Gartner flips its iPhone bozo bit, gives IT the green light
In the weeks before the iPhone was released last June, there were few analysts more reviled by Apple (AAPL) enthusiasts than Gartner’s Ken Delanay.
On June 19, ten days before the device went on sale, he gave it the information technology kiss of death. “We’re telling IT executives to not support it because Apple has no intentions of supporting (iPhone use in) the enterprise,” he told Network World’s Jon Brodkin. “This is basically a cellular iPod with some other capabilities and it’s important that it be recognized as such.” (link)
Then, on the eve of iDay, as eager buyers by the thousands camped out overnight waiting for the doors of Apple stores to open, he followed up with a research note. “General requests to support iPhone should not be fulfilled,” he recommended, and then ticked off seven reasons the iPhone was not fit for corporate enterprises. (link)
So it is with some irony that Ken Delaney is listed as the principal author of the five page report titled “Gartner Changes its iPhone Enterprise Recommendations.” It begins:
The iPhone will soon be tailored for enterprises. Gartner recommends “appliance-level” support status once firmware 2.0 and improvements are released. iPhone will become a popular tool alongside BlackBerry and Microsoft devices.
The full report is available here for $95, but there’s a summary at Computerworld.com here. It notes that although Gartner has upgraded the iPhone from the lowest level (concierge) of its three-tiered rating system to the middle (appliance), it has withheld the top rating (platform) because Apple is the only supplier that makes the device — as if licensing firmware to iPhone cloners would make it more secure.
Of course, the reason Gartner changed its tune is that Apple’s enterprise roadmap and SDK took pains to address each item in the IT wishlist. (See here.) It should be noted, however, that several of Delaney’s original seven objections remain unanswered, including “no removable battery” and “only one carrier operator (AT&T).” Full list here.
We’re still waiting for a change of signals from Forrester Research, whose 10 reasons not to support the iPhone created such a stir in December.
Umm last I checked Blackberry/Windows Mobile can handle all those attachment types and with a handy gadget (impatica presentation viewer) I can use my device with a projector to stream a powerpoint, no laptop needed.
Audio files - check .. can do that too.
Iphone has a slick GUI and a the best mobile browser, which I’m willing to bet will be equaled or improved by another mobile vendor.
Different markets, different devices.
For the record my current devices:
Iphone 8gb model (music, video,)
Blackberry 8310
Treo 755
HTC Tilt
Blackjack II
So I get a sampling of all the major mobile players .. each devices has it’s advantages and disadvantages.
The iPhone will change the type of information your enterprise uses in the handheld space… the other day I was out with a client and went through a simple PowerPoint on my iPhone. I was able to pull up PDFs, Word Docs, and XLS and read them without a problem (something I wasn’t able to do on my Blackberry). My company distributes information through podcasts so I listen to the company/industry updates while traveling. I can access SalesForce.com and our other web-based entities and use them flawlessly.
I use my laptop less and less the more functionality is added to my iPhone.
And my point is I don’t want to have to worry about a device being hacked / jailbroken. ActiveSync polocies don’t prevent that, likely doing so would not be kosher with our carrier etc .. it’s just yet another headache. Hopefully iphone will also intergrate with Mobile Device Manager (Part of System Center 2007) but that is yet another system to admin, CAL. Blackberry it’s the BES and it does everything.
Apple has many roads to cross and be dedicated to the enterprise, right now they did enought to get iphone accepted at all. I think it will be awhile before you see companies with 500, 1000 devices.
Exciting still just not sure it’s ready for prime time - yet.
Excuse me! “iTard” is a term invented, coined, come up with by me on my blog! Do no use it without attribution!
“Mobile Admin” wrote: “I feel really great deploying a device that’s been hacked days after each firmware update. Real safe for corporate data.”
Do you have ANY IDEA what the heck you’re writing? That MERELY means that there is a “jailbreaking” hack available if you want to run either (a) unsupported apps, or (b) on unsupported wireless networks. You have to voluntarily download and install the ‘hack’ in order to jailbreak the phone.
