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Corporate IT Hanging Up on Apple's iPhone
WSJdpatton writes "iPhones can be used for email, but many businesses don't plan to sync them with internal systems used to power Blackberries and Microsoft mobile devices. Employees eager to use the cool new gadget, however, may pressure IT departments to support iPhones even if it means incurring more costs and changing policies. The WSJ reports: 'Incompatible technology has become an increasing problem for businesses as hand-held email and phone devices are evolving into minicomputers that can do such things as download music, take pictures and surf the Web. In the past, businesses have been unwilling to support certain devices, like those with cameras, for instance, because of concerns employees could use them to document company secrets. But these tensions would be magnified if the iPhone is as popular as Apple is hoping and some analysts expect.'"
"Businesses probably shouldn't rely on proprietary communications technology, because people will bitch and moan when they discover that it is, in fact, proprietary"
Film at 11.
Companies who've locked themselves in to a proprietary email system can't change when a new (and potentially better) product is available.
"I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
if so, why don't we seen businesses demanding open standards used when they make the buying decisions ? is this uninformed people being in charge or what ?
incompatibilities are biting businesses for awfully long time, but we still have
Rich
while I do question its usefulness as a real business tool compared to a blackberry, I think the security risk question is overly hyped. I think having web access so I can use a personal webmail account to send whatever I want out to anyone I want unfiltered by IT or corporate security[different from network security] is a bigger risk to my employers trade secrets.
I also think that there really needs to be an open standard for interaction with the servers these devices need to talk to so that one server can talk to anybodies pda/phone. I know I don't want to implement different software for each different model of cell phone.
thats right, I rarely use capitals. deal with it. but don't mistake my laziness for stupidity
WTF. Corporate IT is fucking weird. The iPhone is POP3/IMAP and SMTP
What's so "nonstandard" about that?!
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Seriously, an IT department should support a set list of systems, not everything a user brings to work and wants to use - thats how costs spiral out of control (as noted in the FA) and also how IT eventually gets blamed for the cost overruns et al.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-11
Adapt or die. Soon the number of non-microsoft stuff exceeds the number you can ignore or brush off.
You see, employees are really hoping for company provided iPhones in exchange of their company provided BBs. Brilliant!!!
Although I for one would not want a company owed communication tool.
The corporate "standard" is Microsoft Enterprise Windows Email Exchange Protocol Vista Ultimate Edition 2007, not one of those pesky "open" standards that anyone can implement. Only communists use POP and IMAP, you know.
The server system I mean - I seem to recall them being available in the UK in 1999-2000 but reliant on GPRS. It's only been in the last couple of years that they have been embraced by corporate IT, and largely because of a 'me too' culture that passes like a virus around meetings and conferences. One place I worked earlier this year rolled them out with full server support to their executives over about a month after a VP was converted.
The iPhone isn't designed as a corporate product - yet. It *should* provide the same open standards that iCal and iSync work with, which will mean synchronisation with the Mac desktop and indeed Google Calendar among other things, so if there is the demand, and Steve can see outside the living room for a minute, there would be a nice little market for an Xserve based synchronisation server. The problem is that neither it nor the iPhone would still play nice with Exchange without some third party software - it exists but it's presently not 'Mac' enough. But give the iPhone time. At the moment it's Insanely Great but without a huge amount of market penetration and the option of true integration the corporate world won't even look at it for a couple of years.
Oh, sorry *waves iPhone* oooo, shiny.
to the 29th June is plastered with daily iPhone stories :)
What's so "nonstandard" about that?!
a nge/2007/evaluate/clients.mspx
Maybe not MS standard as in compatible with Exchange.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/exch
Look at the chart in the link. Even some versions of Outlook are incompatable with some versions of Exchange.
Only Outlook 2002/XP and 2003 are compatible with all the versions of exchange listed. Everything else is incompatible with at least one version.
So what versions is the phone compatible with?
The truth shall set you free!
And the Calendar is what? The Contacts/addressbook is what? The Todo list is what format? The notebook is what format?
This is actually a big issue. It's physically easier for me to sync my two phones manually, that is, to manually write down and type in contact details between my addressbook, my business and personal phones.
Thankfully to the developers, there is OpenSync: http://www.opensync.org/ . Pain in the arse to set up at the moment but very much going in the right direction.
Deleted
Give me a break, there are enough valid criticisms on the iPhone but don't give me this bullshit. My run-of-the-mill phone can play music, but I never use it for that -- it's too much of a hassle. And Windows Mobile sucks. It really does. Maybe that's not objective, but it's my final conclusion.
There are features I wish it had, there are things I think Apple could have done better (Cingular) but to say the iPhone is a been there, done that device is missing the mark by a wide shot.
A solution already exists for this. It's existed for years - it certainly predates Exchange's current popularity.
It's called IMAP. Over SSL (or a VPN tunnel for outside access). You can even set up Exchange to support IMAP, and bingo - basic email access works for more or less everyone. Of course, you lose the integrated calendars stuff, but that's a sacrifice you may have to make.
Only communists use POP and IMAP, you know.
BS. Everyone knows communists run on Macs.
...
if this is the future of IT, stop the fucking room, i want off.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
It seems obvious to me that the point was that the iPhone's appeal lies in its style, UI, etc., rather than in a laundry list of features.
Yup, Apple has redefined how you make a product. It's not about the features it has, but rather those it doesn't have.
What makes the iPod attractive is that it's not durable, doesn't have replaceable batteries, FM tuner, and for a long tmie couldn't play videos (everybody swore it won't play video since that's kinda the benefit of using an Apple product). The shuffle doesn't have screen and doesn't have sequential playback ability.
iPhone is great since it doesn't have SDK, keyboard, 3G camera and mobile internet, doesn't have Java, and again doesn't have replaceable battery, doesn't have GPS. Safari doesn't have Flash, unlike many other phones, which is a great thing.
And of course, all Apple products are expensive, since it's really hard to not have so many things in a product. The other companies just resist to the pressure and put all kinds of stuff in their products, that's why they're so cheap.
Confused?
I don't see how a long-standing industry fact, i.e. that corporate IT departments are unable/unwilling to support an infinite range of hardware options until there is reason enough to do so - gets turned into an inflammatory article dissing the iphone. The fact is, not too long ago IT departments weren't interested in dealing with Blackberries either. When the workers realized how useful they were the IT departments were convinced the new challenge was worth it, and life went on.
I don't see the iphone becoming a corporate toy immediately, but if enough corporate-types adopt the iphone (presumably because it's useful or makes their lives easier) then IT will come around.
Thanks Zonk for the predictably inflammatory headline. Might I suggest something like, "Corporate IT departments would rather commit suicide than support non-Windows hardware." You're already only one step away.
If this were Usenet, I'd killfile the lot of you.
And arguably most of them are as "beautiful" in their own right and cost half as much under contract as the iPhone. It seems a little odd that anyone would want an iPhone when they could probably afford an 80Gb iPod from the change left over from buying another phone with similar specs.
