Monday, December 17, 2007

Why The iPhone Isn't A Good Business Phone


CIO magazine recounts a report from Forrester Reasearch last week that gives 10 reasons why the iPhone is not currently a good option for business users as a business phone, and why IT should not support it.For one, there is currently no way to encrypt data on the device, and therefore no way for IT to enforce password policies on users. There is also no Push email which delivers email to handhelds wirelessly as soon as it reaches the inbox, or wireless calendar syncing.Other obvious drawbacks were the lack of physical keyboard, which makes speed-typing for power users difficult, the absence of Apple-sanctioned 3rd part apps, it's high price, and the lack of replacement batteries, and the fact that it was a first generation device. They also added that there was no proof that it was a good business phone, being that the only company to endorse it is Apple Inc. themselves, and they haven't released any case studies or other materials. Ironically, Apple's decision to lock the device to AT&T came in at #6 on the list. Because the iPhone only works on AT&T's network (unlocking hacks aside), it only functions in specific geographical locations.

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