JPMorgan Embracing iPad as Research in Motion Faces Challenges

[MacRumors]

Last month, we noted that major U.S. banks Bank of America and Citigroup have been running pilot tests with an eye toward allowing their employees to abandon their corporate-standard BlackBerry devices in favor of the iPhone, demonstrating Apple's growing place in the business world and a increasing threat to Research in Motion's position in that market.

Bloomberg now reports that Research in Motion is facing challenges on the tablet front before it can even get its PlayBook out the door, with investment bank JPMorgan Chase opting to provide its employees with iPads to assist them with their work as part of a pilot study to gauge their effectiveness.

JPMorgan Chase & Co. will give its investment bankers iPads to provide an additional mobile tool as Apple Inc. expands its domain to Wall Street, threatening Research in Motion Ltd. in a market it traditionally dominated.

"We believe there are real benefits in our working environment that can be realized using this device - as well as the personal productivity and enjoyment that come as part of the package," two managing directors at New York-based JPMorgan said in an e-mail obtained by Bloomberg News.

According to the email, all associates in JPMorgan's global investment banking division will be eligible to receive free iPads, with the pilot program extending through May 1st, 2011.

Bankers will be able to access e-mails, contacts, calendar and attachments via Microsoft Outlook, as well as have the ability to mark-up and annotate confidential documents and make client presentations, according to the e-mail. They will also be allowed to download applications for personal use.

"There are a variety of ways to leverage the iPad. Some work off-the-shelf whilst others rely on JPMorgan software/security tools," the managing directors said. "Depending on its success we will evaluate if we should repeat this one time initiative and/or expand it to others."

Apple has been increasing its focus on enterprise deployment for the iPhone and iPad as the company has worked to build corporate-friendly features into iOS. The company has targeted Research in Motion's leadership position in the market, even going as far as to hire away a number of Research in Motion's key sales employees to head up its own efforts.

Article Link: JPMorgan Embracing iPad as Research in Motion Faces Challenges

 

[shartypants]

Cool, RIM devices sucked anyway.

 

[sigma8]

There's too much hype over companies running "pilot projects". They could just as easily discover the iPad doesn't make people more productive and be burned from using tablets ever again.

It's just a trial period, not an adoption.

 

[Xtremehkr]

RIM are on their way to Palmville.

Palm had a minor comeback with the Pre, they just didn't follow up with anything like an App store, or even a Pre 2.

RIM should be in full on panic mode right now, they need a phone that is going to raise expectations for what they are capable of. A halo product, so to speak.

 

[skeep5]

iPad me! Chase brought a real iPhone banking app to the game, so I switched back to them. They're on the right track.

 

[BC2009]

There's too much hype over companies running "pilot projects". They could just as easily discover the iPad doesn't make people more productive and be burned from using tablets ever again.

It's just a trial period, not an adoption.

Agreed... The company I work for has had a MacBook Pro pilot project for several years, but we have yet to adopt the MacBook Pro for the masses of employees --- we are still using PC notebooks (to my dismay).

The problem with the MacBook Pro is probably accountants balking at the price -- however, the iPad is very well priced so it will be interesting to see if Apple starts getting a lot of quantity sales to enterprises in 2011.

 

[MisterK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Apple should do more to promote the developers of iOS business applications. Bringing more corporate clients to these developers makes development more attractive ("maybe if I develop business applications Apple will promote ME!"). I don't mean general business apps, but ad hoc applications with very specific functions. This would mean more business apps that aren't just word processors and PDF readers making iOS devices look like serious tools.

It wouldn't hurt Apple to showcase hardware/software solutions right on their front page. Most customers are general consumers, but showcasing iOS devices as not JUST entertainment devices gives them clout to everyone.

 

[notjustjay]

I do find it interesting that they specifically use the word "enjoyment" in the quote. That's one thing that Apple has always been good at -- making a user interface that looks good and is not only practical and easy but fun to use. This has frequently been met with scoffs and dirty looks -- especially from the business world. It's also very evident in software that's used for customized or industrial purposes -- often very difficult to understand and use.

It's nice to see that people are waking up to the fact that "fun to use" is more than just fluff now.

 

[Ralion]

RIM are on their way to Palmville.

Palm had a minor comeback with the Pre, they just didn't follow up with anything like an App store, or even a Pre 2.

RIM should be in full on panic mode right now, they need a phone that is going to raise expectations for what they are capable of. A halo product, so to speak.