How about you both get back to us after you've actually tried using what you're reviewing?
An IT department makes the choice of what standards they support. By supporting open standards there should be no problem getting almost all devices connected. However it seems increasingly popular to support just some proprietary solutions. This can cause a lot of problems in the long run, especially if wanting to change the platform.
that nobody really needs, but looks cool and you're the envy of your friends and co-workers if you have one. Most people bitch that they "people won't leave me alone" or "can't get any work done" in reference to email. How is this going to help? Oh yeah, it looks cool and ...
boycott slashdot February 10th - 17th check out: altSlashdot.org
I hear they'll be releasing a version more targeted at Corporate IT - called the itPhone.
ccalam - acoustic versions of new songs.
at the price Apple is asking for the iphone they can keep the one they were planning to sell me...
Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
I think many people are missing the primary challenge that the iPhone (or any other handheld device) faces for enterprises: VPN software is far from standardized. Beyond that Apple hasn't really gone out of their way to make the phone Enterprise friendly. For instance, enterprises like installing all sorts of crap on your device to ensure that it malfunctions rather than give away a single phone number in their personel directory. Paradoxically, open platforms allow for such shenanigans, while this thing doesn't.
That's one way of looking at it, and certainly a valid perspective. But the other way of looking at it is that Apple makes devices that do very specific things and they aim to be the best at what they do. In the example of the iPod, since you brought it up, I actually own a video-capable iPod but I have never used the feature except once or twice for the novelty when it was brand new. Likewise, I have no desire to listen to the radio -- that's exactly why I use an iPod. It can do a number of other things I don't need, and don't really care about. I like it because it's very good at its primary function of being an MP3 player and does so in style. The rest is fluff and I couldn't really care less about it.
As for the points you make about the iPhone, I agree it's unfortunate that there is no true SDK for third-party software. The rest I consider superfluous. Java, Flash, GPS, those tiny qwerty keyboards? Those are the last things I'd look for in a modern phone. If it allows me to efficiently work with my mail and calendar on the go and occasionally access the web, that's what I want and what I think the majority of users want. Any site that requires more than this I wouldn't even want to try using on a phone-like device.
What I am arguing against is not being feature complete, but rather feature creep. I want the devices I use to be capable of doing the tasks for which it was intended and do them well. It seems to me that piling on other secondary features just diminishes the product's ability to perform its primary functions. Devices that try to do everything tend not to be very good at any of those things. Honestly, I think it's just a red herring to claim about things like a lack of GPS and Java on a cell phone. Those are not central to its function of being a portable communications device, and don't matter for most things.
Lest you think I am trying to make myself feel better about blowing money on an iPhone, I'll say right now that I'm not getting one because they're too expensive. I just like the philosophy of having a clearly defined set of tasks for a product and sticking to that, making sure that it is best at what it does. :)
Sure, WinMo devices et al can do some form of live mail and calendar etc, but the Blackberries do it predictably, reliably and generally make a lot of sense from a business perspective.
incompatibilities are biting businesses for awfully long time, but we still have
That's a myth. There are certainly dedicated Microsoft vassals who stick to the all Microsoft strategy quite deliberately for cost reasons and it probably works for them although the lock in also has some severe downsides. There is however, also quite a large group of businesses who deliberately distance them selves from Microsoft or whom Microsoft never succeeded in assimilating for the very practical reason that in the 'server' systems (using the term loosely here) market, unlike the Desktop computer market, the world is not Microsoft. In the Telco industry for example multiple platforms are forced upon you even if your inner self is crying out for a harmonic landscape of Microsoft logos and interoperability and open standards are a major issue. Ericsson typically demands SUN systems, their newest switches use Windows for one of their sub-systems, various newer vendors and startups typically use Linux for the same purposes (and not necessarily for ideological reasons, there are no license fees and they have complete access to even the kernel source which makes it easy and most important of all **cheap** to integrate their hardware) and a few vendors actually specify HPUX and AIX. On top of that there are also vendors who use Windows, typically Win2003 server but I have seen equipment running anything down to Windows 95. Going all Microsoft with the accompanying cross-platform problems and the near complete inability to switch vendors just isn't an option for many businesses. Microsoft products are still used but most of the movement towards FOSS is on the server end of the spectrum, office suites and their
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
First of all, a couple of inaccuracies in your comment:
Yes, it does.
Maybe you meant "3G mobile internet and a camera"? It certainly does have a camera, and it does have mobile internet over GPRS and WiFi.
Other than that your points are largely valid, although I think you missed the point of the comment you replied to. Loading devices with features without thinking of the user interface renders those features pretty much unusable, so you're better off without them.
The whole point of the lack of a keyboard is that you gain more screen real-estate when you don't need the keyboard. If you do a lot of texting this will be most of the time and the iPhone probably isn't for you. If you don't, all the other things you do on your phone become much easier. Remember, just because the lack of a keyboard doesn't appeal to you doesn't mean it won't appeal to anybody. Full QWERTY keyboards on smartphones sure as hell don't appeal to me.
My problem with the iPhone, and why I won't be buying one is, what about my applications?
Tom Tom? GooSync?
How am I going to port the app I wrote to use an RFID reader to tell me if in my packed bag I've forgotten anything?
Until now, there hasn't been the need. When IT equipment was bulky and or expensive, firms could just make sure all their infrastructure used the same supplier. Then as handhelds started to arise, everything had to be compatible with Windows, since everyone wanted to be able to sync against Outlook.
Now though... if enough people buy iPhones, and then say "so why doesn't our email work with the iPhone?" that's going to put a lot of pressure on firms. Offhand I can't think of anything with popularity of Apple's iLife range where the vendor has been brave enough to rely on open standards.
So, from the management point of view, I think this is a New Thing.
Don't let THEM immanentize the Eschaton!
Usability, in a way, is functionality. In fact, functionality without usability is nothing.
The Holy Grail of business? You can get your e-mail from that. Is that nice enough for business?
Pop or IMAP, or that Yahoo push business. Not RIM. Can sync with Exchange server.
You are probably trying to be ironic, but removing features is not exactly the worst idea a cell phone manufacturer might have, given the current state of smartphones. My P990i's feature list spans pages upon pages, yet most of these features are useless since they are so obtuse, confusing and complicated. The iPhone has a lot less features, but I trust that I will actually be able to use them without crashing the damn thing, reading the manual, or spending half an hour going through menu items.
I think there is a big danger here of trying to leverage open standards into this sort of situation, by force. As an IT department who has to manage this sort of thing, if you enforce "open standard" communication, you end up locking out all the devices that don't use it. Which may be fine for zealots, but you try explaining to the boss that he can't use his Blackberry / iPhone / whatever, that he has to use some pissy featureless block of crap, simply because it interoperates in a way you like. I'm sure he wouldn't be too keen to have to tell another company they have to send stuff in ODF as well, because they can't read .doc.
