Opinions about the iPhone 3G and 2.0 software update are still rolling in more than a week after its announcement. Not to miss an opportunity to sell more reports, Gartner’s even weighing in on how the iPhone will fare with business. While all of us debate the merits of the iPhone 2.0 software’s Microsoft Exchange sync, downloadable third-party apps through the Apple Store (only, btw), and whether the iPhone is secure enough for the enterprise, meeting enterprise requirements doesn’t really matter. Apple’s got their sights on a whole different target. Consumers.
Ever since back in the day when I was an Apple fanboy myself (and I’m certainly not one now), I’ve always believed one thing about Apple that couldn’t be truer today. Apple is a consumer company. It doesn’t want to be anything else, and it doesn’t have to be. Consumers are what Apple does well. Apple tried the business shtick back in the 80’s and 90’s and it’s just not Apple’s gig. A saucy round peg trying to fit in a boring square hole. And the company is just not good at IT, so why fight it. To Apple, IT is boring, un-sexy and fraught with nasty gotchas that just aren’t a lot of fun to solve. Jacking up the latest Coldplay tune in front of the billing server just doesn’t do much to help bills go out faster.
Serve consumers with cool, trendy, innovative new products and do it well, that’s Apple. Ergo the overwhelming popularity of the iPod and the iPhone. Even the Mac is enjoying a resurgence, in part thanks to all those Windows and Vista bashing “I’m a Mac” commercials. Let BlackBerry and Microsoft slug it out in the enterprise, with all the integration mess that can entail. Apple’s target isn’t the enterprise, not directly anyway.
The Apple game in the business market is to be such a compelling consumer product that Apple users will bring their iThings to work and IT will just have to deal with it. Apple doesn’t have to meet all the requirements on IT’s punch list. Apple’s strategy is to be “just good enough” when it comes to IT, so iThings won’t get stopped at the office building entrance. IT will just be expected to provide iPhone support because of their numbers. Apple doesn’t want to wait for IT’s blessing. It will let its passionate customers demand support from IT.
And you know what? Apple’s strategy is working, despite what Gartner, Microsoft, RIM, the media, or bloggers like me have to say about it. Apple is a consumer company who needs to be “just good enough” for business.
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