allows client software installation on the device, there are several outstanding usability issues. Even with existing corporate e-mail solutions, the iPhone doesn?t offer true push e-mail, but rather syncs with the server once every 15 minutes, an eternity for true e-mail addicts. It also offers no native calendar and contact syncing abilities, so users might miss rescheduled meetings.Meanwhile, enterprise e-mail sync vendors such as Visto, Sybase, and IBM have implemented work-arounds to cope with the iPhone's drawbacks. Because the phone provides no data encryption, IBM plans to provide all its Domino access using Safari, with absolutely no e-mail storage on the iPhone itself, according to Kevin Cavanaugh, vice president of Notes and Domino at IBM. Visto and Sybase take advantage of the iPhone e-mail client, but both provide tight control over attachment-download policies. Sybase?s iAnywhere can remove mail data from a lost or stolen iPhone, but not until the next time it syncs with the server.These vendors and others are waiting anxiously for the SDK, after which a number of security and other iPhone enhancements are expected to be offered by third parties, depending on the depth of access provided by the SDK. Meanwhile, AT&amp;T has begun quietly offering business service plans for the iPhone, starting at $45 per month, although with no notable business-focused extras, such as corporate e-mail syncing, as of yet.Still, the iPhone has a long way to go before moving beyond an executive luxury to becoming a true enterprise player. Much of the momentum depends on Apple?s cooperation and an enterprise commitment it has not demonstrated in the past.?Apple is doing just fine with consumers and businesspeople who purchase the iPhone with their own money,? Dulaney says. ?Those two groups make up 85 percent of the 2.5 billion phones out there. What real incentive do they have to screw with the enterprise??Related articles Review: Supersmart phones for extreme mobility We pick seven serious business phones with all the bells and whistles, plus the power and flexibility that real mobile professionals need Review: iPhone: The $1,975 iPod Apple's and AT&amp;T's high-price gadget is a heartbreaking triumph of greed over genius Video: Two Geeks and an iPhone: Part 1 What we use and why Video: Two Geeks and an iPhone: Part 2 Tips and tricks for e-mail, safari, and more Video: Two Geeks and an iPhone: Part 3 How to add third-party apps to your iPhone Thoughts on the iPhone/iPod touch SDK Enterprise comes to iPhone 15 things Apple should fix in iPhone 2.0
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Apple Inc.'s iPhones will carry a luxury price tag of $499 or $599 when they go on sale Friday. But the monthly cost for using the new wireless phone will be squarely in the middle of the road.
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Blog: What's absent from the iPhone now may be added in the near future.
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AT&T is taking extra steps to prepare for an expected onslaught of business due to the iPhone, including the hiring of about 2,000 temporary employees and enhancing security.
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For road warriors who don't need a new phone, but could use some slick connectivity while they're traveling, Computerworld's Seth Weintraub has an idea: Get an iPod Touch. He even hacked his to make it even more useful.
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Kevin Tofel explains how to use an iPhone as a portable handheld photo gallery using the beautiful AP wire photos and FlickrFan.   I did a Qik video demo using my Nokia N95. Lots of computers involved, the quality ain't great but the idea is pretty neat.
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Question: We're in the early stages of startup and beginning to shop for technology. We'll need basic hardware and software, plus many other technology and Web-based services to sell online, service customers and keep it all secure.
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Customers clamoring to get their hands on Apple Inc.'s highly anticipated iPhone better make sure they're at the right store.
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Apple Inc.'s  iPhone may be  too expensive for most Americans, but the much-hyped device is  expected to help AT&T Inc.  win quality customers and  drive shoppers into its stores.
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Anyone who owns Apple Inc.'s iPhone knows that it can be mighty difficult to keep the sleek smart phone shining. But is it necessary to shell out more money to keep the gadget in pristine condition?
