Apple Targeting Business World for the iPhone

The New York Times is running a couple of stories about the future of the iPhone in the business world and Apple's plan to maintain control of application development. Now that the iPhone SDK has been released and the "App store" has been demonstrated, Steve Jobs is pushing for the adoption of the iPhone as a standard business tool. In addition, a venture capitalist named John Doerr has launched a $100 million "iFund" to spur development of applications for the iPhone. From the NYTimes: "Mr. Jobs was upfront that there are limitations on what applications can do. He talked about bans on pornography and malicious programs. He also said Apple will not allow any application to be installed on the machine other than through the iTunes store. Nor will applications be permitted that enable an end run around Apple's deals with wireless carriers. Many questions remain unanswered. How much streaming video will Apple allow, because the iPhone is such an interesting video device? Mr. Jobs did say that the application development environment will have a lot of capabilities for video playback. Will Apple allow a service like Last.FM to offer streaming music on the iPhone?"

Comments

Re:Limitations

[morgan_greywolf]

Those limitations aren't really limitations. They're just no-brainers. There is almost nothing you can't do with the SDK. You have to either be kidding or you're on Steve Jobs fairy dust. IT organizations absolutely cannot adopt a device for their company that requires applications to be installed exclusively through third-party servers (iTMS) that they have absolutely no control over. There is NO WAY to retain a quality of infrastructure integration within a company without the ability for IT organizations to test and control the release of these applications prior to rollout. This means that there is also only a SINGLE VENDOR from which software can be obtained. Forget about competitive bidding, negotiating the best package price, etc.

Forget it. Medium-to-Large companies will NEVER go for this.

iKnow

[Wowsers]

iDon't know what Apple are thinking. Business people on the move need gadgets to do something useful, not stuff that's bereft of useful features.

Apple Targets, Takes Aim...

[erroneus]

...and misses by a WIDE margin!

There will be "some success" but being required to use iTunes (a frequently banned application in many enterprises) will certainly keep it out of the enterprise presently controlled by Blackberry. (And I have to believe that anything that offers less than Blackberry will not be good enough for most corporate users.)

And no pornography? How will they try to control that?!

Re:Lost chance to build up Juggernaut momentum

[gnarlyhotep]

I'm sure Apple is worried a lot about something that "looks like" a "potential", "future" winner.

Of course they are, Apple is based almost entirely upon image anyway.

Hey, stupid ass MODS!

[morgan_greywolf]

Overrated != 'I don't agree with you because I'm an Apple fanboi and I dream of sucking Steve Jobs' cock everyday!'