“The ranks of enterprise IT appear to be arrayed shoulder to shoulder—in Roman Legion-style—against the invasion of the iPhone likely to start within days after Apple releases the device on June 29,” David Morgenstern writes for eWeek. “However, the defense may be futile. After all, the horde carrying the forthcoming Apple phone won’t be barbarians; rather, the very folks doing the work, and worse, some may well be the boss,.”
“This culture clash between enterprise users and the IT department keeps growing. The analyst company Gartner calls this trend ‘consumerization,’ where the consumers of a technology drive its adoption into the enterprise, rather than coming from IT. The iPhone is just the latest candidate for contention over computing environments,” Morgenstern writes.”
“Gartner Research Vice President Steve Kleynhans said the expectations of many users in the enterprise have changed. The PC generation, who were teenagers a decade ago, now are the ‘MBA hotshots running major projects for your organization,'” Morgenstern writes. “‘The users today aren’t looking to the IT group to tell them what technology can do. They know what it can do. What they look for is guidance on making it work,’ Kleynhans said. However, to these new customers, the current IT experience ‘stands for the inhibitor of technology,’ Kleynhans said. He observed that there is a basic conflict growing between the pushing clients and the IT traffic cops.”
“Another worry of enterprise IT managers may be that the iPhone will expand on the iPod’s ‘halo effect’ for the Macintosh,” Morgenstern writes. “Paul Camillos, partner at consultancy Ephemeral Technologies in Sydney, Australia, said some of his clients have already warned of increased Mac interest from the iPhone hype. ‘One IT manager I know said that there was no way that he would allow a Mac into his environment,’ he said. ‘He’d rather quit and said he would lobby strongly to all management against the introduction of the iPhone in case it acted as a precursor to management wanting Macs.'”
Morgenstern writes, “Well, the iPhone won’t hit Australia until the end of the year, so this guy will have a bit of a breather. However, he may want to start brushing up his resume if he’s going to take this ‘no iPhone and Mac or I quit’ stance.”
Highly-recommended full article, with much more, including how high level executives and key employees will force IT to deal with iPhone (plus how such employees are already dumping Windows and upgrading to Apple Macs), here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “doc” for the heads up.]
This is a beautiful article that gets everything right. Please click here to read Morgenstern’s full article. IT is, to put it nicely, highly resistant to positive change. That anonymous Aussie IT guy is emblematic of the vast majority of IT guys worldwide. We’ve met many just like him during years of fighting for Macs in many companies. They don’t get it. They cling to the familiar even though vastly superior options exist. They ignore a superior platform, believing in and spreading myths and FUD. They waste company resources through stubbornness and ignorance. Whether due to the desire for job security, Stockholm Syndrome, Cognitive Dissonance, or some other inanity, IT is long overdue for a massive attitude adjustment. Hey, Mr. IT guy, the tech dark ages (caused in large part by you) are coming to an end. If you don’t like it… tough. Many of you have proven that you can’t lead and that you’ll only follow Microsoft. The time has come for you to finally get the hell out of the way.
Today, Carl Howe writes for SeekingAlpha, “Gartner, IDC, and The Wall Street Journal are busy claiming that businesses should shun the iPhone, assuming that it can’t sync with Microsoft Exchange (not true) and that it will be a security threat to their networks (also not true, especially if they are already running Microsoft Exchange). C’mon guys, get a clue. The real drivers behind these stories are not business leaders (who are undoubtedly trying to figure out ways to get one for themselves), but IT shops who, as Dilbert puts it, are the preventers of technology. Businesses will reject the iPhone just the same way that they rejected the PC originally — yelling and screaming while executives bring them to work anyway.”
Full article here.
IT = inhibitor of technology – I like that.
I salivate at the thought of IT standing down.
All day I have to go around them in convincing schools about the superiority of Apple.
It’s not easy since most schools put ALL the tech decision-making on IT.
The Oz IT goons are much worse than those in other parts, and most of them have unions, run by Scottish and Irish losers, who couldn’t make it in the UK. When you ask them what time it is, they’ll answer, “1920.”
Balmer is looking for a guy to keep his kids away from the ipone until Redmond can produce a brown version
Prepare to be assimilated. Resistance is futile!
Of course – And all of the threatening languague in the world, and getting all of your best buds who write for big and small tech magazines to write articles with pseudo intimidating rhetoric, isn’t going to change a thing.
Welcome to the world of Apple in an even bigger and more important way than the iPod was.
Hasn’t anyone and everyone had enough domination, doesn’t anyone and everyone want choice by now?
Most IT guys ably prove the aphorism that you can’t teach old dogs new tricks. Let ’em retire and allow the young pups in!
IT = Inhibitor of Technology.
Brilliant! The
These are the dorks and nerds from your junior high AV department who got film strip projectors to work with a record player. Microsoft gave them a place not just to feel at home with their own kind, but to be needed by others … AND to be FEARED.
I don’t want Macs to rule the world. Wherever there’s a need to play computerized solitaire, there’s a place for Windows.
Excellent!!!!
What I have dealt with for over 15 years.
What’s more some Security experts are calling the iphone a “security nightmare,” it will “turn your security team into zombies,”
.Mac going down tonight for maintenance. Be cool if it came back up with a few new features for the iPhone and TV.
Viva la Revolución!!!
Viva el commandante Jobs!!!
Attention, AAPL holders:
If you weren’t “long” on your stock before, you should be NOW! The future’s so bright for our once-beleaguered equity, even shades won’t help!
As an Aussie Mac user of 20 years, I for one can’t wait to welcome our new Apple overlords!
I’m not sure what the word is, but what is the opposite of FUD????
No, although I plan to be one of the people getting in line on June 28th to buy the phone for my personal use, this phone is not very good as a business phone.
First Off… Corporate networks (like the company I work for) allow NO webmail whatsoever. It’s blocked along with gaming sites, porn, chat, MySpace, and yes, YouTube.
