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Loading ...iPhone apps - taking care of business?
By Joaquim P. Menezes -
So many developers are still sore that they’re not permitted to write native apps for the iPhone.
Many continue to bemoan the very limited development potential that restricts them to creating Web apps running within Safari (Apple’s Web browser included on the iPhone).
All that’s understandable.
In fact when the “no native apps” announcement was made by Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, in June, many predicted this would severely limit the usefulness of the iPhone within the enterprise.
But now some software vendors are trying to make the best of (what at first blush appeared to be) a rather shoddy deal.
The fact that only Web-based apps can be developed for the device is not a limitation, they say, but a strength, because of the innate capabilities of the Safari browser.
In fact, over the past few weeks, software vendors have announced a range of enterprise apps targeted at the device.
InformationWeek is reporting that apps from business intelligence (BI) software vendor Information Builders can be easily accessed by the iPhone – thanks to the device’s full Safari browser and scroll and zoom capabilities.
These capabilities enable iPhone users to access apps such as Information Builders’ WebFocus Active Reports a “portable” analytics application that require users to scroll vertically or horizontally.
What’s more – users who access Active Reports this way don’t even need to be connected to the Net – as interaction happens in the browser, instead of a server.
Cool.
A press release on my desk from Mac telephony product vendor Parliant Corp. tells me that the company has released a version of its PhoneValet Message Centre product for the iPhone.
The standard PhoneValet product lets you use a Mac as a multi-line call centre – with automated attendant, call blocking, recording, logging, screening and dialing services.
Now, the company says, it’s new PhoneValet Anywhere for iPhone automatically converts PhoneValet voice mail files into a format that can be played on iPhone.
The files, it says, are small enough to download quickly even when iPhone is on an EDGE network – with no compromise to the audio quality.
So that’s some start.
But it seems for pervasive adoption within the enterprise – and to gain a leg up on established devices, such as the BlackBerry, the iPhone would need to be capable of much more.
For instance, deeper access would be required to create an app that could talk to (say) IBM or Oracle middleware using native APIs.
And, as some industry insiders note, using the device with customized software, such as bar code and RFID readers (as is being done with certain cell phones) can’t be accomplished with a browser interface.
Also read: ‘Sweet’ iPhone solution leaves many with sour aftertaste
August 1st, 2007 at 11:24 pm
The iPhone delivery NetSuite - a full featured web-native ERP, CRM and eComm system intergarted on the Oracle platform (much like Salesforce.com - which should also run on the iPhone).
In netSuite users can set up their own menus to accomodatre the smaller screen without programming using standard NetSuite tools. the menus can even be individualized by each users role.
Look at this as a model for other applications. What could be more powerful. This one aspect just blows away the other phones out there.