The Road Ahead:

Challenges to iPhone Adoption in the Enterprise

Dave Meeker - User Experience Strategist, Roundarch

Disclaimer

As a professional that focuses on user experience, I can not manage to give a talk without first putting the subject matter into context.

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Disclaimer, Part 2

The items addressed in this talk are not meant to be exhaustive of every topic that might arise. These are, however, meant to start the conversation around defensive support of the iPhone as an enterprise platform.

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bear with me

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Different Types of iPhone Development

Building For Yourself(Company Project)

Building Applications for Others (Service Provider)

Internal Web Apps

External Web Apps

Internal Binary Apps

External Binary Apps

Knowledge Is Power

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Fear over concerns that the Apple iPhone is not ready for the Corporate / Enterprise are just that... Fear.

“The Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”

and...

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• securely delivering email to and from devices• delivering push email• integrating with a corporate calendar system• integrating with custom Intranet applications• ability to support custom software applications• provisioning and revocation of mobile devices• etc

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Any change is resisted because bureaucrats have a vested interest

in the chaos in which they exist.

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RICHARD NIXON

Media Misinformation

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Many negatives have been reported by journalists with little to no practical IT experience. They are getting information from consultants

Some analysts and consultants have an agenda that doesn’t include Apple technology in the Enterprise.

The iPhone is a “toy”

The iPhone is great!.... but not for business

Corporate IT Bureaucracy

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It does exist, but doesn’t exist everywhere

Many in Corporate IT are extremely risk-adverse

You need to work with agents & champions of change

You must work with your business clients to become allies in the battle with “IT”.

“IT” is responsible to the business clients’ needs. Business clients demand better user experiences.

Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent

disinclination to do so.Douglas Adams

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According to Apple

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“What makes iPhone a great business phone? Simple. The same features that make it a revolutionary mobile device.

With iPhone 2.0 software, iPhone does even more for your enterprise. It supports Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, delivering push email, calendar, and contacts.

And it gives mobile users secure access to corporate resources with Cisco IPSec VPN and wireless network services with WPA2 Enterprise and 802.1X authentication.”

The best phone for business. Period.

So... What Are The Concerns?Email & Calendaring

Securely delivering email to and from devices

Delivering push emailIntegrating with a corporate calendar system

Enterprise Application Support

Integrating with custom Intranet applicationsAbility to support custom software applications

Device and Platform Specific Software Support

Provisioning and revocation of devicesApplication development support

Security

Email & Calendaring

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Securely delivering email to and from devicesDelivering push emailIntegrating with a corporate calendar system

The Challenge

The iPhone supports push-IMAP as well as MS Exchange ServerOpen (non-proprietary) technology saves money over licensed servicesCalendaring now works with MS Exchange, and is always being improved

The Response

Enterprise Application Support

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Necessity to re-tool Web sites and Web-based applications for yet another new deviceNeed robust application development support: secure data storage includedLimitations on future development efforts because of getting tied to the iPhone platform.

The Challenge

The iPhone arguably offers the best Web browsing experience of any mobile device. iPhone “installable” applications are “real” software. Objective C is powerful. These are not “light” applications when compared to other mobile platforms.The iPhone is on a standards-based track, meaning it can scale as the Web changes around it.

The Response

Device Support & Software Support

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Provisioning and Revocation of devices could be a real challenge with current resources.Delivering Software to iPhones requires that allocation of IT resources must changeWhat if our custom iPhone application needs changes made to it? What then?

The Challenge

Part of organizational change is a shift in thinking of the process required to enable new technologies.iTunes: Yes, it sounds like it’s just for fun, but it is your key to manage devices across the enterprise.Utilization of the iPhone configuration utilities & distribution provisioning profiles

The Response

Security

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The iPhone isn’t secure, is it? Is it really a serious business platform?

The Challenge

The iPhone is as secure as any mobile platform, and arguably more secure than most.What is the specific concern over security? Can we address things point by point? Following best practices for general security combined with security built into the operating system (VPN, etc) make the iPhone as secure as any other platform in the market.

The Response

User ExperienceIf nothing else, the iPhone has redefined mobile user experience.No longer just a fancy name for design!Becoming the key driver behind consumer and enterprise software development initiatives:

Over the last 10 years, we’ve really increased the possibilities of what can happen on the back-end.Back-end applications have paved the way for what we can now leverage on the front-end.

Users are now demanding that applications adapt to their evolving skills, wants, and needs.If you are developing “experience-based applications” (in any technology) YOU CARE about user experience!

all of this technology was created with a

single goal...

creating better user experiences

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The Challenges of Enabling Great Experiences

Building Experience-focused applications requires enterprise change.

Internal team – Enterprise product development, etc – Building stuff “for us”.External team – Building stuff “for others” – Consulting / Pro services / design shop

Your team make-up needs to change

Your process changes as well

So, what about ROI? Isn’t that what is most important?

There is a strong intangible benefit to user experience

Total Cost of Ownership should be analyzed in each specific case.

iPhone may have higher up-front costSupport costs most likely reduced with iPhone

The “Killer Application” in your organization may be enough of a differentiator by itself

Higher productivity More adoptionSimply not possible without the advanced iPhone Browser

Lastly: It’s about using the right tool for the right job.

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Be honest with yourself and your clients (Internal or External)

The iPhone has given mobile experience in the enterprise real “legs”, but use those legs to run forward, and not just do a pretty dance.

If you go the iPhone route, don’t assume that a binary application is the only way. Weigh the options, pros, and cons of an installed application vs. a Web applications for the iPhone

Q & Adave meeker - roundarch - dmeeker@roundarch.com

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