The thing won’t sync with Notes so I can’t get, not only my corporate email, but the entire corporate database, .. no directories, no access to files, drawings, and specs (which I can do on my blackberry)…
No way to open office document. Yes, this IS a big deal….
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
From the posts here, I doubt anyone understands a thing about a corporate information system. Believe me, iTunes, YouTube, watching TV shows, and Duck Hunt are not part of the plan.
Apple should build a “iPhone Business”. Get rid of the YouTube and iPod. Keep all the great touch controls and build it on a slightly smaller form factor. Make it have to ability to at least read office files. Make it capable to interface with corporate servers, ie NOTES, Exchange, and Blackberry.
Afterall, isn’t this EXACTLY what Apple does with it’s Mac computers (Consumer models and Pro Models???)…
I hope to enjoy my iPhone at home and on the road..but at work, I’ll keep my Blackberry. Information is too important to me..
Never over estimate your value to a company. You can always be replaced.
Once again… I am the guy the IT dBags fear — I know both.
former Mac Genius & MCSE = IT Bigots run for the hills.
It’s a great time to be a mac guru.
These legions of D&D playing, mom’s basement dwelling techno nerd IT drones need to realize what they should have years ago, that they do not call the shots, the people they work for do.
Suck it up “real world” IT pro’s. The people are about to speak, and speak to you that they want their iPhones. So turn off wrestling for a weekend and read about how easy it will be to integrate this into your IT structure.
MDN – I don’t think YOU get it (IT) –
First, I LOVE Apple-post-OS-9 but I have to stick up for IT departments.
As we all know, buying a piece of technology is only the start. The training and support involved can be several times the actual purchase price of a piece of hardware.
Imagine the expense of allowing any department to select their own printer. Not only would you have to deal with different printer interfaces (which side of the letterhead goes up?) and printer drivers (why doesn’t the PCS2400xyz work?) but also stock an Office Depot work of inks and toners to support them all. Now, if one breaks….
The point is that there is a cost to allowing that HP Vivera printer into the marketing department, even if it is better than whatever is in there now, and companies routinely have to make decisions based on budget numbers that prevent them from having the “ideal”.
Now I am NOT saying that there isn’t undue FUD goign around about iPhones somehow breaching corporate security – I am saying that you have to give IT departments a break – these people made a career out of technology – and they certainly like and want cool new stuff – but Information Architecture requires an ability to make a commitment for a period of time and stick to that.
The tide is obviously turning for Mac and in a decade, when Apple has inroads into server rooms and corporate traveler’s laps, MDN will find it difficult not to clamor that it doesn’t make any sense to try out Umbutu or whatever new non-Mac tech there is.
Furthermore, any IT ‘pro’ that refuses to even look at Macs or the iPhone is just plain and simply a lazy ass.
“‘He’d rather quit and said he would lobby strongly to all management against the introduction of the iPhone in case it acted as a precursor to management wanting Macs.'”
Memo to the Technosauruses: Get used to this expression.
“You’re fired.”
@Shoeman wrote:
“No way to open Office documents. Yes this IS a big deal…”
Doesn’t Quicklook take care of that? I believe you can read and page through any type of document, including Office files, using it.
I do agree, at least in the short/medium term, that Apple needs to provide iPhone compatibility with corporate Notes, Exchange and Blackberry server systems.
I can’t tell you how many times I heard from the IT guys at companies I worked for in the past that the mac is a “Toy Computer.”
A few years ago I was hired at a nationwide IT VAR. They didn’t have a computer for me initally so I decided to bring in my Mac. You would have thought I was skinning kittens at my cubical when they saw it.
They demanded I unplug it from the network cause I was going to cause company wide failures — it was only then that I told them that I’ve been using it there for about a month and the virus problems EVERYONE else had didn’t effect me.
They got snide and said I couldn’t use it for “Real Work” — so I asked them what that meant…
“You can’t use GroupWise.”
“I have the Mac client right here… it works great”
“You cant use Citrix for the banking intranet”
“Uh, yeah… I can… it’s right here”
They finally gave up and said that I was my own support… which was FINE cause I was faster then those Mountain Dew swilling bastards anyway.
Well the IT department is sure a whip in the nuts.
One of the members in my team, her husband also works in IT in Finance. He’s been told all the negative things about macs, such as full of virus, buggy, lacked a lot of complex features…you name it. And he thought they were describing XP.
Eventually he met me and my ibook.
He played around with expose’ and said… this is fantastic. The features i’ll need to get use to, but yeh, this is really awesome.
I told him this is 10.3.9, we’re on 10.4.9 (this was a few months ago)…
He was sold, not really by me, but really by his ipod.
A few years back, Microsoft tried to invade CSE of UNSW. By offering promotions and prizes to events… we enjoyed the prizes, but only the above average students ended up working for them. The great students avoided microsoft.
And in CSE, it’s either macs or linux. They all hate microsoft.
Unfortunately, UNSW is a great yet small compared to other unis that train Comp Sci students in Visually impaired Basics.
Of course, that business about avoiding iPhone IN ORDER TO avoid dealing with more Macs is just plain idiotic.
The reason the IT morons are so scared is because if the iPhone and the Mac ever did take over the enterprise, literally half of them would be out of jobs because their lousy services wouldn’t be needed any longer. So of course they want to fight to hold on to the status quo. God forbid that something simple that actually works comes along, because if it ever did, the IT drones would have absolutely no place left in corporations.
@ron
Well that is Melbourne for you.
Shoeman: Your explanation reads like you think there are certain, immutable methods of doing business either currently or historically. There are two problems with that thinking. It’s a sweeping generalization of how people worldwide conduct business. And secondly, it ignores how businesses adapt to the needs of employees and customers as well as changing technology. I’m not saying the iPhone might be the ideal business tool for me but I can’t certainly see many instances where it’s an adequate tool for many business users. I also don’t think Apple is marketing the iPhone to the business user but AT&T certainly will.
“I do agree, at least in the short/medium term, that Apple needs to provide iPhone compatibility with corporate Notes, Exchange and Blackberry server systems.”
Simple. Someone quickly make a Web 2.0 appl to do this!
