IT departments must be ready for the iPhone

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With many users hungry to get their teeth into Apple's latest brainchild the iPhone, businesses in the UK could be pushed into a position where they need to start managing them as part of their corporate infrastructure or else face the risks associated with rogue devices.

So says analyst firmButler Group, which is warning organistaions to ready themselves for the European launch of the iPhone by ensuring they're fully prepared for the impact that the demand for using this device and others for remote and mobile working will have on their business and IT resources.

Mobile devices must be managed as capably and securely as other assets, but many companies are still lacking in the technical or management capabilities to effectively achieve this, according to Mark Blowers, a senior research analyst at Butler Group.

"The major challenges that mobile devices such as the iPhone cause enterprises are in the areas of security, management, control, cost, and heterogeneity. The adoption of such devices by employees tends to be in many instances user-driven, as features such as ease-of-use, better screen, e-mail, calendars, and contacts provide greater convenience, and can motivate the workforce to use the new device for corporate use," he said.

"...The convergence of PDAs and mobile phones is set to continue, and could well be boosted by the availability of Apple's iPhone with its innovative user interface using its touch screen capability... The iPhone could well be another BlackBerry that the IT manager will be compelled to adopt. There is now a need for mobile middleware to provide a foundation on which to base mobile applications capable of handling a number of different types of endpoint and form factor... As mobile devices are increasingly used by enterprises for critical application delivery, organisations must ensure that they are managed as capably as other assets. Using a managed service to deliver 'know-how' and operational support is one alternative to consider," he said.

The iPhone launched in the US in June and is set to launch in Europe later this year.

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