After all, "open standard" is just the standard one body has picked, as opposed to any other standard. The purpose of an IT support team is to provide support to the whole organisation - to help them get the best out of their equipment and resources. So go with the industry leader, the product that gives the users the features they want. Interoperability is nice, but *not* as important.
iPhone works with POP and IMAP. They found a couple of IT drones who hadn't bothered to find out what was involved in supporting the iPhone, and just assumed that they'd have to jump through the same hoops that RIM requires.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Arguably, a lot of phones are prettier than the iPhone (LG has some really nice designs). That is missing the point. GP is wrong, people don't buy the iPhone because of its beauty, but because of its usability.
John Gruber has an article about this, for those interested.
except one.
The beauty of the iPhone is it's ease of use.
Even with greasy fingers, the fact that you can use it with out a stylus is tops in my book. It's what every other "Smart" phone is dumb on.
I don't like stumbling around for a stylus. I just want to make a goddamn call.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
I wouldn't buy this phone. The technology is old. There's no 3G networks supported by it. I agree that the user-interface might LOOK nice ... HOWEVER ... I once had a universal remote control (Philips pronto) that was pure touch screen. In the beginning I thought it was great as you can program it the way you want it to be.
BUT I ended up hating it because you have to look at the device at all times when you use it as you don't know where the buttons are. The iphone IMHO will be painfull for daily use.
Perhaps I'm too easily pleased but I honestly don't understand why Apple's music-playing-phone-with-camera is different from anyone else's. I've had only a passing experience with a borrowed iPod; the dial-shaped menu selector is unusual albeit perfectly usable, but beyond that the device seemed like just another MP3 player to me. Same with mobile phones, I've tried several (mostly Nokia but also Sony-Ericsson and Moto) that had music-storage-play facility and they all seemed fine. Beyond the legendary beautiful white plastic just what exactly do people hope Apple's secret sauce will be?
"Don't belong. Never join. Think for yourself. Peace." V.Stone, Microsoft Corporation
Define locked in?
You can often find an upgrade path from what you have to something else. Furthermore, since when does email access stop at the. So I want to migrate to a better system, great, so I don't have to deploy new email clients but I've got to port my mail stores, get all the archiving and AV scanning, anti spam installed. Assuming we're just talking about email and not groupware. Blackberrys are rarely used in the corporate environment for email only.
those tiny qwerty keyboards? Those are the last things I'd look for in a modern phone [...] If it allows me to efficiently work with my mail and calendar on the go and occasionally access the web, that's what I want
how do you plan to work efficiently with your mail on the go without a qwerty keyboard?
Sure a tiny one is a hell of a lot slower than a full size keyboard, but it's a hell of a lot faster than typing on a standard phone.
I'm sorry, can you point me towards all the other devices with a similar (full-featured, zooming, auto-rotating, etc.) browser?
My Photography - http://ian-x.com
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My contempt for the behavior and beliefs of the two major political parties cannot be adequately expressed in 120 chara
Easy solution to this: add black tape to the camera portion of the iPhone. There no company secrets will be stolen via camera.
What kind of IT rule is this? Most phones have a sync cable or bluetooth to hook into a PC, can store data on flash card. A camera would be the LEAST of my worries.
So pretty soon phones will need to be rack-mounted like a PDP-10?
#naabhaprzrag, #sverubfr-000, #agi-fcbafberq, negvpyr[pynff*=' negvpyr-ary-'] { qvfcynl: abar !vzcbegnag; }
I, for one, have a company cell phone and find it great not having a phone bill to pay. I'm not a heavy user and am allowed some personal use. I realise that this doesn't apply to everyone, but quite a few people want a phone to just make phone calls and send/receive SMS. Those of us that fall into this category neither need nor want all the bells and whistles. In most cases, a company phone only needs to be a phone, do SMS and have bluetooth. Any more than that is fluff that generally doesn't help you do your job. If you need 24 email, then get an email device like a Blackberry or even get the system to email you an SMS via OnlineSMS. Corporations aren't happy with having cameras in phones in case you photograph something you shouldn't and don't want you having MP3s in case you load something you shouldn't. I understand that I don't speak for all, but many people just like the KISS principle. I just received a new Nokia 6233 and it's a great phone, but all I will ever use it for will be phone calls, SMS and dialing in remotely on the notebook from time to time.
Don't tailgate - the end is near!
I don't need a qwerty keyboard to read email.
... and then they built the supercollider.
Like it or not, the corporate IT e-mail "standards" are Lotus Notes/Domino and Microsoft Exchange now.
Blackberries and Windows Mobile Smartphones already work with those standards, but the iPhone does not.
I'd imagine those features will be on the long list of improvements for iPhone 2.0, though, along with a lower price and more storage space.
The reason I don't want to support an iPhone is that there no method for me to brick the device like I can with a Blackberry. Or at least no method that Apple has promoted. So when an Executive is out having a little too much to drink and leaves their mobile device in the cab, it can be locked away from prying eyes.
Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government.
They might buy it for the perception of usabilty, but I doubt it will be more usable in practice. A touch screen can be great for many things, but it sure as hell doesn't beat a thumb pad if you spend any time at all writing emails or texts.
I would not go as far as claiming that this is "sure as hell" the case, but it's not unlikely that the screen keyboard will fall short of a "button keyboard"'s usability. And this is an issue for writing SMS and MMS (which the iPhone doesn't even support, an even bigger issue). But then, it's something I'm willing to trade in for better usability of the rest of the phone.
Since the product is not OUT yet and hasn't been impartially reviewed -to my knowledge- and tested in real-world use, all we have to go on is the check list of features. That's all we have.
Apple's coyness about facts is really leaving us no choice.
Sig for hire.
"Apple's iPhone is not approved technology"
And it never will be. Why? It has a camera, and this is a bank.
The iPhone, like the iPod, isn't marketed toward corporate customers.
Lest you think I am trying to make myself feel better about blowing money on an iPhone, I'll say right now that I'm not getting one because they're too expensive. I just like the philosophy of having a clearly defined set of tasks for a product and sticking to that, making sure that it is best at what it does. :)
I know what you mean and that's cool.
Do you know what I'm thinking about though. Those 19 million that expressed "strong interest" in getting the iPhone. How many of them just expressed strong interest like you, but won't get it, since it's expensive.
How many of them expressed interest but are on contract with another service provider (remember: only AT&T have iPhone).
How many of them expressed interest, but will only be able to get it when their *current* contract expires (even if it's in AT&T).
As I said in an earlier post, many people seem to route for Apple when they're about to release a product, but then come short on the "promises" of purchase.
It's kinda like what's happening *right now* with the Ubuntu machines DELL is selling. Hundreds of people expressed "strong interest in getting them", right? How come almost no one is buying them, although they definitely know where to find them on DELL's site. Mystery.
Let's face it, in most companies it'll work like this:
If the CEO gets an iPhone, the IT suddenly has a high priority action item to make sure it works with the corporate messaging system.
