Examine iPhone Concerns Before Adopting as Productivity Tool

IT Business Edge contributor Michael Stevens has uploaded a checklist to the Knowledge Network that lists the 10 iPhone areas of concern companies should investigate before including the smartphone as a corporate productivity tool.

Here's a look at some of the areas to take a good look at.

SECURITY: iPhone security is problematic at best, and at this writing simply isn’t adequate for situations where sensitive information is involved. The newest software (3.0) has added a remote wipe capability, a big step forward. Version 3.0 also has hardware-based encryption, but industry experts have given this feature low marks due to work-arounds that enable hacking, even by individuals with moderate skill.

TYPING: Users whose job requires a lot of typing may have trouble with the iPhone’s touch screen. Some individuals simply prefer the tactile feedback a physical keyboard provides. Women’s fingernails, typically cut at least a bit longer than men’s, can cause trouble. And many users have trouble trusting the auto-correct feature. There is at least one study that indicates touch screen typing means slower typing with more typos.

EMAIL: The iPhone works seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange and IBM’s Lotus notes. Taken together, these account for 84 percent of the market. But if you’re not part of that 84 percent, you’ll have to get involved in a third-party solution, which could add complexity to the already difficult challenges of e-mail.

The Knowledge Network also has an excerpt from the book, "iPhone at Work: Increasing Productivity for Busy Professionals."

Also, for discussion on uses of the iPhone in the workplace, click here.