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Oops! “app” not “appl”.
I am the IT guy — I run all of the Windows and Linux and OSX servers, as well as Exchange and Oracle DB. I hated Macs before OSX came out. I worked to get rid of them.
Since OSX, I have and use a MBP (PB before), and I have 4 XServes and 2 XRaids. Macs are so much better now.
Here, the problem is not those of us who actually do all the work. We like and use Macs. Our CIO is the one who fears Apple.
Not all of IT is stuck in Windows Hell…
Evidently, we’re all wrong about the iPhone.
“They’re way overhyping this,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group, a San Jose-based research firm. “The phone isn’t that good.”
This is going into iCal. If Rob is that psychic, we need him in Iraq sniffing out IEDs.
Reasons for IT people not wanting Macs (or any non MS tech):
1. They don’t know how it works (and don’t want to or can’t learn)
2. It works and means their voodoo isn’t needed anymore.
3. 1 + 2
There is this perceived wisdom within IT that business users have totally different requirements than everyone else. That they need all sorts of encryption, extra security, custom mail servers and so on and so forth. I’m sure this may be the case for some people, but for many, many users who get lumped into the “business user” category this is quite simply not the case. People whose use of technology is defined solely by what the IT people tell them and give them to use. I don’t think the iPhone will eat into the business market as such, more that it will redefine markets and with any luck change the situation for more traditional computing as well.
Am I the only one here who remembers fighting the “mini-computer battle”? Before desktops wanted in on business, we had to get smaller systems into the back rooms. Systems that were not water cooled. These days IBM makes lots of these minis, then they only made “real” computers.
The “training people for Macs” problem is seriously over-blown by the Windows crowd. Be easier for those who understand Unix. The biggest hit is weaning them off their support-wares – Norton, Symantec, etc – that have been replaced by OSX and common sense. But … if they had “common sense”, would they be using Windows?
DLMeyer – the Voice of G.L.Horton’s Stage Page Pod Cast
‘One IT manager I know said that there was no way that he would allow a Mac into his environment,’
Well, then he is an incompetent boob. I have no formal education in network administration and I do this all the time. It doesn’t take a genius to make it work. It doesn’t even take a particularly bright chimp to make it work. Is this how the whole IT industry is going to capsize, by taking the stand of this idiot.
I hope so. I’ve really had my fill of them.
“Your explanation reads like you think there are certain, immutable methods of doing business either currently or historically.”
Here’s what I will say:
1st The ability of at least open a document that has been emailed is absolute. What good is a Specification that has been emailed to me if I can’t open it?
2nd Security. Large corporate structures are not going to allow sensitive information to be passed on “Yahoo Mail” or any other web based server. The beauty of the Blackberry is that it “Pushes” the mail to your phone over a secure server, the iPhone does not.
3rd I am just a mid level supervisor, not a CEO, a manager, or a director. But I would be irresponsible indeed if those working for me were spending their day playing Duck Hunt or watching the latest episode of “The Office” instead of doing the job we were paying them for.
I find quite a bit of humor from the children here that they are going to “demand” to use the iPhone on the job. It’s a good thing they don’t work for me. I would simply “demand” they find another job.
As I mentioned, Apple really need to market this thing as a Consumer model where I’m sure it will break all sales records. But I hope they are working on an “iPhone Business” that will actually do “useful” things businesses demand while eliminating distractions (iPod, YouTube, and Games)…
I find this kind of funny, as my company is roughly 90% Mac based. Most of our servers are Dell, as they have far better support for enterprise servers than Apple does. I’m not happy about it, but it is what it is. We can get a Dell guy on site in hours, where Apple just sends us a spare parts kit. The Dell boxes we use are just more enterprise friendly (at least hardware-wise) than the xServes we have are- just about everything is hot-swappable.
As far as the iPhone, if users can’t open office type docs on it (whether OpenOffice, iWork, or MS Office), it isn’t going to fly real well for business. Our heavy phone users want a lot from their phones, and while the iPhone’s interface and features are great, not being able to read through a Word or Excel doc pretty much sinks it for us. Now if Apple starts allowing some other developers access (like DataViz, maybe), that changes everything.
At least for our business users, the phone isn’t just for phone calls, web browsing, and email, and until that changes, the iPhone won’t get a high response. Integration into various enterprise groupware systems would also be a big plus. Like it or not (and trust, I certainly don’t!), Exchange and Notes are business standards. Good integration with at least one of these is pretty much mandatory for a “business” phone.
The Mac is essentially a UNIX machine with a sophisticated GUI. What kind of IT guy would rather quit than allow this into “his” environment? Amazing and astounding on so many levels.
It’s about time an article like this was written. IT departments across the world and across all sectors are in need of a major shake-up, and frankly, downsizing.
In my work experience, the characterization of IT departments as obstacles to innovation and diversification is spot on. When my company standardized on Windows PCs and began to root out Macs like NSA agents looking for terrorists, my boss, a very savvy guy, supported my continued use of the Mac, because I was one of those “key knowledge workers” Morgenstern described and I did indeed maintain my Mac and its security unaided by IT. My independence is exactly the reason IT are desperate to keep Macs out of the organizations they work for. It’s not just job security that’s at stake, it’s their artificially elevated power and status within the organization. They have everything to lose.
“I’m not sure what the word is, but what is the opposite of FUD????”
That would be DUF. Disseminate Using Facts.
“I’m not sure what the word is, but what is the opposite of FUD????”
i think the word you want is “truth”
you must be a fellow american. i know truth is in short supply here, but to have forgotten the word…. shame.
“That would be DUF. Disseminate Using Facts.”
Ahhh, I see. So I can say that I can guarantee that there will be absolutely NO problems with the touch screen keyboard by siting “facts” like “It’s an Apple” and “Steve said it’s great!” before ever getting my hands on one…
Blind fanboyism (or in your case fanbabeism) is just as irrelevant as FUD.
The Velvet Hammer
I can’t tell you how many times I heard from the IT guys at companies I worked for in the past that the mac is a “Toy Computer.”
