iPhone Enterprise Features: ActiveSync, Exchange, WPA2, Push Services

[aidanpendragon]

WTF "accounting purposes" for the Touch? From all the mainstream press articles on this, Sarbanes-Oxley apparently requires such a charge when you're adding something new - you can't give it away.

Thus, I can understand (if not support) the $20 upgrade charge for Touch owners who didn't have the Mail, Stocks, etc. apps.

But now that both devices have a common app set - and these latest upgrades are adding functionality to existing components, not granting new ones - charging for Touch & not iPhone is complete BS. They're in the same boat, and something "requiring" a charge on one should hold for the other.

This is much more likely an excuse to steer people to iPhones + recurring revenue streams. As the Touch becomes an ever-more-capable wireless device, it captures a greater share of customers who need "everything but the phone." Putting up recurring nickel & dime (or Jackson) charges is a barrier to this.

..and again, I see this will be embedded in firmware, forcing these apps - and wasted space - on those of us who don't want them. Screw you, Apple.

 

[jhande]

This is all great, but what about Lotus/Domino?

Yeah, I've just sent off an email to our Notes/Domino folks to check up on that. We are heavily Notes based in house, so that's pretty critical.

 

[Thataboy]

WTF "accounting purposes" for the Touch? From all the mainstream press articles on this, Sarbanes-Oxley apparently requires such a charge when you're adding something new - you can't give it away.

Thus, I can understand (if not support) the $20 upgrade charge for Touch owners who didn't have the Mail, Stocks, etc. apps.

But now that both devices have a common app set - and these latest upgrades are adding functionality to existing components, not granting new ones - charging for Touch & not iPhone is complete BS. They're in the same boat, and something "requiring" a charge on one should hold for the other.

This is much more likely an excuse to steer people to iPhones + recurring revenue streams. As the Touch becomes an ever-more-capable wireless device, it captures a greater share of customers who need "everything but the phone." Putting up recurring nickel & dime (or Jackson) charges is a barrier to this.

..and again, I see this will be embedded in firmware, forcing these apps - and wasted space - on those of us who don't want them. Screw you, Apple.

Feature parity with the iPhone is immaterial.

Adding features to a product that is not based on subscription accounting requires a fee. It is crappy law, but it is law. Apple isn't screwing you. Lobby your government for changes to SOX.

The question I have is why Apple didn't use subscription accounting for the iPod Touch in the first place -- I thought the justification for using subscription accounting for Apple TV and iPhone was that they would be receiving software updates for years to come. How is that different from the iPod Touch?

 

[aricher]

I've been wanting seamless Exchange support on my iPhone since day 1 but what does this mean exactly - Enterprise Data Plan for iPhone

Why does it cost so much more than the regular AT&T voice + $20 for unlimted data plan? If memory serves me right the most expensive consumer data plan is $20 for unlimited domestic data with an additional $20 for unlimted SMS. Why would the Enterprise version of this plan be $65?

 

[thefourthpope]

Be prepared for a lot of angry posts about the June announcement!

Not from me. The last time Apple released something in June, it did pretty well.

 

[twoodcc]

well i'm glad i have an iPhone and not an iPod Touch. can't wait for 2.0!

 

[VoodooDaddy]

Yep, I have the same question. What about with .Mac ???

Definitely. They need push for their own mail service. We pay for .mac, make this the same as an enterprise account. Sick of getting emails 15min after the fact.

 

[f1]

So how is this Push Email going to work? WIll it only work with Exchange Server, or are is Apple going to Run servers like RIM that monitor our email inboxes and push the email to us?

 

[bobrik]

Adding features to a product that is not based on subscription accounting requires a fee.

How on earth does Microsoft add features to Windows XP for free? Like Desktop search from Vista is a free download for XP users. I could name other examples. I don't understand why Apple can't and Microsoft can provide free feature additions.

It also seems totally unlogical if a company does a feature addition as a strategic move (i.e. the desktop search for XP is to stop competition from Google desktop search) and as a part of a strategy wants to make the update free.

 

[justflie]

Now? Unlikely. I was really excited at first. I would pay today for the update for 802.1X. I wish Apple could allow those who want to use the beta a chance to do so.

I just signed up for it. It's free. I can download the SDK (when the site is back up and working). You can too. yay free. I don't mind doing bug reports for the next few months if it means I can access my school's network.

 

[pdjudd]

How on earth does Microsoft add features to Windows XP for free?

1) Desktop Operating systems can have software updates that include new features. Including software
2) The iPod Touch is not comparable to Windows as far as software is concerned. Integrated devices have different accounting requirements. Please Read Sarbanes Oxley. It will address these issues.

 

[Aquaporin]

I just signed up for it. It's free. I can download the SDK (when the site is back up and working). You can too. yay free. I don't mind doing bug reports for the next few months if it means I can access my school's network.

The SDK will not give you the ability to use 802.1X. You will need sign up and be approved for the enterprise bundle in order to even get 802.1X on your iPhone. I think us iPod touch owners are going to have to wait 3-4 months. Odds are, I will know which medical school I will be attending and I will simply buy the PDA required instead of bothering with iPod touch fees again.

 

[legomistego]

Exchange Tasks

Is there any hard information on how exchange Tasks will work under with the update?

This ZDNet article: http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1246 quotes a microsoft spokesman saying "The agreement means iPhones will have built-in mobile access to Microsoft Exchange Server, letting users send and receive wireless email, manage their calendars, and view and edit tasks and contacts virtually anytime, anywhere."

