Despite its lack of Exchange support, push email (other than Yahoo!), and 3G wireless, the iPhone is gaining ground in the business world, according to a Reuters report. Recently, software maker SAP announced that it will introduce a version of its upcoming customer relationship management software for the iPhone before releasing versions for Blackberry phones and Palm devices. “It’s fun,” Mike de la Cruz, senior VP with SAP, said.
“It’s so popular.” According to Bob Stutz, SAP senior vice president in charge of developing customer relationship management software, the reason for the move was internal demand for the software, with SAP’s salespeople saying that the iPhone was easier to use. “This isn’t necessarily iPhone deployment by way of the IT department, but it’s by people who really want to use this device and IT is responding in a really positive way,” said Michael Gartenberg, an analyst with market research firm Jupiter Research.
According to the article, the iPhone still faces challenges in the business market, mainly due to its lack of corporate push email support and its virtual keyboard.
These challenges can be overcome, the article suggests, by adding support for Microsoft’s Exchange server, as well as adding tactile feedback to the phone’s keyboard. “What really made the iPod take off was when they made it compatible with Windows. So if they made the iPhone compatible with Windows e-mail, meaning Outlook, that would really make sales take off,” said Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research.