AT&T to Target iPhone to Business Customers?

[macspeedy]

...Apple never said it is a closed system. (they will certify the 3rd party software, to avoid instability). ...

They can't allow users installing 3rd party software because then everybody would use Skype or some other VoIP software when there's WiFi available and not pay ridiculously high cellular phone fees.

First they'll ditch Cingular, then they'll allow installing (and maybe include a full version of iChat), wait and see

 

[Stella]

Right, and almost every other phone OS requires some form of testing before they'll allow it installed.

S60 (now) needs the majority of applications to be signed (even freeware) which requires testing. End users can still install such applications though.

Brew (v.common in US and Japan) is even more restrictive, requiring over-the-air downloads, IINM.

Don't know/care about MS Windows...

Symbian has a good comprise. For your average shareware / freeware application, you can self sign because these applications tend not to delve too deeply into firmware and thus doesn't require many privileges.

However, for more complex applications that require more privileges, and consequently, may be more of a risk, security wise, you have to get your application certified.

I believe thats how it works - some one correct me please.

Symbian's security model in Symbian 9.x is rather good, actually, the best of the lot, of all smartphone OSs, IMO.

 

[dernhelm]

http://www.usatoday.com/money/workplace/2004-01-12-phones_x.htm

"Some major employers are banning camera phones on the job amid growing fears the high-tech gadgets pose serious threats to workers' privacy and company secrets.
The phones, which average about $150, allow users to take pictures and transmit them globally.

Companies fear employees will use the phones to send images of new products or other company information, or else to take pictures of unsuspecting co-workers in locker rooms or bathrooms."

I was also reading that there were companies banning laptops with webcams as well. That doesn't bode well for iSight enabled MacBook and MacBook Pros. If Apple cares about these markets, it will need to offer a "no camera" option on all their systems.

Since I've seen no evidence of such a move, I can only assume that Apple is not concerned about sales into those types of companies.

 

[Stella]

This isn't much different now - you can use VIOP on many smartphones, i.e., Nokia E-series / some N-series with WIFI.. However, if you buy your phone on contract, you can bet the operator has disabled VOIP, like Vodaphone did with the N95.

Instead, buy the phone outright and it won't be been crippled.

They can't allow users installing 3rd party software because then everybody would use Skype or some other VoIP software when there's WiFi available and not pay ridiculously high cellular phone fees.

First they'll ditch Cingular, then they'll allow installing (and maybe include a full version of iChat), wait and see

 

[macspeedy]

Now if the iPhone was only available without contract...
If I ever get one then surely not a crippled down version.
Off topic? I don't think so: business users would appreciate VoIP, too. At least my company would...

This isn't much different now - you can use VIOP on many smartphones, i.e., Nokia E-series / some N-series with WIFI.. However, if you buy your phone on contract, you can bet the operator has disabled VOIP, like Vodaphone did with the N95.

Instead, buy the phone outright and it won't be been crippled.

 

[iMosaic]

It's amazing how many complaints there are about a phone that is not even out yet. I can only guess these are the whinings of people that really want the iPhone but their business or spouse won't let them get it! If i remember right, the only part Jobs compared the iPhone and they other smartphones were the unsightly buttons. iPhone is a clean interface that adapts to the application as needed. I for one, hope the marketing stays how Apple plans. The wider the market the more demand. And we all know about supply and demand. I don't want to wait several more months for more iPhones to be available, ie PS3!

 

[Stella]

I don't ever remember saying your post was off topic!

In some countries, Apple may be forced to sell an unlocked version due to local laws.
Result: Grey Imports!

Now if the iPhone was only available without contract...
If I ever get one then surely not a crippled down version.
Off topic? I don't think so: business users would appreciate VoIP, too. At least my company would...

 

[Rocketman]

How 'bout shuttin' up until we know the specifics, MS??

I don't want them to shut up! Ever since that internal MS letter was released declaring the Mac vastly superior to Wintel generally, the whining has been really entertaining. Especially from a "declared monopolist".

Among my first posts on ATN I said it was a superior business device "if" the software they already use is supported even if by clone.

I am betting the product lifecycle is closer to that of an iPod (about a year) than a Mac (6-10 months). Steevie specifically talked about "freezing hardware" and adding features via software over time. It is handy to remember how excited he was to give the iPhone demo at MWSF. Several times he said "isn't this cool?"

Rocketman

 

[whooleytoo]

Microsoft is surely right. ALL business users are identical and have identical needs

And they're absolutely right. We do all have identical needs, and those needs are Microsoft applications. If you don't use them, you're not a business user. And if you're not a business user, you shouldn't even be in an office. Oh, and hand in your smartphone at reception on the way out, because you clearly have no idea what you do for a living...

p !)

 

[aristobrat]

I'd really be surprised if Cingular is doing much more than making sure they can provide the iPhone to their "valued" major-business accounts...

... not that the iPhones sold would necessarily be used for business.

