New Tech Cuts iPhone Enterprise Functions Down to Size

Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) announcement earlier this month of the iPhone software development kit (SDK) and its firmware 2.0 update make the hot-selling iPhone ready for large enterprises to adopt it -- or at least support it.

There's a whole other class of iPhone-toting users, however, who might want to use their iPhone for business but don't have access to a big IT department to set it up and manage it.

This is where Internet service providers and a company like CommuniGate Systems enters the picture. CommuniGate aims to offer its customers the same mobile Internet communications services that larger companies will likely deploy, like push e-mail , calendaring and contacts for iPhone users.

Trickling In

"The iPhone is trickling into businesses; instead of being just a consumer novelty device, it's becoming a business-grade Internet communications device," Jon Doyle, vice president of business development at CommuniGate Systems, told MacNewsWorld.

"The iPhone firmware 2.0 will support AirSync technology, which will let CommuniGate provide the calendaring and messaging through the air to the iPhone without having to put it in a cradle or connect it to the client to sync up," Doyle explained.

"We believe that's going to be very powerful for businesses that are going to have all these iPhones -- whether the company bought them or not," he added.

Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) ActiveSync works with Microsoft Exchange servers, which are found in many enterprises and will provide push e-mail and the like to the iPhone in those environments. As for CommuniGate, it has its own unified communications package called "CommuniGate Pro," which will support the new iPhone 2.0 features that Apple will provide in June.

CommuniGate Systems provides enterprise-class communications services to 12,000 customers that in turn have 130 million users around the world. Many of the users include household consumers with DSL (digital subscriber line) service, for example, and POP e-mail accounts, but CommuniGate also serves small- and medium-sized businesses as well as enterprise customers. CommuniGate Pro works with a range of devices, including Macs, PCs running Windows or Linux, and a broad swath of mobile phones.

"We have a strong following in the Apple community, particularly with media companies, graphic arts, publications, newspapers, architectural firms -- anywhere where there's a lot of Apple products in use," Doyle said.

ISPs Expanding Services

"A lot of our bigger ISPs (Internet service providers) are trending toward Software as a Service (SaaS)," Doyle said. Instead of simply serving up free e-mail to customers, ISPs are starting to serve smaller businesses with suites of online applications and related services.

"They are hosting messaging for the small and medium enterprise that probably doesn't have an IT department, so a 20- to 200-user company is starting to be an interesting spot for them," he explained, noting that many small medical, doctor and dental offices will understand the value of having integrated communications, particularly with mobile devices like the iPhone. They won't, however, typically have an IT department to support the iPhone -- or to support other mobile devices, for that matter.

Community Edition

CommuniGate Pro starts at US$899 for 25 users and scales up farther, but CommuniGate also offers a CommuniGate Pro Community Edition for small office/home office and developer usage.

The license is free for up to five users, and it includes the same functionality as CommuniGate's more expensive solutions. Support is provided through CommuniGate's active user forums, Doyle noted.