iPad Taking Hold in Corporate Settings

[PatrickCocoa]

What makes myself reluctant to flip the switch and allow employees to gain access to iPads is control.

Which is great and you're performing your job as you should. But on a bigger perspective, your company is competing against other companies. If the cost/benefit to your control-based method is better than that of a company that allows iPads, then your company will survive and prosper.

But if the iPad allowing company makes more money, then your company will go out of business. Sure, the iPad company will pay more for data breaches, but it may (or may not) be the case that having the iPad will allow that company to make more money for a variety of reasons (hypothetically the employees of the iPad company may make faster decisions, or better decisions, or spend less time working their way through a ponderous internal Information Technology bureaucracy).

 

[gmcalpin]

Dude, they're selling cars not iPads. What's wrong with getting your Financing and other paperwork done on the spot? They're using the iPad for paperwork not so you'll buy a car coz of the iPad. The hell's the matter with you?

Who buys a car coz the salesman pulled out an iPad?

Trolls will be trolls. When people have to make up imaginary scenarios to get indignant about something, it's kind of sad, isn't it?

 

[soup4you2]

*comments deleted*

 

[mcmlxix]

I work for one of the corps listed.

I just don't think the price is too friendly, especially with all these cash strapped budgets. Try explaining a large iPad purchase..

Really though? We pay about $2000-2500 for each ThinkPad...corporate discount NOT...and some people have more than one.

We also either have a surplus of iPads right now or they're trying to turn people on to them...as there are numerous drawings to win a free iPad here.

 

[Iconoclysm]

What are these security improvements that have made the iPad a viable solution in the enterprise? From everything I've read, the iPhone and iPad are still woefully inadequate when it comes to security.

And from everything I've read, my iPhone 4 can't make phone calls.

 

[gvogrin]

I've been actually doing a ton of research with iPads in our enterprise. (org will remain nameless.)

"Analysts note that companies have been reluctant to adopt tablet-based computers until now due to their typically underpowered nature and inability to multitask."

I do not agree with this statement. What makes myself reluctant to flip the switch and allow employees to gain access to iPads is control. There are 3 ways to provision them

- Send a policy via email
- Send a policy via website
- Or the hidden method rarely mentioned. the OTA methods. which requires a lot of work to setup.

Now even if you do provision the devices, there is nothing to stop a user from entering DFU and restoring the software to circumvent the restrictions you put in place. The only protection the enterprise really has is to create an exchange activesync password and dont give out the vpn credential information, which is not enough.

Now there are 3 things i feel apple needs to do inorder to make them a bit more enterprise friendly.

- DFU protection, to prevent restores of unauthorized firmware.

- Enterprise application store. where the organization can purchase a volume amount of applications and easily view licensing information associated with each application. (ie: licenses used / available) and allow the devices to install the applications that we authorize, and have paid a licensing fee for. I want users to be able to install apps like Citrix, but absolutely do not want to give them access to the app store. We also do not want employees using their credit card information to purchase applications for a device that they do not even own; so a enterprise store is a must in my mind.

- Better encryption. The current encryption is a joke and laughed at by the hacker community.

There really is no good central management of these devices yet, which makes me very reluctant to authorize the devices on our network.

As much as I like the jailbreaking community, they really have put a large dent in the devices for being adopted into the enterprise, which does and will affect apple.

With that kind of thinking I would fire you as my IT guy. As I recall, the purpose of IT was so that you can figure out how to make things work for the company. Not the other way around.

My company has been all Apple since inception. I see no difference in security between an iPhone or a Blackberry and the iPhone simply has more functionality. All of these can be password protected and they all have remote wipe. In fact, an iPhone actually stores less data on it than a Blackberry.

 

[Iconoclysm]

With that kind of thinking I would fire you as my IT guy. As I recall, the purpose of IT was so that you can figure out how to make things work for the company. Not the other way around.

My company has been all Apple since inception. I see no difference in security between an iPhone or a Blackberry and the iPhone simply has more functionality. All of these can be password protected and they all have remote wipe. In fact, an iPhone actually stores less data on it than a Blackberry.

That's a bit harsh but I do agree with some of what you're saying.

 

[soup4you2]

comments removed, no point on trying to get a fanboy to understand something..

 

[WilliamLondon]

Wait until the corporate ipad account get hacked due to security holes in iOS.
If people can jailbreak this damn thing within 24 hours of release, gues how good a device is this for corporate

Hacking into a system and jailbreaking a device are two entirely different things.

Let me ask you this, how many devices do you need to manage?...if you were my manager I would have a hard time not taking a huge dump in your sandwich before lunch time.

