In the hebdomad since Apple offered a glance at its forthcoming iPhone oxygen 4.0 update , whatever talk has n’t centered around thepromised multitasking featuresis focusing instead on Apple ’s iAd advertising platform . But if you use the phone in a business setting or if you ’re responsible for supporting iPhone - tot up employees — Apple ’s preview offers plenty of hints for what to expect when iPhone 4.0 make it later this summer .
The fuss is , we ’re talk about hint and not concrete details . The challenge anytime Apple rolls out information well ahead of a product loss is that the details can be decidedly thin . So long as you keep that in nous and are willing to practice a chip of consistent conjecture , though , you could get a passably good idea of what to expect from the iPhone 4.0 update on the IT front .
Management
To date , manage equipment in an IT setting has rise to be one of the major helplessness of the iPhone . ( When I say “ iPhone , ” assume I mean any machine that start the iPhone atomic number 8 , include the iPad . ) Right out of the box , you need to practice iTunes to set up the iPhone — there ’s no selection .
But even after the initial setup , you shoot a series of roadbumps . For example , with a bit of endeavor , you’re able to set up a way to do the post - provisioning setup wirelessly . But what if your company has any in - household program ? You have to use iTunes . you could install configuration profiles wirelessly , but major updates require iTunes . It ’s a case of two steps forrader , one footprint back .
Some of those bump will go forth in iPhone type O 4 , as businesses profit the ability to distribute applications wirelessly . If you ’re go a business with hundreds — or thousands — of devices to get by , this capability is more than a little important .
Being able to push applications out from a central positioning via Wi - Fi or 3 gram intend far less oeuvre , and less time vex about iTunes being up to date — or even establish . ( mack user may not be able to imagine a calculator without iTunes , but on the Windows side , it ’s a different story . And if you ’re using Linux , iTunes is n’t even an choice . )
Along with wireless practical app statistical distribution , Apple also contrive to update the iPhone group O to be more compatible with third - company management frameworks , such as the ones from Sybase . The mind here is that Apple will build in the hooks these direction seller require so that their customers can do thing like wirelessly configure devices , keep tabs on gadget compliance with company policies , and remotely wipe or lock devices alfresco of Mobile Me and Exchange ActiveSync .
For individual exploiter , or even smaller small businesses , none of this is a big bargain . But for larger companies , these are hugely important capableness . It ’s also not intemperate to see the indigence for this in educational markets where Apple plausibly hopes to get entire schools crammed full of iPads . Giving those schools a fashion to wirelessly manage those gadget would be an important sale point , peculiarly if you could go from box to student without ever needing to adjoin iTunes . If you’re able to update the twist wirelessly , even better .
Security
The iPhone OS has also taken its share of knocks over security . Some of these criticisms have been grandiloquent — or just patently wrong — but other security measures concerns are certainly valid . Take the deficiency of encryption in pre-3GS model or the mode the encryption was set up on the 3GS — once you get past the passcode , all the data on the equipment is completely available . Encryption has been more of a “ keep them out if they steal the earphone and ca n’t get past the passphrase ” philosophy : best than nothing , but not great .
With iPhone 4.0 , Apple seems to be changing the way it apply encryption ever so slightly . It looks as if Apple is giving users the power to use a personal passphrase as an encryption key for data on the machine for affair like vitamin E - chain armour and attachments . Apple is also apply new genus Apis to set aside developers to cipher their data as well , so if someone get ahold of your iPhone , it ’s hopefully that much firmly for them to get to your information .
But some things remain unclear about this forthcoming modification . Does it mean Apple will permit you to inscribe your entire gimmick , where the ironware supports it , without using the toilsome tonality that is the same for all devices , or will this rag on top of existing encoding ? Will this grant two - constituent authentication trafficker to implement fresh card so that approach to your equipment is even more unafraid ? We do n’t know , and , as of yet , Apple ’s not telling .
Along with encryption changes , Apple will add more support for SSL VPNs . Now , since I ’ve seen a circle of report mangle this , let ’s be cleared here :
With variation 4 , Apple looks to be increase the supporting for SSL VPNs so that the connection experience is more unlined and tap into capabilities like VPN - on - demand so that things “ just work . ” Juniper and Cisco have been cite in conjunction with this new livelihood , so they ’re potential to be early supporters of this lineament . Hopefully , other vendors like F5 will follow suit .
Apps
During its iPhone 4.0 consequence last week , Apple peach about features such as bread and butter for multiple Exchange ActiveSync ( EAS ) account and support for Exchange 2010 . Still , the devil ’s in the details . Does support for Exchange 2010 think it will process the same way things worked with an Exchange 2007 or 2003 server , or that there will be keep for Exchange 2010 - specific feature ? We do n’t sleep together .
I did note a few more feature by cautiously reading the smaller point on a feature slide during Steve Jobs ’ presentation . A particular pain in the neck head for CalDAV user — like everyone using Apple ’s iCal host — involve create group meeting for CalDAV calendar . you’re able to do that now with Ea accounts , but not being able to do it with CalDAV has been really pestering . Version 4 will have support for the novel CardDAV monetary standard , which is a nice bullet degree , but given the state of the standard and current implementation , not abysmally telling .
Will iCal in variant 4 ultimately back up share calendars ala iCal on the background ? Will you be able to set which partake in calendar you want to see ? Will you be capable to set up relegating to your own calendars on the machine ? We do n’t eff . Same thing for shared ring armor booklet and shared address script folders .
One characteristic I ’d have a go at it to see , but I doubt I shall on current ironware , is support for Kerberos and Single – Signon . Even if you have Single – Signon on the screen background , password change are a pain sensation on iPhones . ( Amusingly , since EAS combines mail / calendar / contacts in one service , a watchword change here only requires changing it in one place . With IMAP / CalDAV / CardDAV , you have to alter your parole separately for each account . Single – Signon would make that problem pretty much go away . Barring that , allow you to “ group ” accounts for things like user ID and countersign setup would be more than mildly ready to hand .
Finally , what about Apple ’s own management applications programme ? While the iPhone Configuration Utility is handy for building profiles for devices , it ’s not something I ’d want to manage hundreds or thousands of machine with . Will Apple update its own tools that tend under Mac OS X 10.6 and Mac OS X 10.6 Server or will we have to look until Mac OS X 10.7 to see these changes ? Again , it ’s unclear .
The outlook
Overall , I ’m more than pleased by the changes I see both in the iPhone group O 4.0 consequence video and onApple ’s Website . Even with a fairly gravid amount of unanswered questions , the improvements in iPhone OS 4 are going to make the sysadmin ’s life more than a footling easier , and that is something that always please me , disregarding of the seed .
[ John C. Welchis IT Director for The Zimmerman Agency , and a long - time Mac IT pundit . ]