I see your point here, but just to be current, Palm HAS released the Pre 2 and has an App Store (granted no where near as large). I'm a Pre user and am more confident in Palm's future with HP than I would be with RIM. Just a thought

 

[BC2009]

I think Apple needs to somehow court Microsoft into developing MS Office for the iPad. While iOS has an okay viewer for MS Office files, and iWork apps can import MS Office docs, the truth of the matter is that the enterprise by-and-large uses MS Office. I doubt any of the big enterprise companies are using iWork suite on Macs, although some big companies are switching to Open Document Formats (OpenOffice.org, IBM Lotus Symphony). Apple has no support for ODF in iWork for Mac or the iPad, and their support for enterprise-type MS Office files (i.e.: complex DOC, XLS, and PPt files) is rather poor. Heck... I find that docs I make in iWork for the Mac don't translate well to the iPad.

So if the enterprise is going to adopt the iPad they will need the ability to view and edit complex office documents. That means better support for MS Office files or a native MS Office suite of apps AND it could also mean a need for ODF support. Otherwise, I think these enterprise trials of the iPad will fizzle -- not in favor of an alternative tablet, but rather in favor of notebook or netbook computers.

 

[RalfTheDog]

There's too much hype over companies running "pilot projects". They could just as easily discover the iPad doesn't make people more productive and be burned from using tablets ever again.

It's just a trial period, not an adoption.

If an iPad does not make you more productive, you are not using the iPad the correct way.

If you are using your iPad to play Angry Birds during a board meeting, you will not gain much productivity.

There are a few jobs where an iPad would not be of much use. I can't think of a way for an iPad to improve the productivity of a dish washer.

If you pick the correct applications, an iPad can be a very effective tool.

 

[Xtremehkr]

I see your point here, but just to be current, Palm HAS released the Pre 2 and has an App Store (granted no where near as large). I'm a Pre user and am more confident in Palm's future with HP than I would be with RIM. Just a thought

Palm isn't really Palm now that it is owned by HP, it was bought by HP for WebOS.

As soon as the iPad came out it was clear that someone was going to buy Palm because Windows 7 is not lightweight enough to be a good tablet OS. Additionally, HP has more control over an OS they develop themselves. WebOS is a nice looking mobile OS and has promise, Palm just didn't do enough to keep up. I never even heard of the Pre 2 being released, which means that there just wasn't a lot of buzz surrounding it.

If RIM wants to remain an independent company that hasn't been bought and plundered for their remaining assets, they are going to have to release a device that knocks people off of their seats in comparison to other smart phones.

That's the reputation that they used to have, before Apple took their place as the leader in smart phone technology. While Apple forges ahead at full speed, RIM seems to be searching for ideas on what to do next.

 

[BC2009]

If an iPad does not make you more productive, you are not using the iPad the correct way.

If you are using your iPad to play Angry Birds during a board meeting, you will not gain much productivity.

There are a few jobs where an iPad would not be of much use. I can't think of a way for an iPad to improve the productivity of a dish washer.

If you pick the correct applications, an iPad can be a very effective tool.

No doubt about iPad making people more productive -- but I am wondering what goals these companies are looking to achieve with the iPad. Are they looking to replace netbooks or notebooks for some employees? If so they may find key functionality missing with respect to office documents. If they are looking to augment the user's cell phone with something more -- perhaps they are looking to stop purchasing paper notepads and have folks take notes on an iPad. Who knows. The question it will come down to is this..... does the iPad increase the productivity of employees enough to provide a return on investment?

An accountant would jump at the chance at purchasing an iPad for employees over a laptop computer because right off the bat he can see the savings. However, if you are not replacing laptops by providing an additional device, then the accountant will view it as an additional cost/expense. Increases in productivity are very hard to measure from the accountant's perspective.

 

[newagemac]

But Joe Apple Hater says you can't do any "real" work with an iPad or whatever that means???

By the way, I have a PS3, an HDTV, a microwave oven, and a toothbrush. I can't do any "real" work with them either.

 

[silentnite]

Finally! Good to see corporate is stepping it's game up and getting into the real world. Wondering what's next perhaps an overhaul of it's computer department.

 

[tigress666]

iPad me! Chase brought a real iPhone banking app to the game, so I switched back to them. They're on the right track.

