Come on Salesforce…

I think we need some kind of RIM partnership to get properly into the enterprise market.

Now Now Now Now!

. . . is all I hear. No. Now doesn’t matter. Don’t mistake the journey for the destination. Partnering with RIM or pandering to Microsoft Exchange Server is the way to miss the big event because you stopped at a roadside fairground and forgot the time.

Unless there’s something I’m missing, RIM is a company that went to bed a 25 year old with its life before it, and will shortly wake up a 55 year old in comfortable retirement.

RIM and Microsoft’s era is 1990-2010. Apple’s is 2010-.

It is hard to remember life before cell phones, much less enterprise life.

Within one year we will try to remember what it was like walking around without the internet in our pocket.

SG you remind me of of the song with the lyric, “I can see clearly now…....”

Good Luck

Note: I am not saying Apple shouldn’t stop at the RIM/MS Exchange fairground and have some fun; just that it’s a side show.

I’ve been drooling (genetic curse) over Tim Cook’s phrase regarding next Thursday’s event : “I don’t want to spoil the surprise.” Despite our collective avid research and rumor delving interest, I think we just have to admit we really don’t know what Apple’s plans are from moment to moment, let alone a year from now. Surprise us to the upside, Apple!

Apple to Enterprise: Beam Me Up Scotty!

From TSC:

Apple Primes the iPhone for Enterprise
By Chris Versace
RealMoney Contributor
2/28/2008 9:36 AM EST
URL: http://www.thestreet.com/p/rmoney/telecom/10405383.html

Apple (AAPL) shares had fallen 40% through the beginning of this week, but the shares rose nicely Wednesday (+3.2%, easily outpacing the Nasdaq), and based on premarket trading, are poised for more today. While some point to the recent updates for the MacBook line of notebook computers, I believe the move centers around reassuring management comments and a recently confirmed iPhone event for next week that should have a few good announcements. This bodes well for the shares, at least in the short term.
First the iPhone

One of the criticisms of the iPhone is that it is not geared for the enterprise market, and so far, wireless carriers have not been pushing it for that market. More specifically, the main criticism centers on its limited support for Microsoft’s Exchange email platform. However, that could be about to change.

On March 6, Apple is holding an event for analysts and the media to formally announce plans for its highly anticipated iPhone and iPod Touch software developers’ kit (SDK) that would allow third-party applications to run on the device. Those applications, which in my mind more resemble the weather, stocks and maps widgets currently on the device, would bring a lot more functionality, and that is saying something, given how easy and useful the iPhone currently is.

In addition to outlining the procedures developers will need to follow in order to author and distribute their own applications through iTunes, Apple’s invite suggests that the company will reveal some enterprise-geared features for the device.

As widely reported on the web over the last few months and had been evident by job postings over at Apple, the company has formed a team whose primary objective is to test future Exchange and Outlook functionality with the touch-screen handset.

I could sit here and talk about how I left my Blackberry for the iPhone, but then again, I am a rapid-fire device guy that tries to drive most, if not all, of them when they come out. Better to look at the data I say—a recent survey of enterprise smartphone users in the U.K. says the iPhone beats the competition hands down when it comes to user-satisfaction rates.

Per the survey done by ChangeWave Research, roughly 59% of iPhone-owning business customers said they are “very satisfied” with the device. By comparison, Research In Motion’s (RIMM) BlackBerry, which is the clear market-share leader in the enterprise space, ranked second in the ChangeWave survey, with 47% of those surveyed being “very satisfied” with the device. Nokia (NOK) came in third with 40%, followed by Samsung at 30%, Motorola (MOT) at 25% and Palm (PALM) with 10%.

If Apple does indeed bring its ease-of-use skill set to a solution geared for the enterprise, it could spell good news for APPL shares, and while it may take a bite, however modest, out of RIMM, it’s more likely to take a bigger bite out of the other players. The key here is that such a solution opens up a much larger market for the iPhone, and in my mind, gives upside potential to Apple’s iPhone targets, which should also give a boost to shares of Synchronoss Technologies (SNCR) .

Reassurance from Management

Not to be left out, Wednesday at the Goldman Sachs Investment Symposium, Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook made several positive comments, including that the iPhone remains on track to sell the targeted 10 million units by the end of 2008 and that the device is company’s greatest chance at success to date.

More applications, more carriers, an enterprise solution, good data-sharing revenue agreements, not to mention an eventual 3G iPhone. Do I expect all of that for March 6? No, but the SDK and an enterprise solution will do just fine by the stock near term in my opinion.

At the time of publication, Versace was long Apple, although positions may change at any time.

Chris Versace joined Agile Equity in 2006 and leads the Washington D.C. office where he oversees Agile Capital Management and serves as a sub adviser for other asset managers. Under no circumstances does the information in this column represent a recommendation to buy or sell stocks..

[quote author=“Tommo_UK”]

This is a world-changing development. Believe me, this is one of the biggest things to ever happen in Apple’s history and absolutely unprecedented in the technology world.

Don’t think you need to express things in understated ways. 

The genius is in the subtlety of Apple’s steps and the manner in which the company remains deliberate in its plans.

Didn’t we expect this step?

[quote author=“DawnTreader”][quote author=“Tommo_UK”]

This is a world-changing development. Believe me, this is one of the biggest things to ever happen in Apple’s history and absolutely unprecedented in the technology world.

