iPhone a corporate no-no?

Though consumers are eagerly awaiting the launch of the iPhone, some corporations are dreading it. Already inquiries from employees are flooding into IT departments, asking whether or not mail services and other infrastructure will be compatible with the device. Many companies are already saying no because the iPhone can't send and receive email through corporate BlackBerry email servers, and workarounds or patches might represent a security compromise. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is planning to combat this situation by announcing plans to integrate with current corporate email set-ups. "According to a person close to Apple, the company is expected to fight for this market, currently dominated by players like BlackBerry's RIM, Palm Inc. and, increasingly, Nokia Corp. and Motorola. If Apple comes up with an acceptable strategy for integrating with business software systems, many companies might change their tunes."

The article goes on to explain that while most company mail servers support IMAP (which the iPhone is readily able to access), many have the functionality turned off to eliminate vulnerabilities.

The Journal says that Apple could pay licensing fees to Microsoft or Research In Motion allowing the iPhone them to act like virtual BlackBerrys or Windows Mobile devices. "That would alleviate many of the security and compatibility concerns voiced by corporate technology departments," the report says.

by MacNN Staff