“Companies like Bausch & Lomb Inc. are buying iPhones for their employees, in some cases replacing BlackBerry devices,” Kane and Worthen report. “Earlier this year, the eye-care products company made iPhone the standard issue device for its sales force. Now, about 1,200 salespeople have one.”
“While BlackBerrys are still the most popular corporate device, with 70% of IT departments currently supporting the gadget, about 29% of businesses now support the iPhone, up from 17% last year and none in 2007 when the iPhone first launched, according to Forrester Research.,” Kane and Worthen report. “One catalyst is that employees are clamoring for iPhones, even if they have to pay for all or part of it themselves. AT&T Inc. CEO Randall Stephenson said in an interview last week that about 40% of its iPhones are sold to companies or individuals with corporate discounts.”
Kane and Worthen report, “Bausch & Lomb adopted the iPhone because of the device’s ability to access spreadsheets and contact-management software, although getting locked into AT&T’s network in the U.S. was a negative, said Simon Woods, vice president for technology and applications.”
MacDailyNews Take: Hey, come on now, it’s only negative if you want a reliable signal.
Kane and Worthen report, “[Apple’s] addition of encryption is what convinced Joe Drouin, chief information officer at staffing company Kelly Services Inc., to offer iPhones to employees. Since January, the company has given them a choice between iPhones and BlackBerrys and more than half picked the iPhone.”
Kane and Worthen report, “Business-software makers have also developed apps for Apple’s App Store. Salesforce.com Inc., which has 500,000 mobile users for its contact-management software, says iPhone owners outnumber BlackBerry owners three to one.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “ilovemymac” for the heads up.]
The difference between ATT and Verizon as far as a reliable signal is actually in ATT’s favor based on having accounts with both.
If Verizon had the load of iPad and iPhone exclusivity they would probably buckle up even worsen- this is baby technology.
One thing is certain: Verizon would be much bigger nightmare to cope with because they are the biggest assholes in the world and actually enjoy wielding their power, as evidenced by their initial combative and arrogant stance with Apple , that cost them the exclusivity.
ATT the lesser of tow evils , ain’t perfect but they’ll get there and it will get better eventually.
The cutting edge is the bleeding edge – anyone on the cutting edge of technology will agree.
Wonder how iPhone compares to Android in the enterprise. Bet iPhone is ahead. Once that is really established, should be a long-term advantage.
Android is a castrated experience.
It’s nothing more than licensed software with a blunt, lacking clumsy, bluffing implementation of touch on crappy cheap variable quality and unpredictable hardware.
No technical support that G can provide will ever match Apple’s and because of the variety of hardware offerings it is licensed on, there’s no telling how the software will function and where any problems emanate from.
Pot luck and inferior user experience at best.
Apple would really be cleaning RIM’s clock if it wasn’t for the ATT exclusivity. They’re another in a growing line of losers (Google, Motorola, HTC, etc.) who hope that Apple and ATT remain tied together forever. The artificial barriers erected by that relationship is doing wonders for them.
So long as ATT is the exclusive provider, there’s a ceiling which the iPhone can’t breach in America. There’s a need for concern at RIM, but if Apple could truly be wherever they are and erase their multi-carrier advantage, it’d be absolute mayhem in their boardroom.
…but then again, there was always a market for Sears suckers…
RIMM is going to have to step up to the next level now!
How about buy 1 get 3 free or maybe 11 free giving them an even bakers dozen. (Or would that have to be 12 free.)
Oh, just start giving then all away for free. That will keep your numbers up! Yeah, that will do it!
Once again MDN has to get in their shot at AT&T;every chance they get. I have been avoiding any MDN headline with AT&T;in it, but that is not enough. Every article seems to get a AT&T;slam for MDN. Every single one. MDN is losing readers what with their constant political comments and AT&T;bashing. Of course having more ads than a Nascar racer might be part of the problem.
@ Hugh B
MDN is right. AT&T;latest technological advancements apparently has been to take away unlimited data plans and deliver shoddy cellphone calling service. This cripples the advancements and possibliities available to the iPhone (and any other handset maker for that matter) near term. Apple will do itself good to give AT&T;some competition, stateside.
If the shoe fits, wear it. If it doesn’t, let it fly right on by.