If any VP gets an iPhone, the IT will have a low priority action item to get it working.
If anyone else gets an iPhone, they'll be told it violates the corporate IT policy and they need to use something else for corporate messaging.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
Does the iPod support remote-kill functionality if it's lost? If not, that will keep it out of a lot of places I deal with.
This is the same question I keep pondering.
Why in the hell is everyone so fixated on the business users?
The market for the iPhone is anyone with a phone and an iPod. Which, judging from the sales figures, is just about everyone.
So who cares what the corporate world does?
Have we ever looked to them to determine whether any other new phone will be a success?
If journalists want a good iPhone-drama story, just line up all the people who won't touch it because it's AT&T exclusive.
AT&T's a far bigger problem for Apple than the corporate world's opinion.
// "Can't clowns and pirates just -try- to get along?"
Someone once said that perfection in design isn't reached when there's nothing left to add, but when there's nothing left to take out.
Apple does, indeed, simplify things and puts a lot of work into questions like "how to do this with less buttons". And you know what? That's one of the things that people love about it. The iPod controls are great, and a lot better than what most other MP3 players offer. There's something in that design, more than meets the eye. For example, spacial information (which humans are very good at parsing) relating to function.
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
All it takes is a patch and the phones will work with this or other standard.
All it takes is for sales to drop and the iPhone will dance to a different iTune. Same goes for any other company's model, if they are serious about business.
Do it yourself, because no one else will do it yourself. [beta blockade 10-17 Feb]
At this point the laser like focus of anti iPhone diatribes doesn't sound like, it IS professional disinformation. What will /. put up next? The national coalition of Lawn Service Guys proclaim that iPhone is bad for business and bad for your lawn?
/. step up your game - try to at least appear like you're not shills.
C'mon
This is 100% exactly the same thing as what anti Blackberry people said about the Blackberry. Guess what - it has massive presence in corporate I/T. Woops. I swear I never in my life heard so many people specifically come out AGAINST a mere product before it's even available.
if this is the future of IT, stop the fucking room, i want off.
So do a lot of people. That's why Ubuntu, Apache, Red Hat, and Apple are doing well and Vista is doing poorly.
The truth shall set you free!
In corporate IT, every project should have justification (i.e. cost reduction, revenue enhancement, legal compliance, etc.). Comparing Exchange/Blackberry to POP3/iPhone for a new organization is one thing and it could be argued that some organizations would choose the one that fits their needs best. However, what is the benefit for SWITCHING to POP3/iPhone for an organization that is already using Exchange? With Exchange/Blackberry they have centralized email/contacts/calendars that are accessible from any number of devices without needing to synchronize anything. It could be argued that the iPhone is cooler/sleeker but how could that possibly justify the cost of changing along with the lost calendar functionality? It's like saying they should dump those ugly econo vans for a fleet of Ferrari's because they're more fun to drive.
The iPhone is not targetted at corporate IT. It's targetted at the individual who wants to look cool. Just like the Ferrari (no insult to the iPhone - the Ferrari is a nice car).
This is why I mentioned the perception of usability - it probably doesn't occur to some people what a pain screen entry can be until they use it for themselves. They probably see the big screen and automatically assume it's better when isn't necessarily so.
What is there about the iphone that should warrant Corp IT to support it? Is it compatible with existing services? Does it add new capabilities to field personnel? Or is merely a new toy?
If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
What is with 3 people who want FM radios in iPods? 1965 called, it wants you back.
Seriously, who uses FM radios once you have an IPOD/Mp3 player or even XM?
Much like airline travel, business users are a HUGE, constant revenue stream. Residential users are a flighty nuisance in comparison. That's why it matters.
The iPhone must already must be a success. Otherwise, why would their be so much effort to distribute so much FUD?
Why would I not be able to check my corporate email with an iPhone? According to Apple it will have the Safari web browser built-in, and I could browse the web. I could even check my email using the corporate outlook website (which BTW is one of the only ways to check mail away from the office). And I don't have to ask permission on what device or web browser to use to access the website.
People must be envious of Apple users lately. I can't go a day without reading an article here on slashdot that was spawned out of obvious envy for the platform. I can't blame them since nothing generate page hits like a good old-fashion holy war. Oh and don't get me started on how many "I'm not buying an iPhone" comments that are being posted (even more as I type this comment!).
So you're not buying an iPhone... I don't care. I'm not running out to buy one either, but I'm sure there are people who are and more power to them. Now if I was really into IPods, I might consider purchasing an IPOD with 8GB it would put me back $250, and to buy a new unlocked phone with bluetooth is $250.. or I can get a iPhone for the same cost (of course I would have a stupid 2 year contract). Sure it's a flimsy argument, but who am I to tell other people how to spend their money. Personally, I think the iPhone is a fine product in its own right, and probably worth every penny. At least more likely than any of the $999 and higher mobile PC spawned from Sony or (gasp) Microsoft's Origami project.
Besides I wasted similar amounts of time and money on a Zaurus, Palm Pilot, PSP, and other gadgets that I thought would be fun to have around. I don't remember anyone being as vocal about not buying any of them. Hell, the Zaurus was recommended solely on the premise that it ran Linux.
These comments are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of my employer or colleagues...
There is a class of software called "device management" that functions like the provisioning software you'll find on most corporate PCs. It does things like
Automatic deployment (or revocation) of software and configuration settings.
Encryption of sensitive data.
Remote kill switch if it is lost or stolen, and "self-destruct" if there are repeated failed access attempts.
The iPhone, due to its lack of support for third-party software, has none of this.
Bull. The problem is that corporate execs want their calenders and contact information to sync with backend corporate mail systems. To do that, you need an actual solution - it doesn't have to be RIM - but you need some software on the device to do it correctly. By the way, does the iPhone have "remote wipe" for lost or stolen devices? How about on-device encryption? If not, it's not going to go far in a lot of corporate, medical and government circles.
Ok, am I the first to remember this? Palm was for *years* derided by IT departments everywhere. Same for Blackberry, and the MS phones. "They'll never work with our systems", "They're not secure enough", etc. But what happened as soon as the corner office got one? It was no longer "keep it out", it was "make it work and keep your job". All this is hot air and IT's resistance to change until their job is on the line. You'll see a lot of quite accptance then...
The iPod does not work like the iPaq at all. You don't use a stylus to write or tap on the screen, you type with your thumbs. The difference is that you type on a keyboard shown on the screen instead of on actual little buttons. The people who have used it say it takes a bit of getting used to, but works pretty much like an actual small querty keyboard.
By the way, I've used a Palm and a P800 for a long time, and I enjoyed the text recognition very much. Not as good as an actual keyboard (which my P990i has), but way better than most other cell phone text entry systems.
One team at my company is looking at iphones for distribution of training videos to on-site and field technicians because over an ipod based solution they also have the google maps, better web browsing and actual phone all in the one device. Yes many other pda phones can easily handle podcast aggregation, but Apple does a darn good job and the device should have excellent video playback.
