(July 08, 2008 Xinhua)--The iPhone is ready to go to work with business appeal one year after becoming the stylish pocket PC for consumers, it was reported on Monday.
The latest version of the mobile device, which goes on sale Friday, will take advantage of a faster wireless network - dubbed 3G for third-generation - making it more attractive for business use by improving what many consider to be the current version's key flaw - its slow Web access, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
Equally important to companies are new e-mail and security capabilities that will give the iPhone a foot in the office, said the report. And that has many employees pestering their information technology managers about getting their own corporate iPhone.
The 3G iPhone will be able to sync seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange servers and support Cisco VPN security settings so workers can access sensitive company information. It also will support other applications geared for the corporate world, such as"remote wipe," the ability to instantly remove data on a device if it is lost or stolen.
The new button-down iPhone will compete with the BlackBerry and Palm Treo as a tool for employees. In the past, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs has said his company Advertisement would focus its efforts on the consumer market. But the iPhone's wide appeal is giving it a place at the workplace without changing its core mission.
Rather than stealing share from competitors, the iPhone will expand the market, the Silicon Valley paper quoted independent wireless industry analyst Chetan Sharma as saying.
The iPhone could increase the presence of smart-phones in new areas, such as the medical profession. Applications under development could enable doctors to easily access X-rays and other information while visiting with patients, Sharma said.