With the anticipated release of Apple's iPhone 5 less than a month away, CIOs may feel a bit like parents before Christmas: sharing in the general excitement but also feeling some stress as they prepare for the coming event.

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Home » News & Events » Industry News » 2012 » August 2012 » Advice for CIOs preparing for iPhone 5

Advice for CIOs preparing for iPhone 5

By Jonathan Dale 27 Aug 2012

apple, byod, ios

With the anticipated release of Apple's iPhone 5 less than a month away, CIOs may feel a bit like parents before Christmas, sharing in the general excitement but also feeling some stress as they prepare for the coming event. CIO Insight recently posted a list of essential factors for IT leaders to keep in mind as they get ready for the new iPhone to make its way into the enterprise.

Accelerate BYOD
The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend has picked up a lot of steam, with 74 percent of companies allowing some kind of BYOD program, according to a February 2012 survey cited by Forbes. However, the introduction of the iPhone 5 will likely put increased pressure on organizations to implement or expand their approach to BYOD. Even C-suite executives are likely to be eager to connect their shiny new iPhone to the company network, CIO Insight predicted.

"Consumers will jump at the chance to buy the smartphone, and when they hit the office the following Monday, they'll be packing," CIO Insight stated. "Be ready."

Part of IT's preparation for the expanded BYOD trend might include sharpening their knowledge of iOS. CIO Insight suggested that IT pros get a developer account to become familiar with iOS 6, as the new iPhone is likely to run on this operating system.

Writing in PCWorld, Stefan Hammond identified some other rumors preceding the iPhone launch, namely that it will include a nano-SIM card and utilize a new type of connector. In addition to responding to these changes to enable iPhone 5 use in the enterprise, CIOs may have to stay on their toes, as the rollout of the new smartphone may be followed by the introduction of a new, smaller iPad. Hammond said the writing is on the wall.

"BYOD is here to stay," he wrote, "and regardless of device, company policies are essential to protect company data."

Review mobile application management
In part because they are likely to be running on iOS 6, the latest iPhones may not be immediately compatible with enterprise applications. CIOs should prepare for running application updates, CIO Insight stated.

The introduction of the iPhone 5 might present an ideal opportunity to review and update the company's mobile application management (MAM). This might entail an inventory of the enterprise app catalog and an evaluation of the company's policies for the whitelisting and blacklisting of apps. Companies may also want to review their authorization protocols that determine what apps are available to various departments.

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