The big holdup for a lot of people will be a lack of direct exchange integration. I'm not a blackbery fan at all, but I do like Windows Mobile and exchange push. I would not be surprised at all to see apple licensing from MS and implementing OTA exchange sync in the future.
-Xen
There's a reason why products like RIM's Blackberry are popular with corporate. They WORK. It just works. Little support need, no messy configuration by the end user, it just works. Lose a device? The administrator can wipe the device remotely. On-device encryption. Integration with corporate email and corporate IM software. Ability to communicate device-to-device via IM without relying on the corporate backend systems. And actual push email. Not sms-triggered, or any other goofy stuff I've seen over the years.
To support corporate, Apple needs to provide a proper SDK so the companies that make multi-platform mobile syncing software can write to it. There's no other way to deal with the calender and contact list syncing and other features.
But, once again, Jobs' Stalinist view of technology (it'll set you free, but only in the way he defines freedom) isn't going to bend at all. Remember, it's not about working well with others, folks, it's about what YOU want, and the universe should reshape itself to you, and anyone who tells you differently is just trying to keep you down (geez, maybe a Scientology comparison would work as well). Unless you work at Apple, and then it's about what Steve wants, of course.
Sapere aude!
Employees eager to use the cool new gadget, however, may pressure IT departments to support iPhones even if it means incurring more costs and changing policies. In most organizations, if you use non-standard equipment, you're on your own, regardless of how high up the food chain you are.
Who is general failure, and why is he reading my hard drive?
Historically, the Blackberry Enterprise Server (or a Desktop Redirector) was needed because BlackBerries ran on the Mobitex network. So, you'd basically use BES to mount your exchange server, securely route email through a proprietary protocol to BB's central servers, which would then distribute it to the wireless network.
I'm not 100% on how the current GPRS/EDGE or CDMA systems work, but I believe it's the same centralized model, which is why BlackBerry has network-wide outages from time to time.
It seems that this model has been hard to replicate because programming plug-ins for Exchange and other corporate email systems isn't exactly child's play. It's not THAT hard, but many of these mobile device companies don't know how to build teams to create software like this (otherwise, why haven't they?)
Apple and Yahoo! , on the other hand, are adopting the draft IETF Push-IMAP standard, since GPRS/EDGE devices basically can ride on an IP network. It eliminates the middle-man of BES.
The roadblocks I can see here are:
- it's not a ratified standard yet, which means single-source implementations will be the only guarantor of interop
- supporting Exchange, Lotus, etc. with a plug-in that doesn't kill their native IMAP functionality
- ensuring that the Push-IMAP exchange is secure
This latter point is important -- many corporate email systems are *not* available over the Internet, they're only on VPN. I gather they only added BlackBerries when they were demonstrated that it would be a secure transmission to the central RIM servers & device itself.
But, in the end, it's quite likely they'll make this happen by late 2008.
-Stu
There is little doubt that this is a marketing pr document. Whatever PR firm who wrote this document is hoping that the news people start to talk about it. Did anyone mention that the IPhone is not even released yet? I mean, how can businesses "hang up" on it when they dont even know anything about it? They cant and so they wouldnt....
:-)
What this article clearly shows is that the existing players in the cell phone market are very scared... Damn scared of what the potential impact on their market space could me... Competition is such a beautiful thing...
pop? imap? authentication? i'm guessing iphone supports all this.
haven't heard if vpn is doable, but not impossible.
after that, the cam is a problem, so ban it like every other cam phone.
"Win treats sysadmins better than users. Mac treats users better than sysadmins. Linux treats everyone like sysadmins."
What enterprise networks admin in their right mind would let users bring in personal equipment to store company data on? My employer wouldn't (for example) let me copy company information onto my personal laptop, why should they let me copy company email onto my personal phone?
If the iPhone is as big as a PDP-11, I think I'll stick with my Treo.
e ssor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Programmed_Data_Proc
There's no failure quite as dissatisfying as a complete and total solution to the wrong problem.
Remind me never to ask you a question via email... or send me reminders.
Actually, when our site managers go out to a construction job, they can use their camera phones to take pictures of lots of things and instantly send them back to the office for review. And then, if a contract or change order comes across, they can log into our web based management system and type in things using their keyboard. All of this without having to drive 45min to another jobsite just so they can "be there" to manage things.
And you're absolutely right, the iPhone isn't out yet but then again, I don't decide one day to just go out and buy a new server and "just plug it in." Seeing as there's only 9 days left before launch, I'd say that anyone who hasn't looked in-depth into the iPhone yet has already missed the boat on being able to integrate it into their support structure by launch date.
Oh, and bosses never make unreasonable demands to the IT department. Nor do they ever demand to have something work regardless of cost or logic.
"Don't feel bad for me child; I'm the monster that hides under your bed."
"A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
</fanboy>
Conversely, I bought a video iPod specifically for the video functionality. I take telecourses at the college I work at, so I get them on DVD and watch them during lunch or while I'm traveling somewhere (walking or riding the bus). Makes my semesters significantly easier.
It is correct to state that the iPod excels because of how little it does. What it does, it does well. It's simple and straightforward. It does what I want it to, and doesn't do all the junk I don't need. In short, it is efficient, and that is what appeals most to me.
mod parent +1 insightful, that's exactly the corporate issue. A Fortune 500 makes a deal with Verizon for all cells, for example, and isn't going to switch carriers just for an iPhone, no matter how much the sales and marketing babies cry. AT&T is banking on the iPhone to create enough envy that people will just add a new personal line just for the phone.
Me? I'll wait until HTC creates a clone that crushes it, and buy it unlocked.
-BA
The latest version of Blackberry Enterprise Server has the ability to disable the memory card and/or camera on the new blackberry models (i.e. 8100 pearl). This could be adopted similarly for whatever iPhone software is used.
Uh yes, it does have sequential playback. That would be what the switch on the left is for.
grep -iw skynet
Well said... it is the difference between a buffet and a fine restaurant. The buffet has 180+ items!! all mediocre but you get your choice and as much as you can handle, the fine restaurant has maybe 12 choices and you only get one or two but they are amazing.
Microsoft and Linux (generally) are the buffet, and Apple is the fine dining. And appropriately the type of folks who are happy with the buffet go that way and those "snobs" who prefer a higher quality go for the fine restaurant.
Nothing is stopping Linux from being both, except focus and some sort of oversight and management to get the core/apps to be as perfect as possible and actually pay attention to interoperability and unified experience.
- http://1linux.blogger.com/
http://teasphere.wordpress.com - A little spot of tea
I swear I never in my life heard so many people specifically come out AGAINST a mere product before it's even available.
I have.
The PS3.
Pretty much anything that isn't from Microsoft gets bashed heavily before it arrives.
Pretty much everything that is from Microsoft gets bashed before *and* after it arrives.
Corporate disinformation is standard practice. I stopped believing anything at all, and I'm much happier for it.
