iPhone goes corporate: AT&T announces business plan
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Jan 21st 2008 3:07AM
posted Jan 21st 2008 3:07AM
Without a 3G iPhone announcement at MacWorld, Apple remains focused on increasing the penetration of their generation-one handset. True to the rumors circulating the intertubes last week, AT&T is now offering the iPhone to business customers. Plans break down as follows: - 2 year commitment, voice service, and data plan required
- $45 per month for unlimited data, visual voicemail, and 200 SMSes; $55 ups the SMS limit to 1,500; $65 for unlimited everything
- An extra $25 per month nabs a 20MB monthly data plan good for 29 countries, $60 per month ups the limit to 50MB
- Activate by 31 March and qualified accounts will receive a service credit of $25 per month good through 31 December, 2008 -- yeah, that's a sweet deal
[Thanks, Brandon B.]
Good! Now they can make the iPhone sync with Outlook :-)
It would be nice if the corporate connection would entice Apple to release a pared-down sync utility of their own for the iPhone. No company wants its employees installing iTunes on their office PCs.
Brad--
Did you have any luck getting two area codes in an iPhone Family plan? I'm going through that hell right now...
I donno how well the business world would take to this kind of device...considering there are cheaper handsets that do business stuff better and faster and less stylish.
Lotus Notes integration? Seriously? No Exchange? I know there are a fair amount of business out there that use Notes, but there are far more that use Exchange. For me, Exchange support is the killer app that could get me to ask my boss to switch the company. My crashy but functional Palm 700P supports direct Exchange integration. I'd rather use an iPhone, but I need to sync my email, calendars and contacts. IMAP only syncs email.
Cheap has nothing to do with it. Business has more money than individuals. The iPhone has many strikes against it that rule it out as a business phones no matter what rate plan you attach to it.
- No Exchange or RIM PUSH Email
- No version without camera for secure sites
- No "real" ability to addon business apps
- Even when SDK comes out, most business apps are for Windows Mobile, Palm or RIM
Actually:
Stylish would be great for business! My mom may get a blackberry from here work for email, etc. She's open to the idea but concerned about the ease of use/hassles. She can use a computer fine, but you know all those little extra things can be hard.
However she'd be totally willing to get an iPhone for email purposes. There'd be a bit of a learning curve, but she's already used one a few times in the Apple store and gets the idea.
Now for the plans: Is that 45 total or 45 on the voice? Cos consumer plans are 20 on the voice, 60 total
"Even when SDK comes out, most business apps are for Windows Mobile, Palm or RIM"
Well considering this is iPhone v1, isn't that much obvious? The apps can't exist before the platform. SAP and Lotus chose to support the iPhone over all of the above.
Since the 3rd bullet item is all about data, was the 2nd bullet supposed to be about voice instead of data?
Because, otherwise, the bullet items don't specify anything about how much voice time you get.
How much for unlimited voice, unlimited SMS/MMS, and (true) unlimited data? (ok, for the cheap knock-off "unlimited data" that they actually make available to you)
And when will the iPhone be able to do tethering of some form!? (bluetoot DUN, bluetooth PAN, or even that hack that winmo phones can do, where their internal wifi gets shared as an access point for your other devices)
Heh, the internal wifi hack that winmo phones do is practically the same thing the iPhone does for tethering. an ad hoc network and a proxy of some sort installed on the phone.
Apparently, people who are tethering with the iPhone are getting the shaft from AT&T, and are getting charged something like $0.01/kB, leading to insane phone bills at the end of the month. I think once 3rd party applications come out and someone creates an app that allows for easy tethering, AT&T will have no choice but to address the issue. Chances are, however, that they'll just create a tethering data plan for the iPhone and charge another $40/mo.
These are plans NOT INCLUDING VOICE.
https://www.wireless.att.com/business/iphone/?bref=IB0003j3709n1441
I still need 3G. I have played with an iPhone and it very cool and I want want, but surfing on the go was so painful. I often surf away from WiFi so it is silly to be looking for a Starbucks or whatever whne you need to do buisness...
M
Surprisingly, its really not that bad. When I'm out of the reach of an access point, I still manage to get pretty good speeds on it. Granted, I've never had a 3G phone before and I'm sure it's worlds faster, but the only time I've had "excruciatingly slow" speeds was when I was in the lower level of an airport terminal with 1/2 of a bar of service.
The iPhone speeds really sucks.
M
Not really. At least not for browsing.
I came from a BlackJack (and before that, an EV-DO PPC-6700). Yes, the iPhone's EDGE connection is slower. But it doesn't *feel* substantially slower, largely because of the vastly superior browser. Plus, browsing is ultimately far more useful on the iPhone for the same reason.
Where the iPhone loses out is in the ability to "tether" and use it as a wireless "modem" for a laptop. Or in the ability to stream video over the cell network using Orb.
For me, those were tasks that I did rather infrequently with my 3G WM phone, and the trade-offs ultimately work out hugely in favor of the iPhone.