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(InfoWorld) - The iPhone may be three devices in one as Steve Jobs famously declared when unveiling the mobile phone at this January's Macworld Expo, but even with the ability to make phone calls, play music, and surf the Internet, the iPhone still won't be able to do everything when it arrives on June 29. But take heart --whatever missing capabilities and features there are figure to be addressed by accessory makers, who are doubtlessly chomping at the bit to start churning out iPhone paraphernalia. For proof, look no further than the iPod. In the five and a half years since its introduction, the iconic music player has become an industry unto itself with developers churning out everything from Hello Kitty cases to a toilet paper holder/speaker system combination that works with the iPod. The iPod add-on phenomena has generated its own name -- the "iPod ecosystem" -- with Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer telling an investor conference earlier this year that there are some 3,000 products built with the iPod in mind. The New York Times reported in 2006 that for every $3 spent on an iPod, consumers spend $1 on an accessory. It may be asking a lot to expect a repeat performance from the iPhone. Apple sold its 100 millionth iPod this year -- in the last 18 months alone, the company has sold 71 million iPods. In contrast, over the next 18 months, Apple says it would be happy to sell 10 million iPhones. Still, there's no denying the phone poses a new opportunity for makers of cases, headphones, and other add-ons. "It's a robust platform for accessories to tap into," said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for market-research firm NPD Group. "Based on the success that companies like Griffin, DLO, Belkin, and others have had with iPod accessories, expect very good support for the iPhone." Indeed, vendors have begun to announce iPhone-compatible products already. In addition, similarities between the iPhone's ports and those on the iPod raise the possibility that existing accessories might be compatible with the mobile phone. And that's before even diving into the realm of accessories that could exist once the iPhone hits the streets, based upon what's known publicly about Apple's latest mobile device. The first-party developer But the company with the inside track on getting iPhone accessories out the door may be the maker of the iPhone itself. After all, until next Friday, Apple is the only company that knows with any certainty what will and won't work with the iPhone. Plus, it does have the advantage of being able to guarantee 100-percent compatibility with the iPhone right out of the gate. To that end, Apple has already announced a pair of iPhone accessories, previewed by Jobs during his Macworld Expo keynote. One of those offerings will be the phone's included wired stereo headphones. Though they may at first glance look identical to the iPod's standard earbuds, these headphones conceal a secret: An integrated microphone that lets you make and receive phone calls. A squeezable control on the cord lets you answer or hang up calls; the iPhone pauses or restarts your music as necessary, allowing you to switch seamlessly between the phone and iPod functions of the iPhone. Apple's other iPhone offering is a minimalist Bluetooth headset for taking and making phone calls; when not active, the headset goes to sleep to preserve battery life. As befits Apple's current design aesthetic, the device shown during the Expo keynote was extremely spartan with one button on the top that answers or hangs up a call. Jobs didn't mention whether Apple's Bluetooth headset would let users listen to music -- as it's not a stereo device, the likelihood is that it won't. Apple hasn't disclosed pricing for its headset, but comparable models run anywhere from $25 to $100 depending on features. Available right away Third-party vendors may not be able to promise total compatibility with the iPhone at this early date, but what they lack in guarantees, they more than make up for in the breadth of products offered. A number of companies have already released some information on forthcoming iPhone products, but this list is by no means exhaustive; as the June 29 release date draws closer, expect to see many more offerings appear. At the moment, most of what's been announced falls into what is likely the most common category of accessories: cases. And that's understandable -- the iPhone's 4.5-by-2.4-by-0.46-inch dimensions have been known for some time now. When it comes to the iPhone, you can expect to see many of the same types of cases that are available for the iPod. With the iPhone, however, there's a complication: The device's Multi-Touch interface requires users to be able to make skin contact with the touchscreen. iPod case maker ezGear has already announced three cases for the iPhone: the ezSkin, the ezSkin Edge, and the ezSkin Max. Each uses a transparent film to cover the iPhone's front and back and keep it scratch-free, and heavier silicone bumpers on the sides and corners, to protect it from drops. The three cases also include a flap to cover the iPhone's dock-connector port and a holster that clips onto a belt for quick access. Marware has its own line of cases in the offing. The $30 QuickVue is a rubberized hardshell that users can quickly flip open to access the iPhone; the CEO Elite is a leather and nylon case complete with belt clip and a plush interior that keeps the iPhone nestled safely away. The $15 SportGrip for iPhone is a high-grade no-slip silicone skin with built in side ridges for easy gripping. There's also a pair of rubberized holster cases with integrated cord winding mechanisms: the Sidewinder ($25) and the Sport Grip Backwinder ($25). Both the Sidewinder and the Backwinder also have belt clips based on Marware's Multidapt system, suggesting that once people get ahold of an iPhone, they're not going to let it out of their sight. Not to be left out, Griffin Technology is also working on a handful of cases. The Elan Holster is, as its name suggests, a leather holster that clips onto a belt; the Elan Snap-In is a molded case that features a swivel clip on the back; and the Elan Sleeve is a leather sleeve with a belt clip. Griffin has adapted its iClear line of transparent polycarbonate iPod cases to make a model for the iPhone as well. It also developed an armband called the Streamline. Besides cases, Griffin has developed an iPhone version of its $20 PowerJolt car power adapter, which it says will be available anywhere the iPhone is sold once the phone ships. Like Griffin, other accessory makers aren't satisfied with simply offering cases. For example, DreamGear is expanding its i.Sound line with the forthcoming RoadTalk Pro. It combines the functions of an FM transmitter (the devices that let you listen to your iPod's audio through your car's speaker system) with a hands-free car kit. The RoadTalk Pro, which