Two things.
One: MCSE stands for Mouse Clicking Solutions Expert.
Two: Almost EVERYTHING that makes a modern PC a modern PC was pioneered on a Mac.
Yes, there are particular applications that exist on Windows that have not or may not ever exist on the Mac. But these boobs that spread yak vomit about the Mac being a “toy”. How about the mouse, dipsticks? How about the GUI? I’m not going to bother to make the list. We all know it.
So why, after all this time, after owing everything they know about mouse clicking, do they still live in this fantasy land where Apple and the Mac don’t matter?
@ No Squirt For You
I posted Rob’s quote on my main blog site, too. Will this be the end of Enderle? Probably not, but it will certainly be fun to watch.
It’s not “blind fanboyism”. It’s called “trust”. Why do I trust Apple? Well, they make great products which I have experienced first hand. I’ve watched them behave ethically as a corporation (present day). Their origins show just how far a couple of guys with a dream can go (history). I participate on the Apple support forums and there’s a lot of nice folks there (community). Apple has had a consistent series of hits going back to the original iMac (innovation). For all these reasons, I suspect that the iPhone will be a success.
“‘One IT manager I know said that there was no way that he would allow a Mac into his environment,’ he said.”
Unless it’s his sandbox, or punch bowl, he better get used to Macs in his employer’s environment, or join the lineup at the unemployment environment.
Dumb ass.
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@ Shoeman
“Ahhh, I see. So I can say that I can guarantee that there will be absolutely NO problems with the touch screen keyboard by siting “facts” like “It’s an Apple” and “Steve said it’s great!” before ever getting my hands on one…”
Wow, that was completely irrelevant to anything I’ve said. Gold Star.
“Blind fanboyism (or in your case fanbabeism) is just as irrelevant as FUD.”
Or as anything you say. Thanks!
As head of IT for a large Canadian corp:
1) My company has been predominantly Microsoft but as an Apple user for many, many years, I have introduced Mac laptops throughout our organization since taking over.
2) People fear what they do not know. So as an IT professional, learn about different operating systems and how to support them. It’s your job. Only then can you make informed decisions on IT purchases.
3) Knowledge is key. Learn, learn, learn. The iPhone won’t be anywhere near as bad as the nay-sayers say. And when it is not, this is going to bring a tidal wave of free, positive marketing for Apple.
4) Don’t listen to Gartner, IDG….they mostly run PC’s and have a lot of polls financed by Dell and MS. Hard to trust.
I am a closet macsturbater.
Our outlook webmail program (microsoft exchange 2003 server) runs just fine in Safari and looks and acts just like the desktop outlook program. Why is everybody screaming POP! IMAP! POP! It’s 2007…get your email over the web.
“Apple has had a consistent series of hits going back to the original iMac (innovation). “
Yes like the Apple III, Lisa, Cube, Newton, Quick Take, and Pippin. My iBook G4 is on it’s 3rd motherboard and my wife’s is on her 2nd…
Seems to me that Apple has had it’s share of “ME’s and BOB’s”” along the way.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my iMac and my old iBook. I couldn’t stand a day without my Nano, but trust in a company is not enough to believe everything it’s marketing department tells you… I hope the iPhone is a great success, but the “facts” don’t mesh with it being a great business communication device.
To say otherwise would put me in the same category ash the FUD guys and Apple Bashers.
@ Shoeman
Listen, hon, I work for the 4th largest software company in the world. The Simple Truths you have cited about are simply not true in my environment. There is no blocking of YouTube, everyone uses web mail, iTunes is shared across the company. SPECIFICATIONS are shared via PDF (an open standard, FTW), not Word doc. I use a MacPro for every bit of my work, except in meetings when I take my Vista ThinkPad since I don’t have a MacBook. The few IE-only web app tasks are handled by Parallels & XP.
But here’s the big weak point in your argument – whether you like it or not, there WILL be iPhones in your organization.
Period.
Maybe your guys will still have to carry around their BlackBerrys to ‘look busy’, but in their other pocket will be an iPhone with all those evil, terrifying episodes of The Office, waiting to strike at any moment. You simply can’t stop this. How many people do you think bring iPods to work? I happen to see dozens a day.
So the ‘distraction’ factor you bring up is irrelevant. It will be there either way.
I don’t think anyone is going to ‘demand’ anything out of you. They’re just going to use their iPhones for as much as they can if that’s what they want to do. You can put your fingers in your ears and go ‘la la la la’ all day long and it won’t change a thing.
I plan on getting an iPhone, yet it is clear to me that Shoeman and these analysts are correct. In certain enterprises, the iPhone will not mesh. Security IS a big issue, and iPhones mail solution doesn’t appear to offer the capabilities needed. I don’t have that kind of issue in my business, so while the iPhone may not be an “Enterprise Class” phone, it can still be widely used in other businesses.
As an IT guy myself, I just want to defend myself at least some.
I have a Mac and so does my other IT associate. We would love to get nothing but macs on our network and throw everyone of these stinking dells out the window. But we cant, some guy in a corporate office who knows nothing of computers decides who is the best deal and signs the corporate contract. pretty much screwing us all. As for the local side, we try to stay up to date with current Tech as it is, but ultimately it comes down to $. And the guys in finance don’t like it when you ask for that. It is hard enough trying to get them to sign off on replacement computers after the 4 year run. Even thought that is a corporate policy that is in effect at all of our plants around the world.
@Chrissy One Babe
Listen Hon, I work for the Largest Energy supplier in the US. Obviously, all businesses and corporate structures are not alike, just as all needs are not the same.
“You can put your fingers in your ears and go ‘la la la la’ all day long and it won’t change a thing.”
Actually I can. In the past year I personally know of at least 6 people who were discharged from my corporation for violating IT policies. Among these were connecting a non-company computer to the network. Since all use is monitored, trust me they will know when someone attempts to connect a non approved piece of equipment to the network (and that includes any of our facilities anywhere in the US)..
“You simply can’t stop this. How many people do you think bring iPods to work? I happen to see dozens a day.”
