iPhoneCTO’s Top 5 iPhone OS 3.0 Enterprise Features
by Richard Yates on 28/07/09 at 9:59 pm
Richard Yates is the Director of Mobile Applications for Mobilesect and contributing editor for iPhoneCTO.
As the iPhone platform continues to mature, the opportunity for it making significant inroads in the corporate enterprise is fast becoming possible. While Apple may not have initially marketed to corporations or even cared much about enterprise adoption, iPhone 3.0 brings significant features that allow the enterprise to welcome it as a true corporate platform.
What does iPhone 3.0 bring to the table for the enterprise that iPhone 2.x lacked?
1. LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)
Why LDAP? The killer application of any mobile, networked device remains communication. Whether voice or messaging, being able to access a corporate LDAP directory allows for easier communication. With LDAP access you can look up and find someone’s phone number or email address without having to already have it in your phone. Additionally, with generic LDAP support, a corporation is free to choose its directory and mail software without being tied to a specific vendor.
2. VPN (Virtual Private Networking) On-Demand
The challenge with VPN support in 2.x was that while it existed, it required a manual connection (and reconnection). If you think about the nature of “mobile context” then it really becomes imperative that a user with an active mobile VPN connection be able to use it, put the device down (or in his or her pocket or purse) for a few minutes and then go back to using it. The idea that I can’t pick up right where I left off is problematic. Anyone who has had his or her VPN connection drop frequently understands the hassle factor here. The iPhone 3.0 OS fixes this “issue” allowing for seamless connectivity. Additionally, the VPN On-Demand feature allows for configuring the domains to which auto-connection will occur. Therefore, the ability to have secure, enterprise intranet applications is now a reality with 3.0.
3. Proxy server support
As anyone who has ever logged into a corporate network knows, proxy servers are a way of life. Therefore, the ability to configure and manage them so that a user can use his or her WiFi connection to log into the corporate network and access the Internet is critical. VPN auto-proxy configuration files are supported with PAC (Proxy auto-config) and WPAD (Web Proxy Autodiscovery Protocol) support out of the box.
4. OTA (Over the Air) & Encrypted Profiles
The ability to not only push a profile out to a user, but also prevent this profile from being changed by encrypting it bodes well for additional iPhone acceptance in the enterprise. One of the things that gives IT administrators heartburn is the idea that they are responsible for a device as well as the corporate information accessible from that device, yet they have no automated way of controlling either. Configuration profiles can be used for both certificate management as well as payload management. Payloads refer to collections of settings such as passcode settings, restrictions settings, WiFi settings, etc. iPhone 3.0 allows for OTA enrollment for digital certificates via the SCEP (Simple Certificate Enrollment) protocol. All of this can be easily pushed out to users now without having to physically retrieve devices.
5. Exchange ActiveSync Policies
Similar to OTA and Encrypted Profiles, Exchange ActiveSync policies give IT administrators more control over a device through the Microsoft Exchange environment. Specifically, EAS allows administrators to enforce password policies, place restrictions on iPhone features such as the camera, specify the amount of time a phone may be idle before being locked and set the policy refresh interval. Should an iPhone go missing, EAS lets administrators remotely wipe the device to prevent compromising corporate data. Finally, if an Exchange passcode policy exists as well as a configuration profile passcode policy then the two will be merged with the more restrictive settings will be enforced for the particular iPhone function.
In conclusion, iPhone 3.0 challenges the notion of the iPhone as just a consumer device. With its Exchange integration, VPN support, LDAP enhancements, ease of profile management and deployment and proxy server support it continues to make a case that it deserves serious thought as a corporate mobility platform.
