Since the very first iPhone was released what seems like decades ago, Apple has been trying to find a way into the Enterprise. However, that has not been easy since the iPhone has made it’s bread and butter as the first “consumer” oriented smartphone and has always been a bit light about the native apps that business users look for, such as MS Exchange and Outlook syncing. On top of that, corporate network and security executives hate the iPhone like casual friday, since Apple refuses to give them the ability to carefully manage and customize the iPhone as they do other more Enterprise-conscious smartphones.

In fact it is the mix of business applications and corporate management that has made the Blackberry king of the Enterprise smartphones, for all it’s 3G faults. Now however it appears that Apple is finally pushing their way into many Enterprises, especially in Europe, using that oldest of all marketing weapons…demand.

For example, Swiss banking powerhouse UBS is now looking seriously as switching over at least some of it’s 18,000 Blackberry users over to new iPhones and are working with syncing experts Good Technology to come up with a cross platform back end  to allow business information to be secured and centrally controlled on any smartphone, including the iPhone.

According to analysts this possible change of heart comes from users who already have personal iPhones and want to be able to combine personal and business data and tasks on a single phone, rather than carrying an iPhone AND a Blackberry…plus there all those applications.

Other Euro enterprises, such as UK bank Standard Chartered is already starting to allow some users to opt for iPhones, and pharmaceuticals company AstraZeneca has started iPhone trials with top executives. AstraZeneca says the main reason for looking at allowing the iPhone into their network is that user requests to do has become one of the main issues their IT staff deals with every day. It seems to be becoming less of a headache to deal with any security and integration issues the iPhone may have then to have to keep saying no.

All of the analysts say they do not view it likely that the iPhone will REPLACE the Blackberry in the Enterprise, or even possible for it do so…however more and more businesses are giving their users the right to opt for an iPhone if they so desire. What restrictions and rules IT departments will impose on those users and what they won’t allow their staff to do with their iPhones has yet to be seen, however.

I know more and more business people who have iPhones, at least as a personal phone. ON top of that, I would expect there to be a strong push for more iPhones in the Enterprise after the release of iPhone 4 as the video conferencing seems to be a killer app for business right now. Every business person with an iPhone I know is planning to upgrade to 4 as soon as possible, and most site FaceTime as the reason for the change.

So it looks like Apple’s refusal to give ground to Enterprise is paying off, with Enterprise forced to bow at least slightly to the one force more powerful than front office policy…subscriber pressure.

(Sources: , )

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