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

[alent1234]

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.

funniest thing i've heard. i used to be an Exchange Admin, there is nothing that can come close to being half as good as MS Exchange. POP3/IMAP might be good enough for internet mail or college students, but not an organization where PHB wants the email managed.

 

[SAD*FACED*CLOWN]

I'm an Academic Advisor at a College in Houston...I get a discount through AT&T by being associated with the institution...my account is considered a "business" account....the CSR's always refer to it as such...this explains the 40%

 

[flashin gordon]

and...

... 90% of the 40% are one-man, small, middle and big media-agencies.

 

[alhedges]

FAN accounts

I'm pretty sure that the 40% number is just based on people who get a FAN discount because someone in their organization uses AT&T for business purposes. While I get the discount, my phone is in no real way a business phone.

Having said that, it would be nice to know how many iPhone sales are actually business users (i.e., the business buys or reimburses the user); I do have the completely anecdotal impression that the number is increasing.

 

[sfh]

AT&T has business agreements with thousands of corporations, government agencies and educational institutions to offer wireless products & services to their employees and students at a significant discount. Any of the company's employees or school's students can then get this special discount through AT&T. When you order a phone/service using this discount, it's actually through AT&T's business division. I bet they count anyone using these discounts as business accounts. Many of these people are using their phone for personal purposes, but sign up this way to get the business/school discount. AT&T's statement is very misleading.

That's what I was thinking.... They are trying to talk themselves (and shareholders) into believing that people aren't going to jump ship with their iphones. the reality is that most of the FAN users are using it for their personal line and just getting a discount, and they would be willing to jump ship.