Aug 5, 2008 : iPhone Inapt For Enterprise: Study
📅 - Despite much commotion over its July launch, Apple's (apple.com) new iPhone has been deemed unsuitable for all but the most minimal business use according to technology research firm Gartner Research (gartner.com) as reported by Computerworld (computerworld.com).
According to the report, "iPhone 2.0 Is Ready for the Enterprise, but Caveats Apply," by Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney, the iPhone 2.0 firmware and iPhone 3G after three-weeks of testing has been found to be relatively insecure in large businesses environments.
Despite being serviceable for pedestrian uses such as voice, e-mail, Web browsing and the storage of personal information, and personal and small business applications, the iPhone 3G "does not deliver sufficient security for [running] custom applications" typical to handheld mobile devices in large business settings, according to Dulaney.
Although Apple officials told Dulaney there is an application programming interface in the firmware to provide encryption, as it is, data cannot be encrypted on the device itself, according to Dulaney's findings. His recommendation is that third-party software developers (who have complained about blocked access to the iPhone API) need to be allowed to write an encryption application.
The nine-page report concludes, "Enterprises should approach expanded use of the iPhone slowly and with close examination."
Special consideration should also be taken when considering adoption because international roaming fees for iPhone data usage can quickly run up the bill and the battery may not even last a day of heavy e-mail use.
Some positive security features Dulaney identified were Apple's password controls and "remote wipe" capability, enabling an administrator to remotely wipe sensitive data from a lost or stolen iPhone.
Hosting providers USA.NET (usa.net), 1&1 (1and1.com) and Mailtrust (mailtrust.com -> rackspace.com) have announced secure support for the new iPhone and its version 2.0 firmware. The problems identified by Dulaney are largely due to the new handset and its software configuration and may continue regardless of the email server used.
According to the report, "iPhone 2.0 Is Ready for the Enterprise, but Caveats Apply," by Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney, the iPhone 2.0 firmware and iPhone 3G after three-weeks of testing has been found to be relatively insecure in large businesses environments.
Despite being serviceable for pedestrian uses such as voice, e-mail, Web browsing and the storage of personal information, and personal and small business applications, the iPhone 3G "does not deliver sufficient security for [running] custom applications" typical to handheld mobile devices in large business settings, according to Dulaney.
Although Apple officials told Dulaney there is an application programming interface in the firmware to provide encryption, as it is, data cannot be encrypted on the device itself, according to Dulaney's findings. His recommendation is that third-party software developers (who have complained about blocked access to the iPhone API) need to be allowed to write an encryption application.
The nine-page report concludes, "Enterprises should approach expanded use of the iPhone slowly and with close examination."
Special consideration should also be taken when considering adoption because international roaming fees for iPhone data usage can quickly run up the bill and the battery may not even last a day of heavy e-mail use.
Some positive security features Dulaney identified were Apple's password controls and "remote wipe" capability, enabling an administrator to remotely wipe sensitive data from a lost or stolen iPhone.
Hosting providers USA.NET (usa.net), 1&1 (1and1.com) and Mailtrust (mailtrust.com -> rackspace.com) have announced secure support for the new iPhone and its version 2.0 firmware. The problems identified by Dulaney are largely due to the new handset and its software configuration and may continue regardless of the email server used.
Reads: 2516 | Category: General | Source: TheWHIR : Web Host Industry ReviewsURL source: http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/080508_iPhone_Inapt_For_Enterprise_Study.cfm
Company: USA.net
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