Most IT folks agree that the iPhone is not yet suited for deployment in corporate environments, but Apple’s uber smartphone may soon get one step closer to becoming a viable business device. IBM plans to announce a mobile version of its Lotus Notes software for the Apple iPhone and iPod touch at next week’s Lotusphere 2008 conference in Orlando, Fla., according to the Associated Press. The software will need to be employed in conjunction with IBM’s Domino e-mail server, and users with current Lotus Web-access licenses can get it at no charge. New users will need to shell out $39.99 a year. A few weeks back, I blogged about AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson’s announcement that a 3G Apple iPhone will become available in 2008, and I suggested that a corporate e-mail client for the device could soon follow. Though details on the Lotus Notes for iPhone software are scarce at this point, the announcement is certainly going to catch the attention of enterprise smartphone users who’ve had their eyes on Apple’s mobile prize since its release, as well as the IT folks who may soon be supporting it. Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes users can already connect to corporate e-mail accounts via iPhone, but administrators have to enable certain settings in their infrastructure or separate third-party applications are required. And real push functionality is still not available. In my opinion, the leading factor that’s currently keeping the iPhone from being a suitable business device is a lack of security-oriented features like data encryption and remote password change, device lock and data wipe functionality. (Forrester Research recently offered up 10 reasons IT should not support the iPhone, and security was number one on their list, as well.) It will be interesting to see to what extent the Lotus Notes software for the Apple iPhone addresses these concerns. It remains to be seen whether or not an IBM/Apple partnership in the enterprise mobile space can give Microsoft or Research In Motion a run for their money—or even get them jogging. But IBM has some 135 million Lotus users worldwide, according to the AP—myself included—and if the Lotus Notes for iPhone software can convince some IT departments that the device is suitable and safe for business use, it may not be long before others follow their lead. AS Related content BrandPost The future of trust—no more playing catch up Broadcom: 2023 Tech Trends That Transform IT By Eric Chien, Director of Security Response, Symantec Enterprise Division, Broadcom Mar 31, 2023 5 mins Security BrandPost TCS gives Blackhawk Network an edge with Microsoft Cloud In this case study, Blackhawk Network’s Cara Renfroe joins Tata Consultancy Services’ Rakesh Kumar and Microsoft’s Nilendu Pattanaik to explain how TCS transformed the gift card company’s customer engagement and global operati By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 31, 2023 1 min Financial Services Industry Cloud Computing IT Leadership BrandPost How TCS pioneered the ‘borderless workspace’ with Microsoft 365 Microsoft’s modern workplace solution proved a perfect fit for improving productivity and collaboration, while maintaining security of systems and data. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 31, 2023 1 min Financial Services Industry Microsoft Cloud Computing BrandPost Supply chain decarbonization: The missing link to net zero By improving the quality of global supply chain data, enterprises can better measure their true carbon footprint and make progress toward a net-zero business ecosystem. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 31, 2023 2 mins Retail Industry Supply Chain Green IT Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe