Avaya Brings Business Apps to iPhone
The VAR Guy is starting to sound like a broken record (or a scratched CD, for those of you who don’t remember vinyl). Here’s the scoop: Avaya is the latest company to embrace the iPhone as a business device. Yes, a business device. Within the next year or so, as loyal readers here know, The VAR Guy expects the iPhone to emerge as major device for unified business communications.
You’ll recall that Apple and Cisco have kicked around an iPhone business relationship since last spring. Nothing ever came of those discussions. But Cisco’s software development team as well as Apple’s forthcoming software development kit should allow the iPhone to integrate more tightly with Cisco-powered networks. Sweet.
Now, Avaya is dialing its way into the iPhone market. The big network specialist says its unified communications software will provide iPhone with secure access to corporate telephony, voicemail, call logs, and corporate directories from the popular consumer device. Avaya apparently is the first networking company to specifically announce its unified strategy for iPhone, The VAR Guy believes. Avaya also claims to support the broadest range of mobile devices available — from RIM to Palm OS, Symbian, Windows Mobile and beyond.
So, what does all this mean? When The VAR Guy purchased an iPhone last month, he essentially bet that it would soon become a business device. Anybody care to bet otherwise?
Seems like TechIQ and The Wall Street Journal have a similar view on the iPhone in business. Here’s WSJ’s take.
I’m sorry but I got over Apple being a player in the IT business world a long time ago. I think their future is in the world of fashion. They changed their name from Apple Computer to Apple for a reason. They are not a mainsteam computer company no matter how many iPods or how few iPhones they sell. What they do seem to be very good at is getting press . . . maybe they should license their logo on tshirts? Perhpas they already do . . .
The iPhone will be a business tool. No question. It already is, to a certain extent; it has the best contact management and calendar system on any phone I’ve found. Doesn’t yet reach the level of the Blackberry, but given time I think it will.
Needs two things, IMO, to be a real hit: A portable keyboard for note taking; and the ability to download websites designed for MSIE only. (God, if only we could get rid of that turkey!)