I do too, including me. I have it on while I work playing classic rock all day long. This is a tad different than connecting a non-approved device to a corporate network or watching television shows.
If I were to see someone in their cube watching YouTube, I would Give then a warning after the 1st time, the 2nd time they’d be gone….
So they could stick they own fingers in their ears and go “lalalala” on their way to the unemployment office…
Companies that block webmail are being paranoid because of the overall lack of security in the windows well. But if that can’t change then the user can automatically forward his mail to a non-company mail server. Not a perfect solution but it will work.
Blocking web sites isn’t a big deal. If the iPhone is using the companies WiFi then the IT guys control the access. If the iPhone is using mobile data access then IT have no control.
As was pointed out in the article, first adopters will own their own iPhones. I’m sure it will take a few years for iPhones to be bought by businesses for their personnel. Blackberries probably wasn’t welcome by IT with open arms when they were first released.
1. Apple said the iPhone was not targeted towards the Blackberry.
2. Apple has a market cap over 100 billion targeting only the consumer and education space directly.
3. More money is made fixing Windows than selling Windows.
4. IT guys will never let Macs become predominant in their networks and render their asses useless.
5. If Apple targeted the business space directly, their fun, passion, initiative, and inspiriation would leap into the downward spiral and the consumer space and the average guy would take the hit.
6. Why would Apple want the hassles of the business market anyway?
7. At Mossberg’s event a couple of weeks ago. Which CEO looked tired, uninspired, stagnant, and on his way out…and which CEO looked like a kid fixing to get his first bicycle?
>Sky Lark, @ron
Well that is Melbourne for you.>
That’s it exactly! Or should I say, ‘that’s IT exactly.
Get back to work son… or YOU can start looking for another job.
I think we need to give the IT guys a break – for one second.
They have an impossibly awful job managing reams of god-awful Microsoft software that normally makes them despair.
They never had time to even look at a Mac or anything else, and anyway, it had to represent a different set of problems.
What they don’t realise is that the only problem they have with it is to find the time to try it.
If they did, they would start singing from the same hymn sheet as their customers – and bosses.
Over the next years it is going to happen. Whatever.
I love this story as it is very true. And I’m an IT guy,except I welcome the day they toss the Microsoft hell in the trash and put Macs and OSX in its place. Security? OSX is a great example of security versus the malware infested, virus infected, windows world. A big FUD excuse if you ask me.
@Shoeman’s supervisor
“Get back to work son… or YOU can start looking for another job.”
Obvious boss (actually I’m a supervisor, you are a “Manager”, your boss is a “Director”, whose boss is a “VP”, whose boss is a “SVP”, whose boss in an “EVP”, whose boss is the “CEO”) you have forgotten, I’m happily enjoying 2 weeks of my vacation. I’ll be back after the 4th.
In the meantime I think I’ll just entertain the folks here at MDN with my irresistible charm.
@ Shoeman
“If I were to see someone in their cube watching YouTube, I would Give then a warning after the 1st time, the 2nd time they’d be gone….”
So what happens when they see you posting on MDN all day?
@Shoeman,
Do you really think that the nations largest supplier of energy company is a litmus test for modern tech environments that would or would not allow an iPhone on their network? Do you really think that a 20th century, industrial revolution hold-over organization was ever an intended audience for the iPhone? When Jobs cited 1% of the market, he didn’t even mention the nations largest supplier of energy.
Any organization in the 21st century that “gives warnings” to its employees clearly is not an intended audience for the iPhone.
There are hundreds of large organizations with hundreds of thousands of employees that will welcome the iPhone. We’re the 21st century tech adopters. Our 20th century IT departments will simply have to adapt.
“So what happens when they see you posting on MDN all day?”
As I mentioned Babe, I am using 2 of my 5 weeks of vacation now so I can spend time with you
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A side note, I COULDN’T post on MDN from work. IT considers it a “chat” site and it is blocked…
Almost all of our internal communications are done with Jabber IM. To each their own, I guess.
Dude.
“Another worry of enterprise IT managers may be that the iPhone will expand on the iPod’s ‘halo effect’ for the Macintosh,”
This is what bothers most IT people the most. Where as I’m the opposite and I hope it expands even more! Go Apple!!
“@ Justified
Any organization in the 21st century that “gives warnings” to its employees clearly is not an intended audience for the iPhone.
There are hundreds of large organizations with hundreds of thousands of employees that will welcome the iPhone. We’re the 21st century tech adopters. Our 20th century IT departments will simply have to adapt.”
I suppose you are right Justified. I believe in the “old style” “20th century” work ethics. Thank God for you and other 21st century “thinkers” who understand that instead of putting in a day’s work, companies ought to pay their employes to talk on the phone, watch movies, play Duck Hunt, and Surf YouTube…
Luckily, I can retire in another few years and won’t have to adapt to insubordination and lazy employees who expect something for nothing.
You are obviously already adapted to the “new” 21st century work ethic.
@Chrissy One Hot Looking Babe
Almost all of our internal communications are done with Jabber IM. To each their own, I guess.
Since External IMs are not allowed, we use “SameTime” out of Lotus Notes for interoffice communication. Exactly the same, just different.
Wow, that’s a pile. I’ve worked in that good old “20th century work ethic” environment (government) and I’ve never seen a group of people more adept at looking busy while doing nothing. The most energetic and dynamic office I ever worked in was at PhotoDisc, back when it was run by a bunch of 20-somethings who believed in what they did.
But I digress, it’s 9, got work to do.
-c
We attempt to use SameTime with our vendors but it almost never works right. It took 4 people to set mine up and I still can’t use it.
Oh well, back to work.
No offense Shoeman, but you are “oldstyle”. I like MDN, but I would never spend even a minute of my vacation time posting on any forum…er…unless maybe the Sheraton at the Virgin Islands had a surfside hotspot under my beach umbrella.
I’m no tech guy, but I have to ask: Could Google Docs within Safari for iPhone open Office docs? Just wondering.
@Georgy Porgy
No offense Shoeman, but you are “oldstyle”. I like MDN, but I would never spend even a minute of my vacation time posting on any forum…er…unless maybe the Sheraton at the Virgin Islands had a surfside hotspot under my beach umbrella.”
No offense taken. I just came out of a major outage where I worked 14 hours a day for 36 straight days. I am “relaxing”. So I’m catching up on all the things I didn’t have a chance to do lately. Surfing the web is one of them. And (Hooray for me) I switched to the Mac 2 years ago so I like keeping up on the latest Apple News.
I’m probably going to do a lot of other “old school” stuff in the next week or so, ie. Take family to Kennywood, drink a few IC Lights (OK, quite a few) down at the local watering hole, and take my old Lincoln out of the garage (it’s a 1980 and has been in the garage with a cover over it for 8 months) to wax it and run it a bit.
I will probably go to the beach next vacation. This one is just hang out, do nothing, and entertain all of you at MDN
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IT IS SIMPLE
MICROSOFT IS A SCAM
A MONOPOLY ( they were found guilty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! )
REMEMBER? I do!
APPLE is schooling these people hard I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!
ha ha ha hahahahahaha
Do you deserve credit for spending millions locking down a broken system?
Hi boss we just bought this lock for the front door, but to keep it running so it will open and lock every time we need to hire round the clock Guards from 10 companies to cover … etc
whatever…
GREED WILL WIN IN THE END
COMPANIES THAT SWITCH TO APPLE WILL SAVE MILLIONS AND BILLIONS PERIOD AND CRUSH THOSE WHO ARE STUCK USING CRAP!!!!!!!!!!
any company can use that money for the products and services they sell.
the windoze boys here are proof that all is well and the plan is working!
GO PATCH VISTA JERKS!!!!!!!!
APPLE WAS NOT KNOCKED OUT
THE FIGHT DID NOT END
IT IS A NEW ROUND
and I hope they kick the S%^t out of all of you boring morons!!!!!!!!!!
” . . . and entertain all of you at MDN”
Let me know when that begins.
Great quote from the article:
“[Van Baker, a Gartner vice president] added that IT objected to Windows when it first arrived.
‘Now, if we look at the list of technologies that IT has successfully stopped from coming into the enterprise—which has absolutely nothing on it—you realize this is a losing battle. You can’t stop this stuff from coming in,’ he said.”
@Shoeman,
You’re quite full of yourself, aren’t you?
“I believe in the “old style” “20th century” work ethics.”
And I’m sure generations before you believed in older style, 19th century work ethics and would see you as a lazy, tender-footed, clean-shirt management turd. Keep it in perspective, man.
I’m not talking about a 21st century work ethic of vid games and YouTube (likely for the children you’ll raise). I’m talking about sophisticated, motivated self-starters that don’t need to be corralled or monitored or “warned.”
Thank God for you and other 20th century middle management who understand that keeping it in the dark ages is the true path to progress, leadership, and excellence.
Duck Hunt? Are you serious?
MDN Magic Word: policy
Right up your alley, I’m sure.
Georgy Porgy
3. More money is made fixing Windows than selling Windows.
I always get a kick out of the tech support stories where a school full of Macs is maintained by the gym teacher in his spare time, while a lab of 50 PCs requires a full time tech.
It’s also aggravating that at the same time every single point about the iPhone is attacked in excruciating detail, entire novels are written in the mainstream media about DOS attacks, malware, viruses and BotNet creating trojans and <italics>not even once</italics> is Microsoft and it’s miserable security record stated in any way shape or form. Even the so-called tech press talks about the shady side of the internet as if it was just human nature, and owes it’s existence purely to malice, rather than the criminal net activities owing it’s origins to Microsoft’s non-existent security.
The Haters can blither all they want, but any perusal of any security site reveals reams and reams of data on botnets created exclusively by relying on Windows and Microsoft’s terrible security.
I’m running out of negative terms for Microsoft’s security practices, so this is officially the End of Rant.
Wow.. busy thread!
To address a couple of points about iPhone and IT:
– IT is going to be proportionally more resistant to change as the environment gets bigger. Everything’s gotta work together, so organizing a change that needs to be seamlessly supported through 150 offices worldwide is going to require a much stronger impetus than changing something in my little 50-employee office.
– The same management that wants new (not necessarily better) technology are often the ones who will refuse to fund training and related infrastructure upgrades to support the tech. The complaint then comes around that IT is slow and not helpful. This is true because many times they are learning the ins and outs of unfamiliar technology on the job. As a result, IT depts. tend to be conservative in implementing new tech until it has been established that it’s going to be around for a while and not waste everyone’s time.
– iPhone will theoretically work with Exchange via IMAP and OWA. IMAP (even with SSL) is notoriously insecure, as mail protocols go, so many IT depts. won’t permit it. OWA on Safari (any non-IE ActiveX browser, in fact) is dreadful. Seriously — if you’ve only ever used OWA in Safari, try it in IE. It’s a WHOLE DIFFERENT WORLD. The users hate it, and WILL make a lot of noise about having to use it. This is a reason not to invite that problem into your company.
– iPhone will NOT (per current specs) do wireless calendar synchronization. This is a MAJOR point of mobile busines computing, and generally unneeded by the consumer segment. When your asst. is keeping your calendar and it changes hourly, you need those changes.
– iPhone will NOT (per current specs) do QuickLook or any other method of viewing MS Office, PDF, or any other document type. This is a MAJOR of mobile business computing, and relatively important in the consumer segment, too.
– iPhone will NOT (per current specs) permit remote protection methods such as wipe, lock, password change, etc. In the event a phone is lost or stolen, all the data on it is susceptible to theft. This represents a PHYSICAL security threat.
– Security is essential. Even if “most users” don’t think THEIR data is important (it is), the whole enterprise needs to be secured if any part of it needs to be.
Apple is NOT aiming this thing at the office. Why are the analysts & pundits trying to pretend it would make such a great business device? They didn’t do that with the iPod.