Yeah, I was starting to warm up to them over that but now they want to charge me to keep my checking account. So most likely I'm going to have to find a new bank . I have another but they're not convenient so I used chase for my deposits and save most my money on the other account. Sure, Chase probably doesn't want my account since I don't keep much in it, but if they wanted to convince me to change over from the other bank and get more of my money with them, and it was doable cause the other bank does not have a convenient location or hours for me, Chase totally did the opposite and chased me away instead (The other bank offers me incentives to keep more money with them, a higher interest rate for the more money, not punishment for not keeping enough money with them).

 

[kirky29]

I do find it interesting that they specifically use the word "enjoyment" in the quote. That's one thing that Apple has always been good at -- making a user interface that looks good and is not only practical and easy but fun to use. This has frequently been met with scoffs and dirty looks -- especially from the business world. It's also very evident in software that's used for customized or industrial purposes -- often very difficult to understand and use.

It's nice to see that people are waking up to the fact that "fun to use" is more than just fluff now.

+1!
Completely agree.

 

[nefan65]

But Joe Apple Hater says you can't do any "real" work with an iPad or whatever that means???

By the way, I have a PS3, an HDTV, a microwave oven, and a toothbrush. I can't do any "real" work with them either.

That's an old, and tired statement a lot of people make. "You can't do any real work with <<INSERT APPLE PRODUCT HERE>>. You need a PC/Windows machine to do real work".

I do IT for a living; have for over 18 years. Other than CAD, I've YET to see any person fully utilize, and/or exploit any of the resources they have on a PC, or similar system. I've heard it all too..."I need workhorse for the spreadsheets, and apps I use"..lol. Right! That system running an i7, w/ 8GB of RAM really screams running Excel, and Quickbooks...

Yes I can run a 13"MBP w/4GB of RAM, and run all of that, maintain systems, and run a VM of Linux or Windows at the same time. Too funny.

 

[Nausicaa]

iPad me! Chase brought a real iPhone banking app to the game, so I switched back to them. They're on the right track.

Nothing to do with this story, but yup, the original Chase app was a disgusting embarrasment, and they really nailed it this time around. Such a great app - I would love to see an iPad specific version as well, though I guess it isn't really necessary.

The check deposit feature is my favorite, but I was disappointed to learn that they have a dollar limit above which they won't allow you to make deposits this way. I tried doing it with a $1,000+ check and it wouldn't go through. I'm not sure exactly where the cutoff is though. Still, great for smaller check deposits.

Also, while I certainly think the iPad can be used for 'real work', I do think it is a bit redundant for most companies that don't have money to just throw away. Anything that can be done on a work-issued iPad can likely be accomplished on a work-issued laptop - which most people already have. And the laptop has the benefit of Excel - which every business person needs. I can see the iPad being appropriate for management though. Note that I'm talking about a corporate banking entity here. Certainly there are many niche uses for the iPad in any number of fields. But, wide iPad adoption by Chase or Bank of America or whoever seems highly unlikely.

 

[Azathoth]

That's an old, and tired statement a lot of people make. "You can't do any real work with <<INSERT APPLE PRODUCT HERE>>. You need a PC/Windows machine to do real work".

I do IT for a living; have for over 18 years. Other than CAD, I've YET to see any person fully utilize, and/or exploit any of the resources they have on a PC, or similar system. I've heard it all too..."I need workhorse for the spreadsheets, and apps I use"..lol. Right! That system running an i7, w/ 8GB of RAM really screams running Excel, and Quickbooks...

Yes I can run a 13"MBP w/4GB of RAM, and run all of that, maintain systems, and run a VM of Linux or Windows at the same time. Too funny.

A keyboard is nice for most work-based tasks though.

Imagine a device with a real keyboard and and a monitor that you can unfold on your lap, and which you could run standard applications on.

Oh yeah, it's called a laptop!

Still I'm glad the banks are finding ways to be more efficient at scr3wing us over

 

[Vulpinemac]

A keyboard is nice for most work-based tasks though.

Available for an iPad.

Imagine a device with a real keyboard and and a monitor that you can unfold on your lap, and which you could run standard applications on.

Oh yeah, it's called a laptop!

Still I'm glad the banks are finding ways to be more efficient at scr3wing us over

I think the point here is that you don't have to unfold it on your lap to use it--you can do almost anything you need on it while standing on your own two feet.

That said, the point here is that for roughly 70% of users (according to a recent report) a laptop is far more machine than they need or want. Many of the remaining purchased a laptop as a desktop substitute rather than for any mobility capability it offers. Even my wife's company bought her a laptop to use as a desktop simply because it's cheaper to ship a replacement laptop than to ship a tower.

 

[ericinboston]

There's too much hype over companies running "pilot projects". They could just as easily discover the iPad doesn't make people more productive and be burned from using tablets ever again.

