Mobile Enterprise: iPhone OS 4 Gets Viable, BlackBerry Goes Social

By Marisa Peacock (@marisacp51) Apr 15, 2010

As more companies capitalize on advancing mobile technology, emergent mobile tech offers both promises and pitfalls. Each week we aim to bring you the top stories affecting mobile in the enterprise. From operating systems to security to mobile collaboration, we’ll be sure to cover it.

This week we check out iPhone OS 4 , the iPad and what it'll do for your workday, how BlackBerry users are getting social in the enterprise and end with the (not screaming) voice of your customers.

iPhone OS 4 Makes Itself a Viable Enterprise Option

The enterprise has had its qualms about embracing the iPhone because of its multi-processing, SSL VPN and multitasking limitations. But with the release of the iPhone OS 4, the enterprise will have to find new excuses.

SSL VPN is now supported in iPhone OS 4. Apps, expected from Juniper and Cisco, will now support SSL VPN, which will allow for a better way to securely access the enterprise from a browser across any device. The iPhone allows a user to set up multiple Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync accounts and works with Microsoft Exchange Server 2010. As well, multiple email accounts may be pulled into one account or accounts may be viewed separately.

Perhaps most significantly, IT administrators can configure devices to update wirelessly and can be monitored to abide by corporate policies or locked down if lost.

Will the iPad Crush the Smartphone for the Enterprise?

Let's not forget the other recent technological advancement affecting the enterprise this month. The iPad is proving to be as useful to the enterprise as it is entertaining and many companies are developing apps designed to make life easier.

Generis, for example, just announced that CARA — its web interface for CMIS — system is now ready for the iPad and offers extensions for many repositories including Documentum and Alfresco.

Because the iPad can take many shapes — from eReader to browser — web-based CMS has become more accessible than it is on its smartphone counterparts. Generis is confident that by integrating with the iPad, users will be able to access multiple repositories that support CMIS.

Will the enterprise be more interested in Apple's iPad than the iPhone OS 4? What do you think? Tell us.

Socialcast Brings Collaboration to BlackBerry

Earlier this month, a new software platform allowed users to take their BlackBerry use to the next level. Socialcast recently released a new integration of its platform EASE (enterprise activity stream engine), which provides enterprise users with a collaboration network for the BlackBerry.

Businesses can download the application to their Blackberry and then use a Socialcast network to upload from and download files to their server, host threaded conversations and share information. The BlackBerry app also allows Socialcast users to set up notification tools, to remind employees of their tasks.

A study by Research in Motion, the designer and manufacturer of the BlackBerry, found that employees who work on a BlackBerry save an average of an hour of work each day. While they may be a little biased, workflow and multitasking seem to the marketing catchphrases of mobile management.