@Shoeman;
As you noted, not all corporate environments are alike. I work for the Feds, and WE use Webmail. It is locked down tight if accessed through SRAS (Secure Remote Access) so that one cannot download files, copy and paste information, etc. to the local PC. If one is on the local, internal network, all these functions are open. But one’s email is available, and you can send and receive email.
Secondly, if you have been keeping up to date with your Mac news, you would have noticed stories regarding the iPhone’s use of Quicklook, which WILL give one the access to Word and Excel documents. Also, Jobs’ presentation in January included a slide that CLEARLY indicated that it WILL sync with Exchange, so a lot of businesses that use it will be able to access their coporate email – without webmail.
So, now that you know, you can quit spreading FUD about the iPhone’s capabilities. It may not be the end all and be all that YOU may want, but it will suffice for many many companies out there, in spite of the valiant efforts of their IT departments to circle the wagons against it!
MW= face, as in face it, IT guys, it’ll come! (And I am an IT guy that would welcome the opportunity to support them! Maybe then I can get them to buy me one so I can have experience with it!)
@PC Apologist;
Man, you’re full of FUD today, aren’t you?
First of all, QuickLook IS designed to reveal the contents of ALL documents on your Mac (that includes the iPhone) WITHOUT opening them. Including Office docs.
The iPhone, according to Steve’s keynote in January, won’t need to use IMAP or OWA, but should sync natively with Exchange.
Apple has not mentioned whether or not iCal will do wireless syncs. It does stand to reason, tho, that if it will do wireless syncs with Exchange, it’ll work with iCal, too. We’ll see.
Not all businesses will need the extreme protection methods such as wipe, etc., that you mention. So that lack (at least at first) won’t be a stumbling block to those that don’t need ’em. I suspect that those numbers are greater than those that do.
You are right in one statement. Apple is not overtly aiming this at the Enterprise. They never have looked at big business as their primary market. Small to medium businesses, tho, are, and this phone will play very well for many of them!
“So, now that you know, you can quit spreading FUD about the iPhone’s capabilities. It may not be the end all and be all that YOU may want, but it will suffice for many many companies out there, in spite of the valiant efforts of their IT departments to circle the wagons against it!
Ok, you’ve caught me… I was sent here by Steve Ballmar to spread “FUD”… He knows that CEO’s all over the world would rather their employees watch movies all day and play video games on their iPhones rather than work….
Some of the engineers working for me are earning 90-100 an hour. Why would I want them wasting their time working on a “crappy PC” when that time could be better used checking out their iTunes library (with Cover Flow!!!!!!!!!!).
Also, I know our CEO is sick and tired of the “crappy” email address joe@abc.com…. In a few weeks he is going to be Big_Joe_98345_the_CEOof_ABC@yahoo.com…
How cool is that!!!
Maybe I’m wrong. Judging from what I am hearing from some of you on the “new way” to conduct business, it sounds like the iPhone is the perfect tool for you.
There we go, the 25 min video they released show it opening office documents..
As you guys say here at MDN (about everything) This is HUGE!!!!!!!
rahrens –
Exchange integration is limited to e-mail only via IMAP, POP, and (maybe) OWA. Probably not even OWA, actually, since I think that uses Java, which is not supported by iPhone. No MAPI or exchange calendar/contact stuff at all.
Per the video released today, it will support viewing common file attachments. That’s not been disclosed before today.
Any business that values its information needs security on its mobile devices. Any that doesn’t is probably dealing with most of its tech in the consumer segment rather than enterprise.
@PC Apologist;
From Apple’s web site:
“…sync with the calendar application you already use on your computer — iCal or Entourage on the Mac, or Outlook on a PC — just like it does with your contacts.”
MY source was Steve’s keynote, where IMAP was SEPARATELY listed along with Exchange. If it uses IMAP to sync with Exchange, why list Exchange at all?
What is YOUR cite for your information? I see nothing on Apple’s web site to substantiate your assertion.
I don’t get. I don’t think the reaction of “the real IT” will be like this. How is the iPhone different from a corporate perspective from other “smart” phones? Now a Mac… a Mac is computer so resistance to change is understandable, if misguided. But an iPhone is phone; there is no huge existing infrastructure for mobile phone support at most companies, even larger ones.
Adding support for the new capabilities of device like iPhone will create more NEW work (and opportunities) for IT. For example, businesses can create custom web-based apps for employees to facilitate business processes. OS X and Safari make it possible. It will be IT people creating and supporting those tools (and justifying their value to the business).
All this iPhone-bashing is from so-called tech experts and analysts in the media, telling “IT” how they should feel about the iPhone. They are obviously being paid by iPhone’s competition to slow the adoption of iPhone in their corporate stronghold. Their motives are so obviously, these FUD pieces are having the opposite effect. I think more “real IT people” will evaluate iPhone because of all this atention.
‘One IT manager I know said that there was no way that he would allow a Mac into his environment,’
aawww poor widdle IT man – sounds like computer racism to me.
Jooop,
No it doesn’t. Try to do a search of your mailbox.
@Shoeman;
Please, go back to your vacation. Since this morning, you’ve done nothing but throw your supposed weight around, acting like you actually know something and putting others down. Now this ugly sarcasm that proves nothing but that you’re a wiseass.
Nobody here cares how much your engineers make, nor whether you even HAVE any engineers – or whether they spend their time playing solitaire or drawing naked blondes on their CAD apps.
Troll…
“@rahrens
Yeah, everyone’s a troll…
I wanna be a Apple fanboy like you…. It doesn;t matter what product Apple makes, Scrap like you is standing in line to kiss Steve’s ass…
Hey, Apple makes it, it must be the VERY Best… What do you say???? 1.0 Gig Pentium III with am Apple Logo on the side, … Woooo Hooo… Blows away a Crappy Dell cause Steve says it does!!!! I bet you’d pay what???? $2000 for a Pentinum III Laptop!!!!!
Get a life you fanboy piece of shit…. Give me a yell when you get out of middle school!
I can see Microsoft developing big steaming piles of brown ones right now.