communicates with phones via Bluetooth, has an integrated microphone that lets you carry on conversations without taking your hands off the wheel. It's priced at $95 and is slated for an end-of-July release. Meanwhile, V-Moda is prepping the $100 Vibe Duo, a set of wired earphones based on the company's highly-regarded Vibe canalbuds. The Duo adds a microphone into the headphone cable, allowing users to use the Duo for both listening to music and handling phone calls. A small control on the cable lets users manage your calls without having to fumble with the phone itself. XtremeMac plans to ship a bunch of power accessories for the iPhone: The $30 InCharge, a compact AC adapter with a detachable cable for charging the iPhone from a computer; the $20 InCharge Auto for charging an iPhone or iPod from any car with a standard 12V power outlet; and the $40 InCharge Travel for airline and automobile outlets. Earlier this week, Aliph announced that its $120 Jawbone Bluetooth Headset will go on sale alongside the iPhone at 157 Apple retail stores next Friday. What about iPod gadgets? If you've got an iPod, chances are you've already sunk some cash into the wide variety of existing iPod accessories on the market. As you ponder whether or not to purchase an iPhone, one factor may be whether or not your current iPod add-ons will work with it. Unfortunately, the answer prior to the iPhone's release appears to be "reply hazy, ask again." Like its mobile-music-playing brethren, the iPhone includes a 3.5mm headphone jack and a 30-pin dock-connector port. As the headphone jack is standard, it's likely that add-ons that rely on the audio output from that port will work fine, so you probably won't need to trade in your headphones (unless you want one that has a microphone as well). The dock-connector technology is somewhat more of a question-mark. While the fact that Steve Jobs has referred to the iPhone's port as a "30-pin iPod connector" bodes well for existing iPod accessories, there are undoubtedly a few add-ons that will need significant updates (voice recorders, for example, which depend on a built-in capability of the iPod's firmware). It's possible -- though still uncertain -- that Apple might provide a Universal Dock Adapter for the iPhone. The phone is the same width as the iPod and just 0.03 inches thicker than the 30GB fifth-generation music player. A Universal Dock Adapter would allow the iPhone to be used with all the speaker systems and accessories that rely on dock adapters, such as Apple's own iPod Hi-Fi. But it's also possible that these devices will need to be updated and revised in order to be iPhone-compatible anyway; we're unlikely to know more until the iPhone is available. What comes next? Nevertheless, what is known about the iPhone at this point points to a number of directions that accessory makers could follow with future offerings. The inclusion of Bluetooth, for example, potentially opens up a huge market of cell phone accessories, especially for wireless headsets like the aforementioned Jawbone and products from Jabra, Sony, and Motorola. Wireless headsets for making and taking calls are great, but why not bring the same convenience to music and videos? The ingredients would seem to be there: The iPhone reputedly has the same Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR standard found across the Mac line, but there's no word about whether the phone will take advantage of Bluetooth's A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) -- a protocol that facilitates the streaming of high-quality audio like music. For example, iSkin's Cerulean F1 stereo headphones use the A2DP protocol for music (when paired with a transmitter that plugs into the iPod's dock-connector port) and also double as a Bluetooth headset for handling phone calls. While the headset functionality should work with the iPhone, iSkin could not give a definite answer on whether or not the music capability would work with the iPhone's built-in Bluetooth. To ship a media player with Bluetooth built-in that cannot stream music wirelessly seems unlikely, but Apple follows its own path. Another course for accessory makers will be to take advantage of what the iPhone doesn't offer. For instance, one criticism leveled at the phone is the apparent inability for users to replace the internal battery. Many cell phone users are accustomed to packing a spare battery to swap in when the first one dies, something that doesn't appear to be possible with the iPhone. While losing your music or your mobile Internet is an inconvenience, having your cell phone run out juice is potentially far worse, especially in emergency situations. Expect to see a market for supplemental power devices for the iPhone similar to the one that's sprung up for the iPod. Another potential area for third-party intervention stems from the iPhone's touchscreen keyboard. Smartphone users have become accustomed to having a physical QWERTY keyboard, and the iPhone is certainly a departure from that. But even smartphone users are sometimes dissatisfied with the text input on their beloved devices. That's why, for example, Palm recently took the somewhat odd step of releasing a "mobile companion" device, the Foleo. The Foleo talks to your smartphone via Bluetooth but provides you with a full size keyboard and 10-inch screen. Palm has said that it would be interested in making the Foleo work with smartphones from other vendors, Apple included. Whether Apple shares that interest remains to be seen. There are still plenty of questions about the iPhone to be answered -- not the least of which is just how many people will end up buying the device. Then again, that same question was asked about the iPod back in 2001. Accessory makers are unlikely to wait until that question gets fully answered this time around.
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Consumers planning to buy the iPhone at the end of the month will need an iTunes Store account to activate the device.
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Apple Inc.&#39;s  iPhone may be  too expensive for most Americans, but the much-hyped device is  expected to help AT&T Inc.  win quality customers and  drive shoppers into its stores.
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How to have fun with your iPhone right now.
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InfoWorld - NetSuite&#39;s users can start accessing the company&#39;s hosted midmarket applications suite via their iPhones as businesses start to investigate the possibilities of using the&#160;much hyped Apple mobile device&#160;at work.
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We&#39;ll show you how to spruce up your handset so that it rivals an iPhone.
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Trendy geeks and stylish tech-heads anxiously await the unveiling this week of Apple&#39;s breakthrough iPhone, putting phone, web browser and music player in the palm of the hand.