It’s undeniably innovative, sexy and has functionality to spare but standardising on the iPhone is a problem, not because the device is too high end (although at £800 unlocked it is too expensive) but because it doesn’t offer exclusivity to those who make the decisions.
Senior management demand to be different and to display their status within the organisation. The iPhone only has one model and this is a problem. (I know there’s the 3G and the 3GS but for all practical purposes they’re the same device.) With the iPhone the MD will be carrying the same device as the sales people and most probably the secretaries as well.
I know that this seems like a ridiculous statement but look at Blackberries staff get a Curve or a Pearl while senior management get a Storm or a Bold. A few years ago management needed the slim-line Sony Vaio when everyone else was carrying a Dell made from bricks. Before that they needed an LCD screen when the standard was a bulky CRT and so on.
Senior management will always come up with a ‘practical’ reason for needing better equipment than everyone else. In most cases this doesn’t matter because the platform stays the same, only the aesthetics change. With the iPhone either as the standard or the premium the platform shifts when someone wants something different.
When everyone’s driving a Rolls-Royce then they stop being special. Apple need to produce a hierarchy of devices to gain a real foothold in the enterprise.