Interesting, but the trend in companies it so allow the users to select the devices they want to use. It's directly related to attrition and attracting the right talent, especially the younger generation just leaving school. There once was a day that the device on the work desktop was far superior to the one in the home (if the one in the home even existed), but that day is in the past, and now the home machine is, on average, far superior to the one you log in to at 9AM. It's not just the devices, it's far more reaching than that, including the systems that you interact with (a la web 2.0 stuff).

Of course there will still be industries and companies that for whatever reason will control every aspect of an employee's life, including when they are allowed to take a s**t, but hopefully that's dwindling.

If there is a problem with the security of these devices, that's an issue easily resolved - lots of clever people in the world. But paranoia and corporate agreements between friends trump reality.

As for enterprise iOS devices support - Apple does well here, along with lots of security measures. Check it out - you can pretty much control everything about any Apple iOS device in the enterprise. Enterprise apps (not App Store available), corporate version of iTunes with policy functionality, and more.

 

[firewood]

With that kind of thinking I would fire you as my IT guy. As I recall, the purpose of IT was so that you can figure out how to make things work for the company.

Different companies have very different security requirements. Perhaps your company is far too small to get you fired, or even legally entangled, for allowing several multimillion dollar fraudulent transactions to occur, due to your firing of the security consultants.

I see no difference in security ...

That type of thinking is why security breaches still occur to major business.

That said, using an iPad as a viewer for desktop apps, which can be securely locked up in Citrix or VMWare instances on servers in a locked room, is getting a lot of traction in some business areas.

 

[PCClone]

Stimulus money doesn't go to government organizations, FYI. I really love it when people expect the government to run on steam engines and rubber bands...there are IT budgets there as well, and an iPad is a very cheap and more reliable solution for certain positions, especially military. Battery life is a really important factor, let alone weight, when we're talking about users "in the field".

Otherwise, I can understand your concern for government spending but as a fellow citizen, I think you're not putting enough thought into this before you react. We're not talking about a pencil pusher at a desk playing with an iPad here, we're talking about a guy that will now drop 5 to 10 lbs off the weight of an item he has to carry with him. Also, an iPad data plan is going to be MUCH cheaper than the aircards most of these types of people use.

But yeah, typical knee jerk reaction, you consider anything being spent a waste.

Who cares what it weighs unless it reduces the 2 trillion healthcare spend?

 

[JAT]

With that kind of thinking I would fire you as my IT guy. As I recall, the purpose of IT was so that you can figure out how to make things work for the company. Not the other way around.

No doubt. And this isn't Apple vs xxx fanboy stuff, this is "average office worker" vs IT. There's a reason Scott Adams called his IT guy the Preventer of Information Services.

 

[vini-vidi-vici]

With that kind of thinking I would fire you as my IT guy. As I recall, the purpose of IT was so that you can figure out how to make things work for the company. Not the other way around.

No kidding... A lot of people in that field spend way too much energy thinking about why something won't work, rather than how it could work.

Granted, if you're supporting some military contractor, one's security concerns can be paramount. But, that wasn't the stated case here. Even in those cases, tools like the iPad can easily be limited to certain functions. For example, if the sales group of said military contractor can use an iPad to stay in touch and make sales presentations, exactly what is the problem?

 

[E.Lizardo]

Whilst this is good for Apple and numbers sold.

It's not really what I want to see for the consumer market.

Be honest, PC's were drab green screened things for years, which went beep as they were for business.

Was only when the games sector got hold of them they started being pushed and advanced into areas that business would never have done on it's own.

I do hope the iPad does not (long term) evolve into mostly a corporate tool.

How dam boring would that be.

Zero danger of that.Rest easy.

 

[Mr. Gates]

Mr. Gates I thought you retired? trolling again huh

Trolls will be trolls. When people have to make up imaginary scenarios to get indignant about something, it's kind of sad, isn't it?

HaHa....

No, Just my opinion.

I just plain out dislike how everyone is trying to prove that the iPad is somehow more than a big Gimmick.

Its just a big touch screen !

And not even that great of an Operating system !

I'm simply not impressed.

Because I don't agree with a bunch of prissy fan-boy's and kiss Steve Jobs' Butt every chance I get .....I'm a TROLL !????

I don't Like the the thing.

I bought one to give it a try and returned it !

People who shout Troll every chance they can are the biggest Troll's themselves.

 

[southparksteve]

Small Business

The iPad is impressive for small business. I'll argue with anybody that it has more enterprise / business / small business applications than even personal ones (besides games). I use RDM+ to remotely access my accounting system, make invoices, etc. The large screen makes this possible. I also use FTPtogo to access websites and make changes while not in the office. All in all, it's the best piece of technology I've ever owned.