Microsoft is to software what Budweiser is to beer.
after being a smart phone/PDA/Nintendo DS user and at the same time a habitual stylus mis-placer, THE MERE CONCEPT of stylus-free operation makes me want to go out and buy it.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Yes, it's much easier to not do your job than it is to do it.
If it's not part of your job as an IT professional to learn new platforms, leave. They clearly have no idea what's going on.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
I busted out laughing during last year's keynote when Steve mentioned Yahoo! Mail for push.. WTF?
You've described exactly why push email is nice. So why shouldn't the significant portion of the population that has no need for push email at work, be able to enjoy the benefits of push for personal email instead?
That's TF. Apple wants to bring some features that have really only been offered to business users, to everyone else... at some later point then they can back that support into exchange - if they need to.
With BlackBerry Enterprise Server a corporation has the ability to lock that stuff down in the same way as they can lock down a user's computer. I can disable the BlackBerry's camera, bluetooth, usb.. I can push software down to all devices (SUPER convenient during that idiotic change to DST), and I can remove software from all devices. This combined with flawless syncing with our messaging system via push technology is why BlackBerry wins in the corporate environment.
Have you ever thought about the parallels between this and DRM? Why is it more compelling for a USER to have the experience you just described above. What will happen is that execs will buy an iPhone, and start loading stuff on it anyway rather than the locked down eight ways from Sunday Blackberry. So you have to think about how to deal with a world of open devices where people load stuff you would prefer they not, rather than make a 10x10 section of a very large dam leak-proof. Users, like nature, Will Find a Way.
The iPhone looks sweet as hell, but -in the end- it is just out of place in a serious corporation.
That may be, but ready or not - here it comes! Are *you* ready?
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Um... by typing on the virtual one that comes with the iPhone?
You know... the one that doesn't take up all that space when it's not needed?
-30-
The first generation shuffle had it too. It has a three-way switch: Off, Sequential, & Shuffle.
Yes, that one did too. The switch on the back had three positions, Off, Sequential, and Shuffle.
-30-
Nope! 1st gen Shuffle had sequential playback as well. See the switch on the back?
grep -iw skynet
Future of IT? It's the present reality and has been the reality for some time now. If you wanted off, you should have bailed years ago.
i think we have a different definition of "work". Mine involves more than reading email.
So you mean by typing on the dirty screen. Sounds like a plan to me.
It's not just e-mail (which should be an easy fix as many have pointed out). The iPhone will come with a web browser. People want to access the intranet with their phone, only to discover that nothing works because their corporate IT drones developed everything with active-x or .net, locking everyone into IE 6 or later and a Windows box.
Allowing IMAP-S on an existing MS Exchange server requires about five minutes in the administration interface. It does not necessitate eliminating Outlook's MAPI, or whatever other proprietary protocols you choose to run.
Of course, it does require a security model based on something other than, "Our server is secure, because hackers could never compromise Outlook!"
The US free market: two halves of a government-granted duopoly are free to set the market price.
And then there's the Mac Pro. Are you telling me consumers buy boxes from online stores that can come equipped with 8 cores, 16GB memory, Fiber Channel, oh, and Mac OS X Server?
Ha. Ha.
The corollary to that is that perfection in usability decreases with removal of function (as opposed to functionality).
Cut back on picking your nose, that ought to help a bit.
-30-
the world must be deeply afraid of the iPhone for this amazing amount of FUD to be generated.
hey, YOU ALL KNOW YOU WANT IT. Admit it. it's ok.
and unlike Ubuntu on Dell, Apple might even allow you to have one.
Does that help?
Previous "soft keywboards" i've used on touch screens like the sharp zaurii have been clunky and you needed a pointer thingy to tap on the keys for accuracy.
Will be interesting to see how good apples implementation is.
That's the version already in Tiger, and the iPhone ships with a version of 10.5, so... I can't see them leaving this feature out, since it's already implemented (and I'm guessing, improved) in the desktop version, and it's a back-end connection thing, not a user facing UI thing. This of course points up the folly of poo pooing products that aren't yet shipping, based only on what you think you've seen as a feature set. We have all of 9 days to wait now, can we just wait please?
MSRP - Tax, Title & Licence Extra Your Milage May Vary
I think Apple has pretty effectively proven by now that it can do just fine without having to shuffle and buckdance for "corporate IT." When has "corporate IT" ever led the way in anything? The average corporate IT department is staffed by some of the most play-it-safe, unimaginative, "we do what we're told" yes-men you'll find anywhere. It might be HEADED by one or two clueful people, and the general staff may be OTHERWISE intelligent, but creative thinkers and proactive problem-solvers they are not. (In general.)
The PHBs run the show, and if the PHBs are won over by the shininess and sexiness of Apple's new toy, the company's IT department WILL be made to fall in line. If that means turning on IMAP on the Exchange server they sank their money into in their usual lemming-like orgy of uncreativity a few years ago, then that's what will be done. If the iPhone is anything approaching a hit, third-party software vendors will quickly come in and offer products to make sure the iPhone bends to all manner of paranoid corporate needs. And the PHBs will say "buy that third-party software so the iPhone works with our system." Or maybe they'll even say "chuck the server solution we have and go with something that works better with the iPhone."
Apple's very much on a "fuck you very much" roll these days when it comes to Microsoft, so you'll not see any Exchange interoperability any time soon. And finally, Apple's in a place where they can afford to be so cocky. (I prefer to say it's not cockiness, but rather, a demonstrated commitment to choosing open-source, open-standard solutions over a competitor's proprietary solution.) Let's say the iPhone DOESN'T get anywhere in corporate IT. Big deal; the iPod -- and let's be honest, the Macintosh too -- prove that Apple will thrive without the blessing of corporate IT departments.
In short, Apple just doesn't NEED corporate IT. And I am INCREDIBLY sick and tired of hearing the usual Wall Street and "me-too" tech industry press JACKASSES continue to make the same retarded braying sounds, every time Apple does -- well, anything, about how the "lack of acceptance by corporate IT" will DOOM Apple to failure. Right. So they should be going out of business any day now, no?
Fact is, Apple is one of those companies that sets the agenda FAR more often than it follows it. The real short-sightedness here is among all those self-proclaimed "experts" who seem to believe that the status quo is the way it'll always be. Yeah. That's why we're all still using WANG terminals and VMS. Or the GEM desktop. Or desktop computers made by IBM. Hell, I bet they'd have you believe Microsoft will still be ruling the desktop in 15 years. (Not saying Apple will, but Microsoft? Nah.) Dipshits.
Daring Fireball says most of the above well, also.
FYI, not buying the iPhone, despite being somewhat of an Apple fanboy and Mac consultant by trade. I DO have the ability to see the iPhone's shortcomings, believe it or not . . .
--- Why yes, I am the webmaster of Microsuck.com
I agree, except that it only works between Exchange and Windows Mobile devices, using Microsoft's push technology.
