10 reasons IT should not support the Apple iPhone

by Al Sacco

December 13, 2007 —

The Apple
iPhone took the consumer mobile space by storm when it was released last June
and quickly became one of the most popular smartphones available. Since then,
business users who've purchased the device for their personal use have been requesting
that their corporate IT departments support it.

Whether the iPhone proves
to be a valuable business tool or a non-issue
for CIOs remains to be seen, but a new report from Forrester
Research suggests that the iPhone may never get a chance to succeed in business.
Forrester says IT departments should refuse to support the devices--at least
for now--for the following 10 reasons.

1) The iPhone Doesn't Allow Data on the Device to be Encrypted

There's currently no way for enterprises to secure sensitive data on iPhones
through file or disk encryption, according to Forrester. There's also no way
for IT to enforce password policies since the decision to use a password (and
when to change it) is up to the user.

2) The iPhone Does Not Natively Support "Push" Corporate E-mail
or Wireless Calendar Syncing

Push e-mail (e-mail that is delivered to handhelds immediately upon receipt
in a user's mailbox) is an essential feature for a business device because of
the productivity such a feature enables, according to Forrester. If users need
to physically retrieve messages--as opposed to having those messages pushed
directly to them--they won't get them as quickly as possible and they'll waste
time in the process. The iPhone can sync with Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes
over IMAP and SMTP, Forrester says, but IT infrastructure must be tweaked accordingly
or a separate gateway product must be purchased and even then mail is delivered
only every 15 minutes.

Apple's
device also doesn't wirelessly sync with PCs, which means users must have access
to the company's proprietary USB sync cable to retrieve calendar updates or
contact changes, according to Forrester. If a meeting plan or location has been
changed at the last minute, an iPhone user on the go could easily not get the
notification in time.

3) The iPhone Does Not Run Third-Party Applications Without Voiding Its
Warranty

Though Apple has
promised a software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone so that external
developers and businesses can create their own applications to run on the device,
the iPhone does not currently support such applications--unless certain device
components are hacked, which voids the phone's warranty. Companies that deploy,
for example, sales force automation apps on mobile devices won't be able to
port those applications to the iPhone until this issue is resolved.

4) The iPhone Cannot be Locked or Wiped Remotely

Forrester says the single most important feature of mobile device management
offerings is remote lock and data wipe functionality, both of which the iPhone
lacks. Apple doesn't currently offer any mobile device management software that's
anything like the many offerings available for BlackBerrys,
Windows Mobile or Symbian devices. Forrester doesn't anticipate any vendors
offering such a product before mid-to-late 2008.

5) The iPhone Lacks a Physical Keyboard

The iPhone's touch screen interface and virtual keyboard may be cool, but it
is not
ideal for power users who e-mail and text message very frequently. The problem
with the touch screen is that it doesn't provide tactile feedback, which makes
it difficult to type without paying attention to every single key you hit. The
faster you can type, the faster your messages get sent out and the more work
you can do in a shorter amount of time. That's not necessarily the case with
the iPhone.

6) The iPhone Only Functions in Very Specific Geographic Locations and It's
Locked Into Carriers

The iPhone is currently only available through exclusive carriers in the United
States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany, and it's locked to those specific
carriers. That means that business users who travel internationally can't use
iPhones in any other countries, even if those countries offer networks that
are technologically compatible.

7) The iPhone is (Very) Expensive

The iPhone sells for double what the average BlackBerry or Treo costs. At $400,
plus voice and data charges, Apple's smartphone is one of the priciest such
devices on the market, even after a $200
price cut last fall. Corporations seeking mobile devices often consider
price a selling point, especially since many device makers or carriers offer
business discounts and service plans. Apple and AT&T, the exclusive U.S.
carrier, don't offer any such discounts for business use.

8) The iPhone Is a First-Generation Device

No mobile device is perfect when it's initially released. In order for handset
makers to refine their products, they often rely on their masses of users to
highlight their weaknesses. Some of the iPhone's weaknesses are, according to
Forrester:

-- it can be difficult to activate quickly

-- battery life is weak/short

-- sound quality is less than impressive

-- it's currently only a 2.5 generation device, which means that data transfer
speeds aren't as fast as they could be

The next iteration of the iPhone will likely address these issues. In fact,
AT&T's CEO recently said a 3G
iPhone is due in 2008.

9) Apple Doesn't Offer Replacement Batteries for the iPhone

Apple doesn't currently offer battery replacements for the iPhone, so users
cannot carry backups to ensure that they never lose power. Forrester says that
third-party vendors will likely begin to offer replacements in the near future,
but because the device needs to be disassembled in order to remove a battery
and insert another, the replacement process may not be simple enough for less
tech-savvy users.

10) There's No Proof That iPhones Are Suitable Business Devices

The only large enterprise that is known to fully support iPhones is--surprise,
surprise--Apple, according to Forrester. And it hasn't published any case studies
or other support materials. Enterprises often make mobile device purchasing
decisions based on the experience of their peers or industry analysts' recommendations,
but with such information lacking about the iPhone, Forrester says it won't
likely be making its way into many businesses anytime soon.

Additional information on Forrester's The iPhone is Not Meant for Enterprises
report is available on the company's website.

CIO