Filed under: Enterprise, Apple, iPhone
Corporate users rejoice: the iPhone is now an option
The biggest challenge I encountered when lobbying for an iPhone at work wasn't the price, or the fact that is only kinda sorta supports Exchange (IMAP, I love you, but you are no ActiveSync) but rather it was bureaucratic in nature. There was simply no way to buy an iPhone using a corporate account. I got around this by buying the iPhone myself, and paying the monthly bill myself (aren't I clever?).Luckily for well heeled corporate drones everywhere AT&T has announced Enterprise plans for the iPhone. The rates are pretty much the same, but the beauty is that some faceless, soulless corporation will be footing the bill for you (ain't capitalism grand?).
Thanks, Chris.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
prolix21 said 4:59PM on 1-22-2008
the ability to add iphones to corporate calling plans is one thing, but having IT support it is a whole other issue. until you get some sort of push email support, ie: activesync, or perhaps even a Good Messaging client, the iphone still won't be supported by most IT departments. this announcement only gets us part of the way there. hopefully the SDK helps us get the rest of the way...
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a ham sandwich said 5:03PM on 1-22-2008
i agree with prolix. in order for the iPhone to be even remotely viable in the corporate space, it needs microsoft exchange support. end of story.
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anacronismo said 5:08PM on 1-22-2008
agreed!
jayjay said 9:10PM on 1-22-2008
Well, isn't there only ONE way to get Exchange support even on Os X today? Office with entourage. Aren't all the others using Imap, OWA or such for mail and NOTHING for calendars and contacts? If we don't have exchange support outside of Office on our macs after tenish years, what are the odds we will have it for the iphone? And what are the odds Microsoft will come up with some kind of Entourage for iphone?
In fact, are there any non-microsoft applications for any platform what so ever with full Exchange support?
Maybe someone could optimize the Outlook web client for iphone?
a ham sandwich said 9:25PM on 1-22-2008
well jayjay, (while i believe there should be) there isnt much use for exchange stuff on the mac. lets face it, most companies that use ME use outlook webaccess which is os independent (or does it require IE? i forget)
whats important here is that a mobile device is much different. he purpose of it is to keep in contact and receive information that is vital to you running the company, while on the go. i PRAY that with the sdk, someone will create an app that works, because this CAN be accomplished with just software.
Andy said 9:29AM on 1-23-2008
Entourage is using OWA for the access, not MAPI. If you don't like Entourage (and I don't), Snerdware offers Groupcal for your calendar. Mail.app handles mail and contacts just fine.
I personally don't care for all-in-one solutions like Entourage/Outlook, because when it goes into the dirt, everything goes with it. Plus, apps that try to do everything, usually don't get it right.
So, my iCal syncs to Exchange, my iPhone syncs to iCal, I'm generally happy (be happier with Bluetooth PIM syncs to the phone, but I'll deal for now).
I don't read company mail on the phone.. if it wasn't important enough for you to call me, it wasn't important enough for me to know right now. Life is much happier.
dasilvetz said 5:07PM on 1-22-2008
i wonder if this means that we can now also get our corporate discount back for iPhone plans (generally about 20%)
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Colin said 5:10PM on 1-22-2008
I'm having problems with this Corporate Plan. I qualified and am at the site but whenever I choose the $33.99 voice plan (15% off the regular price), it says now choose a data plan and then I choose it and it says "By selecting an iPhone data add-on plan, you will lose the service discount for this line."
So then I end up paying $39.99 for the voice plan because I lose the 15% discount. Can someone inform me of what I'm doing wrong? Thanks
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FunkyTang said 6:28PM on 1-22-2008
I saw that problem as well. So, today if you buy an iPhone with a corporate discount, there is no discount on data and there is no discount on voice unless you don't buy a data plane. AT&T web morons couldn't program their way out of an iPhone shopping bag.
Colin said 7:21PM on 1-22-2008
You think it's an error on their part? I doubt it, but hope so.
Victor Agreda Jr said 5:16PM on 1-22-2008
yeah, email is still an issue (2-pane viewing notwithstanding), and then there's the warm fuzzy feeling IT dept's get when they can remotely lock down a phone when lost or stolen. until you get security, education and email down, corp. IT will resist this like the Amiga
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Able-X said 5:21PM on 1-22-2008
Give us blackberry connect support and exchange connectivity and we'll start to THINK about it, but the requirement of iTunes adds yet another layer of complication to the issue that us in IT don't want to deal with.
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x999x said 7:37PM on 1-22-2008
I have to say, my opinion of intrigue on the news story quickly changed to "dude you're doing it wrong" as I read the bits on corporate types and capitalism.
I'm sure they were only made light heartedly but this point is made in nearly in every sentence in the last paragraph :O
In any case, I enjoy capitalism, it made my Mac.
Good Day
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mdecaro said 8:11PM on 1-22-2008
Will they add support for enterprise WPA2 encryption for wireless?
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michael hodges said 8:27PM on 1-22-2008
not without clipboard support for copy/paste/cut either
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Drupa said 9:22PM on 1-22-2008
I cannot use the iPhone because of the painfully slow EDGE network. My Verizon EVDO phone and / or PCI card enable me to download FILES exponentially faster than the iPhone. I can't go back to dial-up speeds. Don't get me wrong - I really want an iPhone, but not this one. Hopefully there is data friendly hardware on the horizon.
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Sabon said 1:30PM on 1-23-2008
"Drupa said...
I cannot use the iPhone because of the painfully slow EDGE network. My Verizon EVDO phone and / or PCI card enable me to download FILES exponentially faster than the iPhone. I can't go back to dial-up speeds. Don't get me wrong - I really want an iPhone, but not this one. Hopefully there is data friendly hardware on the horizon."
It sounds like you have never actually used an iPhone. There are lots of reports that it is actually faster than your phone for accessing data.
xxdesmus said 11:58PM on 1-22-2008
"iPhone is now an option".
No. No. It's not.
No Exchange support. No centralized IT administrative app. No password strength policies. No remote wipe. etc, etc, etc...it still has a long ways to go.
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Scott said 10:34PM on 1-22-2008
To get your corp discount you have to go to:
http://wireless.att.com/discounts
There you will enter your work email address and wireless number to be validated for the xx% discount you get from your employer.
Oh, and You're Welcome!
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