What about
- sendmail or postfix
- Lotus or Novell Groupwise
- Symbian devices
etc....
Technically, Push-IMAP is proprietary as well, but at least it has a published (and expired) Internet Draft.
-Stu
Sure iPhone supports POP and Imap, but that is not enough. Shared calendars and contact lists as well as public folders are important to mobile users.
Evolution supports exchange server by using data published from OWA. It works rather nicely and is the best way to connect a Linux machine to Exchange server. Apple could have used this method to get minimum exchange support.
Yup they could have done it, but Steve and company decided not to. We are a half Mac half PC shop and we will not be replacing our Motorola Qs with iPhones since they don't completely support Exchange server.
It is a design decision that will cost Apple corporate and personal sales. I'm certain more than one executive, that has to have the newest shiny toy, will be ultra pissed when he finds out his great new iPhone will not sync his calendar, contacts, or public folders over the air.
-ted
I'd rather have the gold out of the mine thank you very much.
Just to weigh in with another point of view, I too have a video ipod and am head over heels in love with the ability to watch video on it. I can see various valid reasons why not everybody would use an ipod to view video, but for me it has become by far the best and most fun way to see movies.
- First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
You must be one of those guys at the party who stands in the corner and just listens, just waiting to get home so that you can get on your computer and REALLY tell people what you think about their conversations.
I work in the IT Department of a very large US based company.
I find the chances of them allowing access to our systems to be very slim.
And frankly the opinions of our employees don't really play much of a part in any kind of decision making process when it comes to IT or security.
Even when it has come down to specific blackberry models we would would without hestiation tell people that we had no intention of supporting their device, we never would, and no amount of pleading would change that.
Of course saying that, I think that many of the iphone features are fantastic and potentially very useful in a business enviroment.
You make some good points. Currently the iPhone is in a state much like the original iPod: Early adopters are willing to pay a premium to be the first to own one, but others who "express an interest" aren't going to purchase -- yet. As with the original iPod, that condition is temporary. Prices will decrease. The current config will drop to a lower price point and a fancier one with more memory and a few others features will be introduced. Or it will be offered with a significant rebate when purchasing a new Mac. Something like that. In time it will be more affordable and hopefully available with other carriers. When that time comes, I will gladly buy one. I am just not willing to pay the steep initial price to be the first on the block to have one.
I type on a screen already and let me tell you it sucks. Why? No tactile feedback. What device am I using? Samsung U1 Origami. They have a blackberry type keyboard screen. And it works fine, but it is nowhere near perfect. The problem with a screen keyboard is that you can't miss the target. With keys your fingers are guided to the right key because you adjust in a split second if your finger is to the side of the key. Because there are no keys on a screen your finger can't adjust and you constantly hit the wrong key. Additionally having an onscren keyboard sucks because it takes real estate away.
This is why I will not buy an iPhone. BTW notice how the next generation of Samsung U1 (Ultra) has keyboards to the side of the screen... Hint, hint...
"You can't make a race horse of a pig"
"No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
I'm betting the Iphone will turn into a huge dud.
With the Ipod Apple tapped what virtually a unseen market. Creative labs was there, but no one else was doing mp3 players, and to my knowledge they were the first "large" mp3 player, or at least viable large mp3 player. They created easy to use software and easy to use sync, and over time minor improvements like the clickwheel. They tapped the unseen market, the same way the Wii and DS tapped unseen markets.
The Iphone is competing in an overly competitive market against three forces. On one side you have the Phones, Motorola, and Nokia as well as other phone suppliers are pretty locked in there. Then on the other you have blackberry, and side kicks and other office assistants. Finally and most importantly you have Ipods and Ipod Videos.
Apple's goal is to replace all of these with a cute efficient iPhone. Even worse is they seem to also be going after lap tops a bit as well. It doesn't contain the keyboard of a blackberry, the storage of the normal ipods, or the deals of the Motorola or Nokia phones.
Why does the iPod work? Because people think "I need an mp3 player, that one looks the best" however what the iPhone is expecting is someone to say "I need a new blackberry and an iPod, and a phone, oh look there's the iPhone". Personally I think we'll find the iPhone struggling for the first couple years at least. Essentially instead of filling a niche we're getting "yet another competitor". But that would explain why we are getting flooded with information about the iphone. It seems apple is asking "Why fill a niche, when you can just create one instead?"
Remember back when Blackberry was new? How did those get into your company? Yup, the IPhone will follow that well-traveled path.
Roads are typically paved. Walls and broken limbs are plastered.
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
This is like asking if big corporate IT is going to support the new iMac--it's missing the point.
The iPhone is like the iMac with iLife. It is intended to bring capabilities that in the past were reserved for professionals, to the general public. 10 years ago, only pros and real geeks did digital audio management, digital non-linear video editing, DVD production. Today millions of everyday folks can do it.
You can go back even further to things like print layout--formerly the domain of a whole class of high skilled professionals. Today anyone can produce a nice-looking newsletter with custom fonts, inline graphics and photos, pagination, etc. The original Mac helped push that development.
Apple doesn't want a slice of the corporate pie. They want to redefine how everyday people use their phone--just like they redefined how people used their computers with the iMac and iLife and iTunes. That is why they are emphasizing consumer products like Google Maps, Yahoo mail, iPod audio, movies, TV shows, etc. The whole point is to empower the individual as a private person, not an extension of a corporation. This is exactly the same as their desktop and laptop strategies.
Apple hopes that years from now, we remember when "smart phones" were primarily business productivity tools.
Build a man a fire, he's warm for one night. Set him on fire, and he's warm for the rest of his life.
Yeah, but my way is more efficient, I don't have to do any work! Why would I reply to those Nigerian scam emails anyway?
... and then they built the supercollider.
In the past, businesses have been unwilling to support certain devices, like those with cameras, for instance, because of concerns employees could use them to document company secrets.
Oh please, give me a break. Removable media such as USB devices pose a much greater threat to corporate IP than camera phones, at least in IT environments. If you don't trust the people working for you then the game is already over.
It's true no man is an island, but if you take a bunch of dead guys and tie 'em together, they make a good raft.
That would be totally awesome. I hate getting questions via email. Which is probably why my inbox is pointed to null.
... and then they built the supercollider.
As the person responsible for global IT operations my company I can sincerely say I am platform agnostic. We embrace open source, Macs, Windows and all technologies alike applying them where they belong according to their strenghts, weaknesses and industry standards. In terms of upgrades, everything goes through the same due dilligence including TCO vs ROI calcs. Now I'm no iPhone expert but I currently fail to see a compelling reason for a business to adopt this product on its own merit. At the consumer level I think it's awesome and no surprise since after all it's Apple.
