Impact of iPhone 5 in the Office

Apple is releasing iPhone 5, and some analysts have already begun predicting that it could boost the U.S. economy. Expected to be one of the biggest-selling smartphones of all time, the iPhone 5 may also make a dramatic impact on businesses.

Earlier this week, Michael Feroli, the chief United States economist at JPMorgan Chase, said that the iPhone 5 release “could add one-quarter to one-half of a percentage point to the annualized growth rate of America’s gross domestic product next quarter.”[1] Ted Schadler, CIO Analyst at Forrester, suggests that the new iPhone is the enterprise smartphone, and CIOs better take notice.[2] With all these high expectations, it’s worth considering some of the ways iPhone 5 might impact the business world.

Expansion of BYOD Policies – As I’ve mentioned here before Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies have begun to grow in the past 12 months as more and more IT departments are recognizing the inevitability and possible benefits related to the “consumerization of IT.” This latest release is expected to a such a boon that many more employees will be pressing to use their devices in the workplace. This should speed an embrace of robust BYOD policies that provide support and security requirements for using mobile devices in the workplace.

Real Time Mobility – With 4G LTE speed, businesses will embrace this smartphone as the mobile office device. ”Business runs today in real time, and workers want to do things fast, so from that perspective, the iPhone 5′s LTE can provide that real-time capability,” said SAP AG CIO Oliver Bussmann after the iPhone 5 was announced. “The future is a mobile one, and we’re constantly looking at any desktop app that we can move to mobile. One of my responsibilities as CIO is to enable a new user experience when possible.”[3]

Influx of Earlier iPhone Models – The iPhone 5 has already driven down the prices of iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. As a result, many businesses and employees that are moving to smartphones, may embrace one of the earlier models for a much cheaper price.

Expansion of Corporate Apps – With a larger screen and faster processor, the iPhone 5 will be even more attractive as a mobile dashboard for various business intelligence apps, productivity apps and more.

[1] Catherine Rampell. “How the iPhone 5 Could Bolster the G.D.P.” New York Times, September 10, 2012
[2] Ted Schadler. “iPhone 5 Cements Apple’s Role As An Enterprise Stadium Rocker: What CIOs Need To Know.” Forrester Blogs, September 12, 2012 .
[3] Matt Hamblen. “iPhone 5 in the Enterprise – Pain or gain?” Computer World UK, September 13, 2012