I'd be very surprised of some of our C + V level executives don't come to our telecom dept asking them to order an iPhone for their kids/wife.

 

[sactown]

I think that limiting the amount of third party software will end up being a costly mistake. For instance, I am a medical student, and the vast majority of medical students and doctors use some sort of hand held device with specialized medical applications installed on them. Some schools require their students to purchase a device in order to have that software. If apple does not make some of those programs available, I think they will be missing out on a huge market.

 

[peharri]

Reminds me of back when AT&T Wireless (now a part of Cingular, which ironically is being rebranded to AT&T, hence the wording of the headline) started promoting their new GSM network. They pulled the same BS, promoting it as a way for high-powered business execs/salespeople on the move to stay in contact, using GPRS to access their e-mail from remote places like airports.

The sheer stupidity of the campaign, which was wrong on so many levels, amazed me:

• AT&T already had something called Pocketnet that ran exactly like GPRS in terms of remote access to email. It was never made clear how GSM/GPRS was "new". GPRS was actually significantly more expensive at the time, and coverage was poor.
• They completely alienated the early-adopters: computing people interested in mobile Internet connections had to go through the business serving part of AT&T to get any answers
• GPRS has never been exactly fast, and it was billed by several cents to the kilobyte. It really wasn't a viable technology for downloading your secretary's email containing the latest version of the 4M promotional Powerpoint presentation. GSM did have an established moderate-speed data technology at the time called HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data, not to be confused with HSDPA) that would have at least provided ISDN speed access, but AT&T didn't want to implement it for reasons that are unclear to this day.

A few months later, presumably because AT&TWS wanted to throw out its AMPS/D-AMPS network, they finally "got-it", and started marketing GSM at everybody.

I think these kinds of things are a failure of marketing people. They always seem to assume the target audience for any product to do with communications are some mobile business-people. Computer enthusiasts, despite their willingness to buy into entirely new technologies and who aren't dependent upon some company sponsor that also needs convincing, are frightening and scary to the marketing departments of your average telecommunications company.

This is why the telecommunications industry screwed up Internet access from 1993 to 2001 so incredibly badly.

Now here's the GOOD news: the iPhone doesn't need Cingular to promote it. Apple is also going to be heavily promoting it, and they're doing it today. The only way Cingular can screw this up is if they don't make a consumer talk plan available that's viable for iPhone use.

 

[orbital]

um partnership with Google... duh
Just open your browser and login to Google docs. Thats the benifit of a full version of safari on the system.

 

[Stella]

um partnership with Google... duh
Just open your browser and login to Google docs. Thats the benifit of a full version of safari on the system.

On WIFI it'll be OK, but otherwise, since the iPhone doesn't support 3G yet, using Google Docs will be painfully slow.

Safari needs work since it doesn't yet work correctly with Google Docs. This may have changed in the nightly builds of webkit.

As good as Safari is, its still lacking in some areas.

 

[asphalt-proof]

we don't know one way or the other. apple has let very little about the phone other than the gee-whiz features be known, all else is speculation. considering it's running leopard, and os x has had file vault, secure erase, etc... for some time now it's not difficult to imagine the iphone either will have those features on launch, or could easily have them enabled.

also keep in mind several of the new communication features of leopard server. encrpyed ichat server, server side logging of chats, caldav, exchange support, open directory etc... and that's the stuff they've announced. i'm fairly confident that come june we'll start hearing a lot more about a leopard server/iphone integration, things like push imap, that will make exchange look like... well windows xp to os x.

I think the point that is being made is that businesses are not going to dump their MS Exchange servers just so that the CEO can have the coolest phone is in the boardroom. The Leopard Server looks great but its going to take awhile for market penetration. Meanwhile, the iPhone will lack MS Exchange support (so far as we know) and that is going to be a big knock against it in the business community. Actually the business community, education, political... these spheres all rely on either Blackberry or Exchange for their push email solutions. Yahoo just doesn't cut it. It will for the high school/ college kid but not someone who has to be in contact with their corporate email.
Apple could easily rectify this by licensing Blackberry and have Exchange support built in. Will it happen? Probably not. I think this article should be taken like all other articles written by analysts: Printed then promptly thrown away.

 

[Maccus Aurelius]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. My iPhone works great. Oh...wait.

 

[feffer37]

MS iPhone

Oh man Microsoft, I totally see the error in my ways!

As a small businessman, I sure won't need that underperforming iPhone!

I sure as hell won't use it for full

 

[feffer37]

MS iPhone

Oh man Microsoft, I totally see the error in my ways!

As a small businessman, I sure won't need that underperforming iPhone!

I sure as hell won't use it for full access to myspace, which I use to schedule bands to play at my record store! Nor will I be able to use it to contact my clientelle directly for my marketing and promotions!

And forget about managing my amazon.com store and ebay auctions for all that merchandise I put up there every month!