Back to businesses, though, since that's the focus. We have hundreds of handhelds and currently do not have IMAP enabled on front-end mail servers. Why would I want to take on everything related to introducing a new public-facing protocol for a device that provides IMHO no noteworthy advantages over Blackberries and Windows Mobile Devices and I'm unable to purchase and distribute to my staff through my regular business channels? Additional resource consumption, new threat vectors and other factors have to be outweighed by the advantages the solution provides and I don't see the iPhone doing that. If we use POP3 for it people loose the active synchronizations their current handhelds provide and inevitably perceive it as a downgrade.
I would appreciate some insight as to why this product should be adopted by a business as short of the top-notch hardware Mac always puts out I'm just not seeing the value. Don't talk to me about re-ordering voicemails and other features businesses simply don't care about. Hopefully this is not another case of me missing the global teleport over to Job's reality suspension field since I heard it makes you feel all warm and fuzzy...
P.S. Any organization that allows a "revolution" to be driven by employees probably won't last long especially when it's regarding legalities, technologies or any other specialized topic the majority of staff have insufficient knowledge on to make informed decisions. They hired us because we do have the knowledge and expertise and will do what's in the best interest of the organization. So, don't try to buy your own drugs and then ask your doctor to make it work for you because the commercial described your symptoms...
That's just my POV... no more, no less.
I was afraid that Apple was not going to get 99% of the cell phone market to not buy one.
We've already informed our users that we will not be supporting the iPhone. If they buy one they will be on their own. We're currently a Microsoft shop and recently fell victim to one of our support staff informing the general user population that we support MACs. After the statement was released, those of us in the IT core team found ourselves sandbagged by the head of support because we didn't even have a single MAC in the department that we could troubleshoot MAC issues with.
When the announcement of the iPhone was made with a firm release date, we immediately informed the support head that not only do we currently have issues supporting Blackberrys (like the new Curve) but we have no way of offering support for the iPhone and that we should make sure that the user population would be made aware that they would be on their own should any decide to buy one.
Personally, I like the gadget's potential, but the reality is that you can't support user issues if you don't have the knowledge or equipment to troubleshoot those issues.
To avoid corruption, one must remain dishonest.
yes, but of those phones, very few of them have a decent webbrowser or PDA like functions.
Those with PDA like functions, or smart phones, have screens and interfaces that are not friendly to touch only operation. Styluses suck. Period. Removing the need for styluses removes the need for tiny pieces of plastic that are easily lost yet required for daily operation of a smart phone. It makes it... easier. Like, there's a focus on the ease on how to use it.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Being broke, hungry and a college student, I kind of got dragged kicking and screaming into IT.
Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
Thanks AC. Glad to see you went to the comedy school of IT.
"I manage the people who run the email servers for my company. I have a degree in business; I am skilled at synergizing my big-picture ideas on a going-forward basis."
No business degree, sorry. Just an engineer and I manage nobody, I design and build the systems. i'm glad that you think I'm qualified to run the whole show, I'll make sure to remember that at my next review.
"We need secure logins, but we don't trust our users."
Well no I don't trust my users, and neither does any other systems admin but that's not the point. Building a secure and usable access control mechanism for mobile devices is hard. Would you be happy if you hired a systems admin who accepted that a username and password alone was sufficient for remote access into your systems? If so then its time you reviewed your risk posture - for my part I like to use RSA-Keys, Certs and one time tokens for that sort of thing. Passwords do not cut it, sorry.
"We did not cover secure IMAP in my MIS classes."
Actually true but only because I never attended any MIS classes. Anyway I was talking about authentication protocols and not mail protocols here so I don't see your point. Mutually authenticated secure IMAP would be good if it turns out to be possible to figure out a secure way to distribute certificates to the device but there is no indication that the iPhone will ship with a good enough certificate enroller and as a closed system writing our own is not an option.
"Encrypted, password-based authentication is too simple to possibly guarantee my job."
100% true. I'd be fired if I suggested it and I'd expect no less. Seriously, passwords don't cut it for authentication over untrusted links in this day and age, if you haven't realized that yet then I suggest you start thinking about why good SSH implementations don't use them.
1980s are coming back!
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Whenever somebody goes on holiday, the first half day back is spent waiting for Outlook to open the Inbox.
I have no idea what the heck it is doing since I am not a Windows expert, the only think I can say is that an old Netscape email client in Solaris does a better job at handling those messages. What I used to do was to open first with Netscape, remove the fluff and then allows Outlook to deal with the cleaned Inbox.
since then I have changed my email habits to ensure the Inbox does not grow beyond certain limits, but it still takes quite sometime to start and be usable.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
Please point us to that certification information in which applications are certified.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
I'm of the opinion that Apple doesn't care a lick about corporate IT at first, it's going after the mass consumer market -- where the only real convergence device like this has been the ill-fated sidekick. Or did everyone miss the "my photos" and "youtube" buttons on the iPhone, not to mention the who iPod thing?
Once Mr. CEO buys one of his own, just because they're so fashionable, IT will have to figure out IMAP support overnight, regardless of how they're posturing right now, and vendor lock-in (Blackberry push server) will be effectively broken.
Just because a billion companies put in very specific email servers just to handle a single vendor's brand of mobile doesn't mean it's a good idea.
--d
iPhone runs a version of opensource Darwin. I'm not sure what "closed nature" you are talking about, I was with you til that point. XCode and various SDKs are available, at least for Mac OSX. I think your post, and its high rating, illustrates the additional time-delay problem of cluelessness in many IT departments. You set forward all the issues and potential problems before actually doing any research of the device. "Analysis paralysis" sets in from the start. And then you mention how Exchange isn't "closed." OSX has had Exchange support since 2003. Non-issue. What gives??
Well then beggars can't be choosers I guess.
will we be able to take IT heads out to the woodshed and forget about them? will we be able to access ALL wireless nets just like the wired Internet? will we force all the wireless companies to share? will "all you can eat" wireless telephony join the "all you can eat" Internet? I think, for the record, the iPhone is a damned nice piece of engineering. It's all these stupid networks that suck, really hard.
So much for my english skills - thankies :)
Not only do you have not sense of humor, but you seem to have unlimited mod points with which to punish me for attempting to raise the level of discussion out of the fanboy sewer that you want it to wallow in. Why don't you just come out of the closet and make me a Foe, chicken?
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
Here's a message from my corporate CIO that just came across. I work for a Fortune 500 corporation with global operations. The name of my company has been deleted from this message.
Text follows:
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Dear Colleagues:
Many of you may have seen the extensive promotions for the new Apple iPhone, which will be launched by AT&T this week. This notice is being sent to everyone in advance of the launch so that [the corporation's] employees can make informed buying decisions. The iPhone offers many consumer benefits, but it has been designed mainly for the consumer market and would not work within a corporate computing environment. Because the design of the iPhone is not compatible with our computing network, it cannot be supported.
---
Text ends.
I take issue with the following -- "it has been designed mainly for the consumer market and would not work within a corporate computing environment." Does anybody else think this is high-handed (and erroneous)?
Later, he goes on to say that "the design of the iPhone is not compatible with our computing network," which is more likely, but still...
Cheers,
Doc