AT&T Claims 40% of iPhone Sales Made to Business Customers

[s1m]

Sadly my company still wont allow me to connect my personal iphone to the corporate email account

Personally I am surprised that many companies are getting people to take the iPhone over the BB. Not because the BB is "better" - it is just that I can't imagine having an iPhone that was locked down by corporate IT policies. I would still have to have a personal iPhone to allow me to install apps/music/movies.

 

[Squeak825]

Sadly my company still wont allow me to connect my personal iphone to the corporate email account

Personally I am surprised that many companies are getting people to take the iPhone over the BB. Not because the BB is "better" - it is just that I can't imagine having an iPhone that was locked down by corporate IT policies. I would still have to have a personal iPhone to allow me to install apps/music/movies.

My iPhone is "corporate" locked down -- which means 2 things: 1) They put a password policy on it and 2) I have to use GoodLink.

They cannot stop me from installing apps/music/movies.

 

[alent1234]

Sadly my company still wont allow me to connect my personal iphone to the corporate email account

Personally I am surprised that many companies are getting people to take the iPhone over the BB. Not because the BB is "better" - it is just that I can't imagine having an iPhone that was locked down by corporate IT policies. I would still have to have a personal iPhone to allow me to install apps/music/movies.

A lot of companies don't really care if you have personal apps or music on there since it's locked down by apple. BB is more open ans susceptible to crappy programs.

The only organizations that will not allow personal phones to access email are usually where security is a big deal. Anything that falls under hipaa and similar laws

 

[Shin3r]

99% of all statistics are made up....etc etc.

Here's a little fact to add in when you guys finally figure out how they count, I get a discount because the company I work for has a business account with AT&T. All the higher ups get their phones bought for them. However, my phone was purchased by me and all I needed to get the business discount was a little number and a CS rep in a store.

Does this make me a business customer? Hell I don't know.

 

[schwell]

That's a really nice anecdote, however it's only relevant to you.

When a mobile operator's coverage is assessed, it's based on the experiences of a statistically significant portion of the users, not just you. That's fine that it works great for you, but it does not work for many, many people. The latter part is statistically significant, the former is not.

The fact of the matter is that AT&T has some major coverage issues because very prominent areas suffer poor service, notably the San Francisco Bay Area (particularly the city of San Francisco) as well as Manhattan. There are a lot of people who live, work, and visit those areas. That makes problems in those areas more statistically important than great service in Salina, Kansas (I just used that city as an example, I have no idea if which mobile operator provides good service in that city).

You are lucky, not authoritatively right.

Since you are the authority, what percentage is many, many?

 

[kas23]

Is this the type of crap AT&T has to say to please Apple enough to sign another exclusivity agreement? I'm calling complete BS. Probably 40% of iPhones on a corporate discount.

 

[SandynJosh]

That's a really nice anecdote, however it's only relevant to you.

(bla bla bla...

You are lucky, not authoritatively right.

And louis Fashion, who started this train of responses, was unlucky. He has had a bad experience with AT&T and is projecting it universally.

Whether a carrier is super or terrible is primarily a local coverage issue coupled with the user's mind set. I think anyone who has switched to an iPhone and subsequently has had to switch to AT&T, will laud AT&T or hate them depending on whether they are in a strong or weak area... there's no sense in projecting that on the rest of the USA.

 

[s1m]

A lot of companies don't really care if you have personal apps or music on there since it's locked down by apple. BB is more open ans susceptible to crappy programs.

The only organizations that will not allow personal phones to access email are usually where security is a big deal. Anything that falls under hipaa and similar laws

We deal with sensitive customer information so security is a big deal for our IT guys...

 

[alent1234]

most of the data breaches where people's credit cards have been lost were due to stupid people and not some brilliant hacking. people download data from a database into Access or Excel and email it or put it on USB or on their laptop. the media is lost and someone finds the data. or they share it on p2p like idiots. and the same people are usually the ones who complain that IT puts a passcode on their phone

 

[TEG]

Most of these numbers have to be from customers taking advantage of FAN accounts. I know so many companies that won't entertain enabling ActiveSync, so most people are still required to use BlackBerries for Exchange Mail (except the IT Admin of course).