To all the IT guys sticking up for their stupid standardization, security and lack of distractions train of thought:
standardization: the only thing constant in life is change
security: any *nix based system has/is/will always be more secure than your Windows-based (plus ten other pieces of software including password generating digital gadgets you make people carry around like idiots) current systems
lack of distractions: okay, simply stick your head inside your co-workers’ offices, I am willing to bet $100 shiny dollar coins that at least 20% of them have an iPod connected to a gadget like the iHome
@ Ron
What a load of bullshit!
Only 12% of employees in the private sector are union members in Australia, and there is NO SUCH THING as an IT union in Australia, so mate you are talking completely out of your arse!
Most IT departments in Australia used to be much more flexible until the multinational parents they report to started implementing GLOBAL IT standards and GLOBAL images for machines etc.
In the companies I have worked for in Australia we used t be able to load whatever we wanted and mostly had admin rights on our PCs.
Then the bloody GLOBAL IT guys, in a desperate dig to make themselves relevant again to the “hotshot MBA’s that KNOW what technology could do for them” already started implementing GLOBAL IT policies and locking everything down.
At my last company every employee lost iTunes! We were no longer able to load iTunes on the machines as it was not part of the standard image that included the piece of shit Windows Media Player.
Of course GLOBAL IT stated that the issue was security, as iTunes meant iPods and they didn’t want people stealing files.
It didn’t matter that every machine had a DVD burner installed and that the USB port was not disabled!
As I pointed out to one of the local IT guys I could still plug in my iPod to my laptop and copy my entire HDD (laptop) and some files off the network. In fact, as I pointed out, without iTunes the ONLY thing I could now do with my iPod was use it as a external USB HDD at work! He just laughed and said “that’s the stupid Yanks in Global IT dictating shit to justify their existence – even if it makes no f&^king sense!”
Next time you want to make a useless political statement against unions, why don;t you go to IRDailyNews – your post was not inly completely factually incorrect, but irrelevant to the topic too!
Oh and if your myopic, only America is any good, ass doesn’t like Australia, please F off, and go to England, that’s where the whinging Poms live! Now as you are American and therefore no doubt lacking in comprehension of the English (American – lol!) language this whole last section was a stupid exercise in sterotyping, much like yours of Australia and the unions in Australia, not only is it not true, it is highlights your ignorance, as you failed to look beyond what you assumed things to be!
Again, as the people that skim would have missed it – the last paragraph was a piss take (trabnslated from “Australian” – taking the mickey, fooling around etc etc)! It is just using a couple of ignorant stereotypes that exist in Australia, similar to the ones that exist in every country about others.
Cheers,
Luke
“Another worry of enterprise IT managers may be that the iPhone will expand on the iPod’s ‘halo effect’ for the Macintosh,”
So basically, the iPhone is bad because it’s a gateway drug… arguments like that are always a sign of sound reasoning.
Honestly, I think the poor IT guys are so overwhelmed by the mind numbing complexity of windows that the idea of another platform just makes them want to jump off a cliff. They’re just the biggest victims of MS products.
Then again, the urban legends they believe and propigate about macs are really quite amazing.
Windows helps keep small business viable and competitive… by bogging down big businesses. =)
” I have no formal education in network administration and I do this all the time. “
It’s pretty clear form your posts you have no formal IT training.
Hello, I’m Shreya, I mean Chrissy, and can I please be helping you with your Adobe software problem? I will be checking the knowledge base now, can I be placing you on hold?
From someone working in IT I’m having some trouble believing that people don’t understand the basis for an IT infrastructure and the necessary limits it imposes in a workplace.
It is like complaining about the police pulling you over for a speeding ticket but being grateful for their presence after you’ve been mugged.
The iphone might do everything it says it does (considering it hasn’t been on sale). In my environment if someone goes out and buys one and they want to use it, that will be fine with me. If they can’t get their work done because they are working with equipment that was not approved for use by the company, then it will be their problem to fix. I’m responsible for company assets, not personal ones. It is your choice to put your job and productivity on the line. You should reap the rewards if it all goes well. You should suffer if it doesn’t.
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Steve Jobs (1955-
@Shoeman’
Unlike you, I graduated from college, and have a productive job in which I feel useful enough that I don’t need to go trolling on forums that talk about subjects I don’t like nor know anything about so I can put other people down to make myself feel better!
Yeah, I’m an Apple fan, and proud of it. If you don’t like that, go suck an egg!
Man, trip away someone’s facade of fakery, and the vindictiveness and vitriol just naturally comes out, doesn’t it?!
For those who don’t know, iPhone uses some tricks to detect “zones” or “areas” on web pages that will automatically zoom to fit when double clicked, like a photo with caption, or a story column on a newspaper web page.
http://www.iphone-converter.org/convert-iphone/
Shoeman, was that last diatribe an example of “20th Century Work Ethics”?
Personally, I think it inadvisable to mock people of different generations. For one thing, even if some of the mockery is somewhat justified, it tells you nothing about any specific person of that generation you may be dealing with. Plus, this new generation of people are coming out with some wonderful stuff.
I’ve been in the computer world now for nearly 35 years, and I have to agree with whoever said they’re glad they’re not in an environment where there are “warnings” and crap, and firing people for not following some IT policy! That’s basically insane. Yes, I understand about the threat from virii and the like, but unless someone is violating a policy with the PURPOSE of damaging a network, then terminating employment is pretty extreme. Anyway, thankfully, I’m no longer in the corporate world, and I’m the entire IT department in our small business, so we’re all Mac-based with one Intel iMac I use running Parallels to do Fedex labels. Even our Point-of-sale system is Mac-based.
So, Shoeman, maybe you need that vacation, and I hope you can relax and enjoy it!
–Ron
Our company will order over 30 iPhones immediately when they are available in Finland. We will change all of our Nokias to iPhones the same day as it is possible. We will even give some of them extra iPhones for free as a reward of the work well done so that they can give it to their loved ones. Our servers are ready to handle the iPhone. (I will get the first iPhone that arrives.) This is going to be huge!