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Loading ...So I came across this video today on ZdNet in which a bunch of corporate dudes - from Google, Levi Strauss, Hasbro, and McKesson - discuss the introduction of the iPhone and whether their organizations will support the use of it by their employees. Here is the link to the video
Anyway, it made me wonder what it means if corporate America for some reason were to not switch over to the iPhone. All of these guys, except for Google, said that they are not supporting the use of the iPhone by their employees and that the Rim Blackberry was still the technology of choice. There whole tech infrastructure and support systems are built around the Blackberry technology.
Let’s just, hypothetically, assume that the majority of corporate America decides not to utilize the new iPhone. Does this have any impact on the potential failure or success of this technology? How important is it to get the corporate dudes to buy your technology? We have all seen the impact of the Window’s system being adopted and utilized by companies vs the Apple. Though Apple is having a resurgence but it is not being driven by the corporations but rather by the lowly consumer. Will the consumer be strong enough to drive the iPhone into a truly universal and successful piece of technology - like the iPod?
Perhaps it doesn’t matter with this item because after all the iPhone is a phone and we all use them. But, if you can’t integrate it into your work environment and are required to continue using the Blackberry then that is a serious constraint. Not to mention the fact that the iPhone only works on At&t’s network.
I think that these are some serious hurdles facing the iPhone and I am not fully convinced that it will overtake the Blackberry anytime soon. After all the Blackberry system is pretty much available on all networks.
This raises another serious question that has always bothered me about the US cell phone system. The fact that my phone only works on one network, and that I can not take my device over to another network. This is unlike almost any other country in the world. When I go to visit my family in South Africa they switch phones from one network to another and share them and sell them etc.
If I am gonna spend $500 buying a piece of technology I better be able to use it wherever and whenever I want. Imagine buying a computer in California and then moving to Wisconsin and suddenly realizing that it doesn’t work - that it only works on the Californian electrical grid. This is the same problem with the iPhone and is even more valid as all cell phone companies do not have equal coverage. What if I buy my phone and then move to an area that At&t has a really bad network. I am screwed. Goodbye iPhone and my $500 (granted I could probably sell it). Leaving me again with my Blackberrry as a potentially serious option.
This is all very hypothetical speak on my side as I don’t own a Blackberry or an iPhone and don’t plan to any time soon. I still have my freebie phone that I got last time I renewed my cell phone contract (and don’t get me started on the whole contract thing - frigging baloney).
I will wait and see what happens here, but I don’t think it is a done deal yet for the iPhone!!!
Filed under: Enterprise 2.0, Market Research, Marketing Industry, Marketing Strategy
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[…] to enter the very important and powerful corporate business realm. You can see my earlier post here. I ended that post by saying “but I don’t think it is a done deal yet for the […]