With Apple's recent news of the latest iPhone updates Hyperion must revise its review of the device from 2007. It would seem Steve Jobs heard our complaints and tackled the lack of functionality that prevented the iPhone from being a viable enterprise mobility solution. With the inclusion of Microsoft ActiveSync in firmware v2.0 (to ship sometime in June 2008), along with remote wipe and security policy enforcement, small businesses will be in the best position to take advantage of this unique mobile platform.

Because so many larger enterprises have massive amounts of capital invested in preexisting mobility solutions such as RIM Blackberry and Motorola Good Mobile Messaging, they will be less likely to make the hop over to Microsoft ActiveSync in order to support the iPhone specifically. Small businesses are in the unique position of being highly mobile in their mobility solution of choice as few would ever see the ROI from Blackberry or Good and are likely to be using the more economical Microsoft solution (available since Exchange Server 2003 Service Pack 2) already.

As Apple has demonstrated, the new iPhone update will support:

• Push e-mail
• Push calendars
• Push contacts
• Global address lists
• Cisco IPsec VPN
• Certificates and identities
• WPA2/802.1x
• Enforced security policies
• Device configuration
• Remote wipe, in case the iPhone is lost or stolen

Coupled with the new iPhone hardware supporting AT&T's 3G data network expected in late-May or June, we finally see a device capable of competing with RIM's near monopoly on enterprise mobility. Apple's uninque user interface makes mobile document viewing and editing far easier than the ultra-compact screens featured in Blackberries, Treos and like PDAs. The touch-screen keyboard appears to be satisfactory according to most polls of iPhone users who have made the switch from QWERTY PDAs. Assuming all these proposed new features work as they should, even Hyperion may be switching to the iPhone for its mobility solution in 2008.

Of course, the iconic hype of the iPhone has also led to immitators. Sprint has recently announced their next-generation touch device, the Instinct by Samsung, after the moderate successes of their first line of touch devices like the HTC Touch. The Instinct boasts Sprint's far superior EV-DO rev A data network as well as true GPS and a lower price point than the iPhone. However unlike the iPhone updates discussed previously, the Instinct does not feature Microsoft ActiveSync or any other enterprise functionality, relegating itself to the same personal use market that the first generation iPhone was limited to.

If you would like to know how your small business can leverage a mobile workforce, contact Hyperion today for a consultation on the best mobility solutions to deliver increased productivity and enhanced connectivity.