AfterDawn: News

Bank of America, Citigroup considering Apple iPhone for corporate email?

Bank of America and Citigroup, two of the U.S.' largest banks, are prepared to allow employees use of the Apple iPhone for their corporate email needs, moving away from the BlackBerrys.

Both banks are currently testing smartphone software that will make the iPhone secure enough for corporate messages, says Bloomberg.



RIM BlackBerrys, once the standard for corporate smartphones, have been abandoned by a number of large corporations, with the latest being Dell, which said it would be switching from BBs to Windows Phone 7 devices made by themselves.

Says one analyst: "People are delighted with their iPhones and Android phones and they want to use them for work. The result is RIM now has real competition for corporate customers."

Apple CEO Steve Jobs said last month that a full 80 percent of the Fortune 500 list is testing software that will let their employees use iPhones or Android devices for corporate email, moving away from BlackBerrys.

Bank of America and Citigroup have a combined 542,000 employees.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 7 Nov 2010 1:30

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• 7 comments

• ROMaster2

  I'll start practicing tapping into iPhones ASAP.

  7.11.2010 01:46 #1

• ITrisk (unverified)

  iPhone may pass for securing messages just as any other phone will (Android, webOS) but Banks are likely going to reject the iPhone as there is a larger hacker community surrounding the iPhone posing an extremely greater risk for Bank sensitive communications. iPhone also has very poor battery life which does not make it ideal for business use.

  7.11.2010 02:28 #2

• xtago

  Australian banks don't allow for any use of any apple products on their internal networks as they aren't a safe phone or product to use for corps.
  
  You can get to someone's contacts simply by doing an emergency call but before it does so you can slide the screen and it'll show up the phones contacts and will hold off making the call.
  
  that isn't even hacking the iphone and you can still bust it.

  7.11.2010 05:45 #3

• jj (unverified)

  I work in IT for a large accounting firm. we've been using iPhone and Droid phones for months now using third party enterprise software. The biggest comment i hear is "what phones can we use besides BB's?????" not "do we support iPhones yet?"
  
  RIM has controlled the corporate market for way too long.....many die hard users are realizing their are better phones that do a lot more than a BB can ever dream of.....btw BB Torch is garbage. (trust me I deal with them everyday...)

  7.11.2010 06:15 #4

• jabberwolf (unverified)

  What what we had at multiple sites of our lawfirm.
  
  They went to iphone and droids.. most of the iphone users have switched back to BB .. and some of the Android users (keyboard helps). Droid I'd actually reccomend as an alternative but never an iphone.
  
  But for instant and business use, the BB is still is the best.
  
  And Sorry I deal with Tourches as well and I'd pick a tourch over that POS iphone anyday. Always having issues accepting and updating appointments - a basic function - seriously is that BETTER?!

  7.11.2010 10:37 #5

• DXR88

  id take a blackberry over any smart phone any day. there Effective and Secure(as far as any wireless device is concerned).
  
  they don't allow for garbage apps like, kitten cannon or blackjack not something a business man should have on his phone anyway but we all know the temptation is there.
  
  i cant help but feel the only real reason the company is moving to Iphoney is so they can look flashy and hip while wasting money.(because that's what banks do best)
  

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  7.11.2010 15:44 #6

• Neo2369

  The iPhone is possibly the worst smartphone I have ever used I cannot understand why consumers would use it let alone actual corporations.I had one for all of three days and was the worst phone I have ever touched and I have had some bad ones. I will stand behind almost 90% of Apple's other products but the iPhone is pure garbage. Apple actually murdered their own device by choosing AT&T for one and then restricting the Apps so harshly for two.
  

  7.11.2010 21:00 #7