iPhone not a business device, says Gartner

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While it may have consumer appeal, the enterprise community should wait and see before trying to use or deploy Apple's new iPhone as a business device, according to a report by Gartner analysts.

The device features push email support and full web browsing alongside music and video capabilities, but it's not yet supported for email, security and device management in a traditional enterprise environment.

"If you think of Apple and the iPhone, it's a consumer company and the entertainment and media sides have been highlighted," said Carolina Milanesi, one of the report's authors. "It's not been created as an enterprise device."

Gartner predicted that widespread adoption will pressure software and IT services firms to provide structured support, but many will not for at least a year.

"Wait and see what level of support Apple will offer," Milanesi advised, and wait to see how the device will evolve. The report noted that Apple has never before made an enterprise-specific device and that the iPhone is a clear step in the consumer direction.

However, consumer devices still show up in the enterprise world in growing numbers. Employees increasingly tend to buy their own mobile devices, using them for personal and work use, but still expect IT to support them and integrate them with work-based address books, calendars and other resources, which takes time away from other projects.

"There will be people who try to used it for enterprise applications," she said. "If people are trying to bring it into enterprise, IT people should be ready for it."

The Gartner report advised IT departments to not fulfil requests to support the iPhone because the device can not be secured and managed in a centralised way that is appropriate for business and allows for the enforcement of IT policy.

If mobile email and other business application providers develop a solution for the iPhone, IT departments should still be wary, and constrain usage to personal information management, email, telephony and browsing. Should the device be deployed in an organisation, the IT department should tell mobile operators to remove the requirement to obtain an iTunes account, because the agreement is with the enterprise, not the individual.

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