But a mention of tasks is conspicuously absent from the apple website, and there is no "tasks" application included in the current iPhone software.

Anyone know something about this?

 

[morespce54]

All iPhone owners will get this update for free, but iPod Touch owners will be charged a small fee for accounting purposes.

Yea, sure... "accounting purposes"...

 

[Aquaporin]

Yea, sure... "accounting purposes"...

I think iPhone users get around this because they pay a monthly fee to AT&T, some of which gets sent back to Apple.

 

[peterlobl]

Oath of Hypocrisy

The SDK will not give you the ability to use 802.1X. You will need sign up and be approved for the enterprise bundle in order to even get 802.1X on your iPhone. I think us iPod touch owners are going to have to wait 3-4 months. Odds are, I will know which medical school I will be attending and I will simply buy the PDA required instead of bothering with iPod touch fees again.

You are going to spend more on a different PDA, rather than $20 on an iTouch update???

And if you are my doctor, I hope you won't mind me calling you up at my leisure for free medical advice... what's your cell number again?

 

[Analog Kid]

MS licensed ActiveSync and Exchange support to iPhone? Is it just me, or did they just essentially withdraw from the mobile market?

For all the people going on about the Touch fees, this has been explained a thousand times. Apple does not recognize all the revenue from your purchase of the iPhone or AppleTV when you buy it. They recognize that revenue over the course of 24 months. By accounting for iPhone as a subscription, they can update and improve at will. This isn't the kick backs they get from AT&T, this is the initial purchase price spread over time. They don't account for the Touch that way, so you are essentially buying new software. This is how it's always worked, and it will continue to be the same. Give up on the complaining...

 

[corygreenwell]

A question that I have that is probably a very stupid question, but hopefully someone can answer it.

I use my iPhone with my home macbook, but at work I unfortunately have to use a windows system. Will it be possible to sync my windows exchange account with an iPhone configured for a mac? Any guesses?

Also, the person above noting the "enterprise" price structure...I think you might be a bit misguided. I don't think it requires an enterprise data plan to get Exchange.

 

[bytethese]

A question that I have that is probably a very stupid question, but hopefully someone can answer it.

I use my iPhone with my home macbook, but at work I unfortunately have to use a windows system. Will it be possible to sync my windows exchange account with an iPhone configured for a mac? Any guesses?

Also, the person above noting the "enterprise" price structure...I think you might be a bit misguided. I don't think it requires an enterprise data plan to get Exchange.

I'm guessing it'll be possible. Will your job let you? Most likely not. We do not let anyone get firm email on a personal device where I work.

 

[seedster2]

I use my iPhone with my home macbook, but at work I unfortunately have to use a windows system. Will it be possible to sync my windows exchange account with an iPhone configured for a mac? Any guesses?

Yes, they should operate seperately. Exchange is done wirelessly and updates when you get new mail calendar changes etc. If Apple implements this properly, we should have a choice to keep personal and business updates independent. but we will have to see, your concern is valid


Isn't anyone a little bit annoyed that they will have to wait until June

Also, I don't think RIM is surprised. They havent been sitting on their laurels. They have a lot of patents circling the web that indicates that they have great products in the pipeline along with a loyal user base. Now Palm...the nail will be in the coffin come June

 

[Skruggs]

A question that I have that is probably a very stupid question, but hopefully someone can answer it.

I use my iPhone with my home macbook, but at work I unfortunately have to use a windows system. Will it be possible to sync my windows exchange account with an iPhone configured for a mac? Any guesses?

\

There are no "Windows" or "Mac" Exchange accounts. You have an account on a Windows Exchange Server. You can use that Exchange Server using Outlook for Windows (the Windows Exchange Client) or Entourage 2008 for Mac (The Mac sort of Exchange Client).

Apple says they have licensed ActiveSync from MS for the iPhone. This will allow any iPhone (or Touch) to communicate with an appropriately configured Exchange Server. It doesn't matter to which type of computer you sync your iPhone to iTunes.

 

[bubbalwz]

I see nothing about encryption of the device itself. Remote wipe is a good first step, but in order to compete with RIM the contents of the device needs to have the ability to be encrypted.

 

[lucasgladding]

Sox

The nominal charge is not required by sarbanes-oxley. If Apple did not charge for update, they could not recognize their initial revenue immediately. They would have to amortize their sales figures over an extended period of time. If everyone expected free updates, then law suggests that the sale was for a product delivered over that extended period of time.

The nominal charge is required if Apple wants to recognize all the sales revenue immediately (not counting provisions for warranty, etc). Other companies can deliver updates, but their revenue recognition will then have to differ.

It's been a while since I was in accounting, so please correct me if I am wrong on anything. There isn't a dictated fee (so Apple could charge whatever they want), so that IS something to complain about whenever announced.

 

[krusej23]

Will I be able to connect to the wifi at uni now?

It uses WPA Enterprise and 802.1X, so I'm guessing yes! That will be nice!

Seems a pity that none of us Mac OS X'ers will get push iCal, Address Book, Mail etc.

But amazing announcements today!

Do you go to the University of northern iowa? That's where I go and I was so mad when I went in to get my ipod registered to use on campus and they said I couldn't. Now we might be able to.

 

[mrod]

Adding features to a product that is not based on subscription accounting requires a fee. It is crappy law, but it is law. Apple isn't screwing you. Lobby your government for changes to SOX.

Sorry, but it's not *my* government. It's not even my continent and yet I still have to pay.

You have to wonder how they get away with adding functionality to a Mac{Mini,Pro,Book,Book Pro} via their free software download page.