We’re not talking about Windows-style viruses, trojan horses, and the like. If you just use the phone as it’s intended, without seeking out unsupported hacks to install, the phone will work just fine.
And if you have users who are likely to jailbreak the phones, then you need to deal with them via your company’s IT policies for tampering with IT-issued equipment.
I love gadgets as much as the next guy and I have 3 Mac’s at home.
However the iphone to me (being a enterprise admin for mobility). This is a consumer device, it’s first and foremost an entertainment device. Who wants to have X number of pc’s with itunes loaded? Why should I support a device so users can have mp3 / video content? ActiveSync is not THAT great, after 2 years offering it we still have triple the Blackberries due to users can’t stand the devices. How is ActiveSync going to effect the iphone battery? When will they offer the device on other carriers? and the kicker .. I feel really great deploying a device that’s been hacked days after each firmware update. Real safe for corporate data.
i agree with you bonnie…
mostly iTards on this site bashing the writer because they don’t like what THEY read…(and this happens daily from the same iTards)
as to think any lamer reader can make a writer lose his job…how pathetically small of an ego does a person need to actually wish they had that power over somebody else???
typical lemmings…follow the leader to your demise! dumb and intelectu-LESS is your companion!
idiocracy strikes again!!
keep up the good work elmerD!
Interesting information. Thanks. I do wonder what Apple’s long-term plans are for this device? I hope it includes Apple’s own enterprise solutions — a networked iCal, wireless synching, &c. — using something that’s not just Exchange-compatible.
Concerning your critics, what a bunch of blowhards! And dummies to boot — hey guys, learn how to spell lose! And if you don’t like the column, here’s an idea — stop reading it!
Forrester Research? Oh yeah, that’s that guy and his wife.
People actually listen to Gartner? That is news.
Someone has been reading others’ articles on this and liked it so much borrowed the headline: “The iPhone Flip-Flop” http://blogs.wsj.com/biztech/2008/03/19/the-iphone-flip-flop/
He was right before and should not change! I suspect bribery has something to do with this change of “heart”!
if you continue to delete reader feedback that you don’t like we will make you loose your job
if you continue to delete reader’s feedback just because you don’t like it even when it’s properly written we will make you loose all you have
When was the last time Gartner report is not bias and worth to look at?
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Silicon Valley veterans like to joke that Steve Jobs must be surrounded by a reality distortion field; if you get too close to him, you start to believe what he's saying. Thanks to the success of the iPod, the launch of the iPhone and the renewed interest in the Mac, Apple has made believers out of millions of customers - and made a lot of investors rich. But Philip Elmer-DeWitt believes that an ounce of skepticism never hurts when writing about the company. He should know. He's been covering Apple - and watching Steve Jobs operate - since 1982, first for Time Magazine, then for Business 2.0, and now for Fortune.
It is odd, that such a new and somewhat revolutionary device is causing such a fuss… either pro or con.
I have Macs, I have PCs - Win/tel and Mac/tel now. I like Macs better… but PCs are certainly good for a few things. The iPhone - even at 2.5G looks great, though a bit pricey depending on how you use it.
As far as MP3 for business - well they dont really care about music, but some of the more innovative companies will post podcasts… and many companies are having to view video and audio - as a regular data source. Its not just email and Word attachments anymore.
Exchange and remote data scrubbing (I assume it overwrites the data several times - or allows the option for this) is key … AT&T is ok.
This is definitely the PDA/Phone we’ve been waiting for. There has certainly been demand for this device among business users - hence the warnings to IT and business in general…
Other things that puzzle me is the human nature to be inflexible and the stupidest times. One may think just because something is a certain way - that it will always be that way (and probably alway was). Maybe this isnt so much a though as an assumption… or lack of though.
The iPhone comes out and developers bitch that there is no real SDK…. The SDK comes out and developers bitch that there is no option to run apps in the background … reviewers seem to love to bitch against the 2.5G/EDGE standard … and always fail to mention the WIFI support.
It would be nice to get a real review … maybe this it. Things do change people - sometimes, they even change for the better.