It's just a trial period, not an adoption.

I agree...every company in America pilots technology. Our company (over 200,000 employees worldwide) has been piloting Macintosh desktops and laptops for 5 years...guess what...those 100+ people who are in the pilot program are still the only people with Macs out of 200,000+! I'm not saying that Apple Macs stink, but obviously after 5 years, there's a reason why our company has not adopted Macs.

Ditto for the iPads...my wife has one and likes it a lot. But she is also high up the chain in the Technology department/division of another very large company and iPads and iPhones are banned company-wide due to numerous security risks and knows security problems. No one doubts that the iPad and iPhone are very cool devices especially with touchscreen technology/features, but they're just unsafe for business. Once (if) Apple decides to give up its "you listen to Apple, Apple doesn't listen to you" mentality in the business world, Apple will be adopted in the business world. However, I have a feeling Apple wants to just stick with consumers...which is fine...there are plenty of consumers to buy Apple products.

 

[SandynJosh]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Apple should do more to promote the developers of iOS business applications. Bringing more corporate clients to these developers makes development more attractive ("maybe if I develop business applications Apple will promote ME!"). I don't mean general business apps, but ad hoc applications with very specific functions. This would mean more business apps that aren't just word processors and PDF readers making iOS devices look like serious tools.

It wouldn't hurt Apple to showcase hardware/software solutions right on their front page. Most customers are general consumers, but showcasing iOS devices as not JUST entertainment devices gives them clout to everyone.

Apple's eating Rim's business and everyone else's and they are doing it without hearing from you as to what they should be doing.

Admit it, Apple is succeeding in garnering business using their own methods that don't compare to anything else. That's got to be so confounding to anyone who wants a part of Apple's action.

Hiring away five of RIM's best enterprise marketers was a master stroke for an inside look at how that market works. Apple may likely add their own marketing spin and cut a fat hog while Steve Ballmer et al are plodding along on last century's marketing.

 

[SandynJosh]

I agree...every company in America pilots technology. Our company (over 200,000 employees worldwide) has been piloting Macintosh desktops and laptops for 5 years...guess what...those 100+ people who are in the pilot program are still the only people with Macs out of 200,000+! I'm not saying that Apple Macs stink, but obviously after 5 years, there's a reason why our company has not adopted Macs.

Ditto for the iPads...my wife has one and likes it a lot. But she is also high up the chain in the Technology department/division of another very large company and iPads and iPhones are banned company-wide due to numerous security risks and knows security problems. No one doubts that the iPad and iPhone are very cool devices especially with touchscreen technology/features, but they're just unsafe for business. Once (if) Apple decides to give up its "you listen to Apple, Apple doesn't listen to you" mentality in the business world, Apple will be adopted in the business world. However, I have a feeling Apple wants to just stick with consumers...which is fine...there are plenty of consumers to buy Apple products.

I must take issue with your above statements on several points.

You said, "I'm not saying that Apple Macs stink, but obviously after 5 years, there's a reason why our company has not adopted Macs." Let me give you the biggest reason: Macs threaten the IT kingdom. The Mac is too damned reliable in a network, and Apple's customer service is too damned good at keeping everything running. Suddenly the IT kingdom is down to a low-level manager and a few techs.

Now, I'm stretching it a bit, but I'm describing the fear in the hearts of the IT manager.

The same fear is at work when it comes to iPhones and iPads. These devices are just too powerful and threaten the kingdom builders long-term place in the corporate structure. So they throw up a wall of FUD about "security" until they can figure out a way to justify their relevance.

It's no accident that the IT managers once called themselves MIS managers until it became apparent that the title was way to self-revealing.

 

[SandynJosh]

Yeah, I was starting to warm up to them (Chase Bank) over that but now they want to charge me to keep my checking account. So most likely I'm going to have to find a new bank . I have another but they're not convenient so I used chase for my deposits and save most my money on the other account. Sure, Chase probably doesn't want my account since I don't keep much in it, but if they wanted to convince me to change over from the other bank and get more of my money with them, and it was doable cause the other bank does not have a convenient location or hours for me, Chase totally did the opposite and chased me away instead (The other bank offers me incentives to keep more money with them, a higher interest rate for the more money, not punishment for not keeping enough money with them).

Unfortunately the era of free checking is coming to an end. Banks, like airlines, are going to be charging a fee for everything they do. Soon you won't be able to sneeze in the lobby without incurring a fee.