You can just kiss the possibility goodbye that I'd even THINK of using my Online Terminal Credit Card Processor at my booth at a Record/CD show! Heaven forbid!

Don't forget about all that email I'll be doing AWAY FROM THE COMPUTER and that worthless DIGITAL VOICEMAIL I sure won't need to manage all my contacts!

And if one thing is for certian, I certianly won't need it's ability to DO EVERYTHING ONLINE THAT I NEED TO DO TO RUN A BUSINESS AWAY FROM THE OFFICE! Special Orders! Product & Supply Orders! Product Research! Marketing Analysis.

Give me a Break Microsoft! The iPhone is THE Single most important piece of equipment I will be buying for my business this year! Quit poo-pooing something that you cannot possibly build effectively yourselves! Put your money where your mouth is and COMPETE, because I've got my checkbook ready, and I'm buying.

See you all in line @ the Apple Store. I'm out.

 

[kadajawi]

Oh man Microsoft, I totally see the error in my ways!

As a small businessman, I sure won't need that underperforming iPhone!

I sure as hell won't use it for full

You won't. Are you sure as a businessman, that you want a phone that stops working during an important phone call, because the battery is flat? And you can't do anything against it because opposing to other phones you can't simply take out the battery and replace it with a spare one?
There are many smartphones out there which let you go on the internet. That have decent screens, better battery life (+you can change the battery). They aren't that good as MP3/video player, sure, but then it's a business phone.

I recall reading an article about businessmen buying old Nokia phones at high prices, because they need a reliable, no frills phone that simply works and has a long battery life, and that is nearly indestructable?

Really, I think they are targetting the wrong audience. Just like the B&O Serene. It's a fashion phone, and I'd say it is more appealing to women than to men... but those marketing guys tried to sell it to men.

I won't buy the iPhone. I own a smartphone that has a similar battery life... but in my case Motorola was smart enough, they actually packed in a spare battery and a docking station where you could charge both batteries at the same time (one in the phone and one in a slot). Without that the phone would be useless. Really. Even with a second battery in the phone for emergencies I think its useless. Unless maybe that battery is able to keep at least the phone functions alive for a few days... which I doubt with such a big display etc.
That and limiting 3rd party software kills it for me, eventhough I love the interface. I enjoy reading books, and I'm using the Mobipocket Reader for that. It is available for many plattforms... but since Apple probably won't allow that... also the resolution of the screen could be higher.

The iPhone is a fashion thing, or something for gadget freaks. Or people who want one of the best MP3 players out there (at least interface wise... we will have to see how the sound quality is).

 

[garzaroger]

Everyone is forgetting Cisco, and I see that they can come up with the functionality of a dual Phone... Once you are in the corporate you make the calls via VoIP in the WI/FI network... and once you leave use GSM. Could add the IM, presence, etc.
So if Apple+ATT+Cisco pushes this types of services in the enterprise of course it´s going to succeed in IT

 

[Analog Kid]

um partnership with Google... duh
Just open your browser and login to Google docs. Thats the benifit of a full version of safari on the system.

I just love how companies won't allow camera-phones, but they'll let Google scan their draft documents...

 

[Stella]

I just love how companies won't allow camera-phones, but they'll let Google scan their draft documents...

Quite right!
In a previous company, Google toolbar and search was banned, due to the security risk.

 

[EagerDragon]

I think that limiting the amount of third party software will end up being a costly mistake. For instance, I am a medical student, and the vast majority of medical students and doctors use some sort of hand held device with specialized medical applications installed on them. Some schools require their students to purchase a device in order to have that software. If apple does not make some of those programs available, I think they will be missing out on a huge market.

You are correct, however the number of people in that position in comparison to the population of a country, lets say USA is not financialy significant.

Applications are coming if you use their API and have the software tested/certified by Apple and distributed via iTunes.

I could be wrong of course but I do not think Apple wants anyone to create applications and load them in the phone. Only a select number of vendors will be invited and they have to certify their software.

Apple has expressed concerns about stability, I think it is becuase this mini version of the OS may not be able to protect itself and the applications it runs like the full OS version would. It could be bacause of the lack of CPU support for something, (just a guess, memory protection?)

 

[EagerDragon]

Quite right!
In a previous company, Google toolbar and search was banned, due to the security risk.

In my company all software not installed by the company from one of its servers is banned.

 

[tribulation]

Something just dawned on me as to why the iphone is not going to allow un-approved 3rd party app.

Apple wants to iphone to be easy to use right? This means no username/password. This means the default log in is running as root (or some approximation). This means that any app 'installed' could have complete controller over the system. Is this why apple is not allowing 3rd party? To control potential malware?

That's probably the reason, but it's easily overcome by just putting in a simple checkbox in the phone's preferences, I'm sure there will be an overall "system settings" type of utility on the phone somewhere. Check the box, you get further settings [password, user, etc]. Comes defaulted to unchecked. That way unless you want to actively use that feature, you will never see it or even know it's there.