TEG

 

[pdjudd]

Most of these numbers have to be from customers taking advantage of FAN accounts.

Quite possible

I know so many companies that won't entertain enabling ActiveSync, so most people are still required to use BlackBerries for Exchange Mail (except the IT Admin of course).

TEG

True, but you cannot make such a blanket statement. Many companies do lock down their mail access to mail on mobile devices. Many do not. Our company could care less what device people buy to get their email weather or not it be a blackberry or not. People have been doing this for years with Windows Mobile phones and palm devices as long as MS has been licensing ActiveSync. Not all companies are as locked down. Some are, others are not.

 

[BTW]

It would be nice if Apple could see the enterprise uplift their server offerings. Apple doesn't seem to push OSX Server has hard as they could. Mail could be a viable contender to Exchange if they put more resources and marketing behind it.

 

[Xtremehkr]

The marketing of smartphones to business people as tools of business is really just a scam.

Even small sized businesses are able to supply basic laptops for their employees.

There may be a tiny segment of people who rely on their phones for business, but I find it highly unlikely that more than a few people have ever been saved from a make or break situation by having their smartphone on hand.

Important business presentation to make? Hell, these were the steps I took. Transfer presentation to jump drive. Email presentation to myself to have it on the internets. Bring my MacBook so I can do the damn thing from there if needed.

You know what I really need in a business phone AT&T? I need a phone line that is guaranteed to connect. I need a phone line that won't inconvenience a potential customer by having to make them call me twice. I need a phone line that doesn't disappear when I step inside a building.

Forget all of the superfluous features, AT&T, what I need most from a business line is that customers can reach me when they need to reach me.

The rest is nothing more than features that marketers use to sell overly expensive new phones.

Like that new Intel ad where the guy can print from his phone. Seems neat, but all that tells me is that the person needing to print from their phone is really unorganized.

 

[bjb.butler]

It is not hard. They really only have to look at who is using exchanged on their network that is not Gmails and that is it.

That method is flawed; I use an Exchange account, but I'm not a corporate user.

 

[joneill55]

Totally. I am a Medical Device distributor. Prior use was Blackberry. It was mostly an Email machine for connectivity.(and good at what it did)

The past three years, I have purchased 47 iPhones for all of my reps, sub-reps, office and delivery people. We use MS Exchange platform and a custom app written for our use to schedule, order product, control inventory, return product, interface with UPS/FedEx and a robust reporting module. I cannot imagine operating my business without this tool.

Look forward to the new 4G iPhone as we transition to the new iPhone as contracts renew.

 

[Xtremehkr]

All of that being said, it doesn't surprise me that there are many businesses using smart phones as apart of their businesses. The iPhone is as suitable as any other on the market because you can have a custom app made that will entirely serve your business needs.

For businesses that need that kind of information flow, it makes sense to combine multiple functions into one device.

 

[bigsexyy81]

Anyone who receives a discount from there employer flags them as a business customer. That 40% number means little to actual enterprise use.

This. I'm sure they are just counting all Sponsorship FAN accounts that get a discount. And you are right, very misleading.

 

[Nicksd84]

I wonder why any business would go with the evil AT&T. I mean everybody bitches and moans about AT&T. I would hate to lose a contract or a sale because my carrier is substandard.

Most larger companies just have a discount with all providers. As was said before, you have your personal phone and then add on the corp discount. This is effectively a "reimbursement" for corporate use in some instances. Some companies may go above that and reimburse you based on any number of methods. But for the most part, unless the company is a smaller business there isn't an exclusivity deal or a need for one.

 

[marksman]

40% of my known children receive child support.