 

[ANTAWNM26]

Bloomberg Businessweek profiles the rapidly-growing impact of Apple's iPad in the business world, showing how lessons in data security and other aspects important in corporate settings learned by the company with the iPhone have allowed the iPad to quickly gain popularity with an array of companies in various industries.Analysts note that companies have been reluctant to adopt tablet-based computers until now due to their typically underpowered nature and inability to multitask. The appeal of the iPad has, however, caused companies to rethink how tablets can be used and to experiment with the iPad in their businesses.The report also highlights Daimler's Mercedes-Benz unit, which has rolled out iPads to 40 of its U.S. dealerships to allow sales representatives to share financing options with customers as they wander around the showroom. The company has also released an iPhone application to allow customers to manage their finance accounts and make payments on their vehicles, signaling the company's growing presence on Apple's iOS platform.

Article Link: iPad Taking Hold in Corporate Settings

I still havent come up with a reason as to why I would purchase one of these to replace my laptop. Read books? Uh,no!!!!!!!to be cool? Uh,no!!!!!!!

 

[Mr. Gates]

I still havent come up with a reason as to why I would purchase one of these to replace my laptop. Read books? Uh,no!!!!!!!to be cool? Uh,no!!!!!!!

Welcome to Crazy world !

Thanks for not being one of the many Zombies (Fluffers) who patrol these forums

 

[CalebF]

Oh, yeah. The HDMI out is gonna make life sooo much easier. Plus the built-in webcam for video conferencing. Ah, but there's always mutitask--

"Uh? What's that? Fall? Uh, when will that be? November??!! "

 

[adamfilip]

I see great potential for the iPad in business and medical settings.

So much so in fact that I've gone to the length of building a business app. What's more, it's been released in the app store this week!

For those that are interested check out http://shiftyapp.com

Shameless self promotion

 

[Mr. Gates]

Yup ,...Lets see who is the troll now.

I'm still pissed about those comments.

Guess you are too busy trying to figure out how to pretend you can effectively create and export an Excel document....

Oh Well

 

[heisetax]

Why an iPad

I've been under impressed with by iPod Touch. All it wants to handel in unprotected WiFi. No 3G/4G stuff for it. The large screen mobile & WiFi stuff is handled by my MacBook Pros & PowerBooks. Even though I have been so under impressed with my iPod Touch that I haven't used it in nearly 6 months & I have laptops for large screen stuff I was still considering an iPad for the 3G/4G connection for data. Then before I made the yes decision AT&T made a big bait & switch decision to change the 3G connection policy with the iPad & iPhone. That has put the 3G use more in the higher costs of mobil laptop connections. The iPad has been cut out again.

In most cases a computer, laptop, desktop or pocket, will last much longer than a cell phone. For that reason I do not want my mobile computer connection to be done with a phone. that means no iPhone or more probable an Android phone as I have Verizon now & if I changed it would be to Sprint, not AT&T. Having AT&T service for 3G was almost enough in & of itself to keep me away from the iPad.

When I go to any of my remote customers I have no internet connection. Non of them have computers & they are not close enough to go through someone's unsecure WiFi connection. So for me it is 3G or no service. So far I've chosen the no service.

I've owned Macs only since I changed from my HeathKits in 1984. I even have a Newton or 2. So even as much as Apple can wow they have not given me or wowed me into making an iPad purchase.

 

[sbrownla]

hmmm

been using mine at school and it's awesome... but, BUT--

VERY SLOW. I don't know what kind of processor it has in it, but it's dreadful sometimes... could just be the software I'm using, but remote desktop is abysmal, as are programs used for PDF manipulation other than those native to the thing.

They'll need a much faster processor in order to do anything substantial, but as for viewing maps and basic stuff, it's great.

Plus, it doesn't look (in class) like I'm surfing the web all throughout.

Other than that, it's really a great little machine, and I am embarrassed to say that I hated them when they first came out.

 

[ten-oak-druid]

Who cares what it weighs unless it reduces the 2 trillion healthcare spend?

How about the multi-trillion needless war spend...

 

[JAT]

Yup ,...Lets see who is the troll now.

I'm still pissed about those comments.

Guess you are too busy trying to figure out how to pretend you can effectively create and export an Excel document....

Oh Well

Why would you buy an iPad to create spreadsheets? You think there are people who have an iPad for this purpose? Seriously? If that is what you need, then get a computer. Duh.

I also have no use for an iPad, not in its current configuration. But I don't feel any need to go around bashing it and its users on the internet. The needless bashing is why people call you a troll.