iPhone Infiltrates the Enterprise, iPad to Follow?
By Ericka Chickowski |
WiFi problems marred the release of Apple's iPad tablet computer for some users when the device was first released. But for IT solution providers the problems showcased an opportunity. Solution providers who can help high-value users fix their connectivity problems will not only gain knowledge of the devices that are sure to eventually infiltrate the enterprise, but they will also impress those users with their Apple expertise.
"Remember that original, very early release of the iPhone where
corporate America said there's no way that this is going to become a
piece of our infrastructure? Then fast forward a year later and people
were starting to find ways to bring them in and fast forward yet
another year after that and all of a sudden now you have companies
literally issuing iPhones or obviously opening up corporate conduits to
it."
In fact, Rubin says that the innovative features of the iPad, along
with the previous experience gained from the iPhone may make for an
even faster and more overwhelming acceptance of the tablet device.
"Companies are going to very quickly start saying, 'I can use this thing as a productive business tool,’" he says.
Nevertheless, both Oh and Rubin agree that the acceptance curve is
still at least three to six months from swooping upward. This is a good
thing for the channel, which can start preparing now rather than being
blindsided by the iPad's popularity like some were with the iPhone.
This starts by playing with these devices and gaining an understanding
of the network infrastructure needs to make it work seamlessly in
customer environments. Which is why it may be worthwhile to take a look
into the connectivity problems now, even if they seem irrelevant to
many of your customers.
"In the meantime it's a bit of an opportunity for channel players ,
more from the standpoint of this to be kind of a pilot and to instigate
pilot projects and make sure that the iPad works well and to sort of
help people do that. Then in the long term they can become more of a
reliable partner."
According to Oh, partners would do well to learn not just from the history of the iPhone, but RIM's BlackBerry devices as well.
"I think a smart channel partner can look at history to sort of take
their cues for how to plan for these devices. I mean if you look at the
BlackBerry, that was widely regarded as a fringe device," Oh says.
"When mobile devices weren't prevalent for doing things like e-mail
messaging, channel providers had a great opportunity, actually to go in
and sell not only the BlackBerry device, but also the enterprise server
and so on. I think that ended up being a tremendous outsourcing
opportunity for a lot of channel providers and they made a lot of money
on it because it was something that internal it was not interested in
learning."
And unlike with the BlackBerry, Oh says that learning about the iPad is
as simple as acquiring a device and a Microsoft Exchange account and
learning how it integrates with Exchange, learning the limitations of
the device and how it works in the networked environment.
Rubin also believes that now is also the time for channel partners to
ready customer networking environments for the added burden that these
devices may place on the infrastructure.
"Given all of these new devices and all of these things people are
doing on the network, there is a lot of room for that sales pitch
through the channel to the end user," Rubin says.
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