Don’t think you need to express things in understated ways. 

The genius is in the subtlety of Apple’s steps and the manner in which the company remains deliberate in its plans.

Didn’t we expect this step?

WE expected it - that’s why we held on to our shares

A lot of others didn’t expect it though, and still don’t “get it,” which is why we can buy more AAPL under $120 knowing its going to get to $300 in the next couple of years

Fortune recently had a piece about ‘iPhone’s secret blindspot’ where they suggested what Apple should have done is come out with a social networking app.

This is exactly what the SDK should fix. Whatever base software Apple provides is never going to be enough. With the SDK, anyone will be able to do anything with the iPhone platform.

Tommo’s already made the case for this being huge in subtle sort of way but the SDK will remove all obstacles. Any private developer, corporate or whatever will be able to develop the next big thing.

People forget the almost unlimited potential of an always on communication device being in your pocket everywhere. To say the potential is huge would be an understatement.

[quote author=“FrqntFlr”]Fortune recently had a piece about ‘iPhone’s secret blindspot’ where they suggested what Apple should have done is come out with a social networking app.

This is exactly what the SDK should fix. Whatever base software Apple provides is never going to be enough. With the SDK, anyone will be able to do anything with the iPhone platform.

Tommo’s already made the case for this being huge in subtle sort of way but the SDK will remove all obstacles. Any private developer, corporate or whatever will be able to develop the next big thing.

People forget the almost unlimited potential of an always on communication device being in your pocket everywhere. To say the potential is huge would be an understatement.

Apple already pushes Facebook on the iPhone .. i think that is enough The site has more than 64 million active users….

One of the uses for the iPhone/touch i haven heard very little about is is using it as a controller for other pieces of equipment, “Enterprise” seems to be thought of for office uses only. for example the digital camera back I use uses a old palm hand held as a screen to change settings and i have seen gameboys used to tune cars with hacked software, now with WiFi and SDK the iPhone/touch could interact with any equipment. this can be extremely helpful and a cheap solution to many industries. If it becomes a standard practice this could really push the numbers of units sold.
example >

Control Pro Tools with an iPhone or iPod Touch

[quote author=“Downunder”]

Apple already pushes Facebook on the iPhone .. i think that is enough The site has more than 64 million active users….

Control Pro Tools with an iPhone or iPod Touch

I certainly hope that attitude isn’t shared by Apple. The whole point of the SDK is that any application that anyone deems would be profitable/appropriate/whatever is now going to be possible. It shouldn’t be for anyone to say ‘that is enough’. No single company or individual can possibly imagine all the potential uses of a device such as the iPhone.

Does anyone have a guess how Apple might profit from the SDK other then the obvious additional iPhone and iPod Touch sales?

Will Apple continue to operate iTunes at break even or could this be an additional source of revenue? I would think software companies would pay handsomely for the access to 20-30 million potential YOY users.

To me it seems like the inverse of the music/movie deals.

[quote author=“FrqntFlr”][quote author=“Downunder”]

Apple already pushes Facebook on the iPhone .. i think that is enough The site has more than 64 million active users….

Control Pro Tools with an iPhone or iPod Touch

I certainly hope that attitude isn’t shared by Apple. The whole point of the SDK is that any application that anyone deems would be profitable/appropriate/whatever is now going to be possible. It shouldn’t be for anyone to say ‘that is enough’. No single company or individual can possibly imagine all the potential uses of a device such as the iPhone.

clarification .. sorry i didn’t make my self very clear my statement “i think that is enough”  perhaps should have read.. “that is enough until SDK is released” I don’t see it as “iPhone’s secret blindspot” as Fortune put it.

I totally agree with you FrqntFlr SDK will open up the iPhone to anyones dream application.

But i do not see Apple building a Social network as i see it as a place Apple would want to go, like Microsoft’s “come to the social” disaster, Social network users are a fickle bunch and it would be horrible for Apple to be tainted with a “social” disaster on its hands… and becoming uncool

[quote author=“appleforever”]Does anyone have a guess how Apple might profit from the SDK other then the obvious additional iPhone and iPod Touch sales?

Will Apple continue to operate iTunes at break even or could this be an additional source of revenue? I would think software companies would pay handsomely for the access to 20-30 million potential YOY users.

To me it seems like the inverse of the music/movie deals.

I can almost guarantee iTunes is profitable and growing more profitable by the day. I’m not worried about making money off of the SDK, I’m interested in monthly contract service revenue from iPhone users.

[quote author=“appleforever”]Does anyone have a guess how Apple might profit from the SDK other then the obvious additional iPhone and iPod Touch sales?

Will Apple continue to operate iTunes at break even or could this be an additional source of revenue? I would think software companies would pay handsomely for the access to 20-30 million potential YOY users.

To me it seems like the inverse of the music/movie deals.

How do you think third-parties will get their apps onto the iPhones/iPod touches? Via some part of the iTunes store. Apple will likely process the transaction, deliver the software and take a cut. I imagine that there will be an alternative delivery mechanism for enterprises that write their own software. This mechanism will likely involve a license fee.

Well, that’s how I would do it if I wanted to keep a fairly tight rein on how software gets on the iPhone. Any other way and you could be looking into a Pandora’s box of viruses and assorted malware.