 

[inkswamp]

I manage all the phones for my department... where do you get your crap from?
The only phones that use and Enterprise Data plan are our Black Berry devices.
All of our iPhone's use a standard data plan.

He's probably thinking the phrase "Enterprise Data plan" refers to the business voice/data plans that AT&T offers, not realizing that it's actually a Blackberry-specific system for accessing Exchange-based email systems.

Edit: Ah... I see from later postings that AT&T uses that phrase in their billing. Very confusing.

 

[cleric]

My company which is a small tech company is moving to all iPhones because they found the email client is so good that we are more inclined to answer emails out of the office. And apparently its cheaper than our sprint plan.

 

[Schicksal]

I'm pretty sure that's the only way AT&T could be counting, too.

How else would they do it?

Phones offered with a corporate discount are also ordered through the same portal. In other words if a company has a deal set up with AT&T for their employees to get phones and contracts at a discounted rate, they do it through the corporate website.

I think these sales are getting mixed in with the true corporate activity.

edit: oops, beaten to it.

Anyone who receives a discount from there employer flags them as a business customer. That 40% number means little to actual enterprise use.

 

[eastercat]

I wonder why any business would go with the evil AT&T. I mean everybody bitches and moans about AT&T. I would hate to lose a contract or a sale because my carrier is substandard.

Just because you live in an area where you don't get great service from AT&T doesn't mean that is applicable to the rest of the country. For example, AT&T has solid service in the DFW metroplex.

That's fine that it works great for you, but it does not work for many, many people. The fact of the matter is that AT&T has some major coverage issues because very prominent areas suffer poor service, notably the San Francisco Bay Area (particularly the city of San Francisco) as well as Manhattan. There are a lot of people who live, work, and visit those areas. That makes problems in those areas more statistically important than great service in Salina, Kansas (I just used that city as an example, I have no idea if which mobile operator provides good service in that city).

You are lucky, not authoritatively right.

I was visiting Manhattan when I had the first gen iPhone and I had no problems getting a signal while walking around Manhattan island. I had a hotel room near the World Trade Center site, fyi. Just because AT&T provides good service in Dallas, TX and Portland, OR doesn't mean that it's less significant than the poor service you seem to have experienced in San Francisco, CA or NYC, NY.

 

[jtalbert]

I work for one a company, that 6 months ago they opened up the availability of the iPhone for corporate email. My company, as well as other companies I have worked for are very strict on which devices they allow to connect to the email servers. They monitor the networks for unauthorized devices all the time. If you have a personal device and connect it to the company mail server, they send you an email telling you that you must remove it from the servers, if you do not, they will disable your email completely, and another thing you must do, is take it up to a local support and have them do a complete wipe on the device.

I work in IT and a LOT of people are getting company sponsored iPhones. The company pays for the device and monthly plan. I cant go into details on how much the monthly fee's are, but its a SIGNIFICANT DISCOUNT over what the common person spends. The cost of the monthly fee has even gone down significantly since it was first introduced to our company 6 months ago, so my company continues to negotiate the monthly fee they pay for business lines. But as with a normal user, there is no discount on the cost of the actual phone.

ATT is now negotiating monthly prices for the iPhone for corporations as they do with any standard smart phone.

Knowing what I have seen from my company I work for, and knowing people who work for other companies that now allow the iPhone, I can see that 40% of ATT's direct sales are for business. Most normal customers buy their iPhones at an Apple store anyways.

 

[Fabienne]

I own a Blackberry 8320 with EDGE technology. I own an iPod Touch gen2. If I need to get on the internet, I use the iPod Touch. The Blackberry is slow slow slow, and it's only about a year old! The Touch is older and better than the 'berry. I am going to be switching from the Blackberry to the iPhone as soon as I can. 99.99999% of my business is on the internet and if I can't get on immediately to talk to my clients and fix any problems that come up, I am not giving the kind of customer service I want to be famous for. So, iPhone is more expensive to own and operate but it's a better system.

As for AT&T, I may like their service, quite a few of my friends do.