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By Don Reisinger on 2011-10-13
Apple’s iOS 5 went live to users of the company’s iPads and iPhones on October 12. It's also the operating system behind Apple's latest iPhone 4S, which also hits the streets on Oct. 14. Consumers will flock to the operating system as they look forward to getting their hands on the latest and greatest features available on Apple’s lines of devices. CIOs, though, are left pondering whether iOS 5 brings any new value to the enterprise. The good news is: It does. The operating system is well-built, comes with a host of improvements, and should deliver all the functionality that a company might need, sans support for BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which is available only for Research in Motion's line of products. With iOS 5, we get Siri voice recognition software, iMessage, the new Notification Center and the platform’s consistent security -- among the other features that make Apple’s iOS 5 an enterprise winner.
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Siri There is no better feature available in iOS 5 than Siri. The service, which is called a virtual personal assistant, allows iPhone owners to control the software using verbal commands. Apple demonstrated the tool for setting reminders, responding to messages, and performing other important functions. Imagine how it can work for your enterprise apps.
New Notification Center One of the biggest issues with iOS has been notifications. In the past, messages popped up while people were using applications, breaking up the flow of using the software. With Notification Center, all that has changed. Notifications are now displayed at the top of a screen, and when users are ready to check out all the notifications they missed, they can go to the Center.
iMessage Is A Winner As you know all too well, employees spend an inordinate amount of time (and money) text messaging colleagues, friends and family members from their devices. That’s all fixed, with iMessage, a platform that, similar to BlackBerry Messenger, allows users to instant-message each other without paying texting fees. The catch: iMessage only works with other iOS-based devices.
Consistent Security So far, iOS hasn’t been faced with any major security breaches, even though it’s one of the most popular platforms in the world. Instead, that honor has gone to Android in the mobile space. That alone might disqualify Android for CIOs, and it makes iOS 5 increasingly appealing for the enterprise.
Apple Didn’t Ditch Enterprise Features There's no doubt that Apple can do more than it does to meet the needs of enterprise CIOs. But, the good news is that with iOS 5 the company has, at least, not ditched any of the enterprise-focused features it already had. Remote wipe, remote lock, and remote management are all there in iOS 5. What’s more, the operating system has a Wi-Fi sync feature that no longer requires you to tether an iPhone or iPad to a computer to update it.
iCloud Integration iCloud allows users to sync content among their many Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Macs in the cloud. The platform works with files, documents, photos, and much more. And it might just be a fine addition to your current set of cloud solutions.
It Reduces Android's Appeal Google has been slowly but surely trying to make inroads into the enterprise. But most CIOs see Android as a non-starter for their businesses. iOS 5, on the other hand, offers much of the functionality found in Android, but delivers better enterprise options than Google's mobile operating system.
Reminders: A Nice Addition The Reminders function allows users to quickly add to-dos, as well as set alerts. It might not be a replacement for Remember the Milk, a great to-do list app, but it’s the next-best thing, and something that could prove useful for enterprise users.
Improved Mail Since e-mail is still so important to the enterprise, the enhancements coming to Mail will be welcome. Now, users can create indents, drag e-mail addresses, and flag important messages. Best of all, the application provides far more formatting options than previously available, which should make it easier for employees to send out the messages they want, when they want.
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