Of course a 3G version will be most welcome, especially if it has tethering support. But until then, I'm not sweating the lack of 3G.
we heard you the first time.
why are these plans more expensive then the consumer ones is it not usually the other way around?
so if these prices dont include voice as cliff has stated, is this a data only plan? or do you need to add voice onto it as well?
Why are the business users getting raped for 25 dollars more/month?
Yeah, I am wondering the same. If you are a regular user, it's $20. But oh, it's for business? Add another $20, please!
I thought this pricing was for voice too, as a way to lure business users. Instead, it looks like they are adding support for a dying collaboration system, upping the price, and issuing a 'press release'. Great Job, AT&T!
"An extra $25 per month nabs a 20MB monthly data plan good for 29 countries, $60 per month ups the limit to 50MB"
That pricing is for the Data Global Add-On, all the base plans have unlimited domestic data.
Oh good, encase i didnt hate supporting Lotus Notes enough already.
Now i get to walk computer illiterate government workers through multi-touch emails... im sure theyll understand that... its not like they dont already have a hard enough time trying to find a power button or anything.
-Ash-
yea Ash,
it seems ur a IT manager from ur post. I am in high school and really intrested in this field. can you tell me what college u went to and/or your major?
I feel your pain Ash.
@everlastinggenie: Im an IT contractor for the DOI. Which, as far as government jobs go, is really the way to go. It got my BA in Digital Arts, but i got this IT job only because ive always been good with computers.
If your serious about getting into IT, get experience and certificates, dont worry so much about the degree.
@j.d.ripper: why much computer users hurt us so? :(
-Ash-
Engadget really needs to add private messaging..
Damn, I really feel sorry for you guys overthere in the states. You pay some hefty prices for crappy service! For instance: I get UMTS unlimited data plan for €9,95 (=$14,85) that only fails to get connected when I'm down some bunker or faraday cage like building.
You're voiceplans seem comparable, although (when I look at AT&T) our's also start lower for people with smaller wallets. But then again, I hear from my amercian friends your avarge reception is total crap!? But then again there are also some plans for only $38 dollars with which you could call landlines unlimited for free, $14.90 adds SMS unlimited.
SIM only plans are also very common for years; Vodafone 450 minutes for $28 dollars..owh and did I mention that we have cellphone reception when we drive around town/city/state/country
Hope we didn't spoil the fun..
And the purpose of that post was....?
Well, you're post is mighty purposefull as well! :P mine is still a lot more on topic than some others..or are you feeling attacked by my suggestion that the mobile market in the US is lacking in comparison to the rest of the world? I was merely trying to make a comparison.
I am therefore also very curious on how Apple is going to price the iPhone in the Netherlands. We usually get huge deals when we commit to a plan for 1 or 2 years, if we commit to such a plan we are not accustomed to paying €499 or €599 for a phone if we also have to pay a hefty subscription. If a phone normally costs €599 you can get it down to €150-€200 even for free with a €50/month plan(I've gotten my Motorola V6 Ferrari for free with a 1 year plan €44,50/month, the phone was then around €450 or $652). The telecom operators created this situation which is a bit unique inside Europe and have tried to decrease the amount they sponsor on the phones but that didn't go so well a few years ago...so now they're sponsoring again!
So I think you are all being ripped off by corporations that charge way to much for sometimes substandard service. You're FCC has been frustrating the US mobile market from the word go. By not choosing between Motorola and AT&T in the sixties and seventies.
That is why i was making my comments, so that you guys can do something about it for yourselves (well probably not really...but hey you never know! :) ) or at least know that it is not normal, we are far ahead and well Japan is even further..
You European regulation types always think that central control leads to better service. What bullshit. The US mobile market sucks because we have low population density, and our cities are far flung. It's much more expensive per unit of population to build coverage. European wireless regulation here would lead to shitty Minitel-like service to be locked in for 20 years.
Here in the US, you get unlimited 3G data and sms plans (no tethering) for $15-$30, in addition to your regular plan. I don't know about GSM reception in rural areas, but CDMA gets reception (not data) in rural areas thanks to analog coverage. Also, most $500 phones also go down to $100-$250 here, but the iphone is an exception, i guess.
Dude, nothing in my comment was pro regulation...take a reading course!
The EU only tries to influence rates sometimes, like for when I'm in Germany they try to get the roaming cost down. That I think is a good thing yes. But the telco market was also broken open a few years ago. So we might still have a strong telco that originally was state owned (sold in 1989!!!) furthermore we have Vodafone, Orange, T-mobile and a few smaller guys. But if ATT would think they had something to offer they are welcome to come on over...
I was pointing to the fact that the FCC, your centraly controlled organization, has frustrated your market by giving it a very late start, Motorola originally made radio's for trucks etc, then they saw an opportunity with the cellphone technology which the FCC was about to give to ATT..Motorola convinced them not to do this and wanted in..this delayed the process and testing started again..in the end ATT did the infrastructure and Motorola did the devices we know that but by then Nokia and NTT Docomo were already implementing services and devices. Your FCC has to approve every device that uses wireless communication....so in this case your centraly controlled organization doesn't do you good.
But then on the other hand, we have normal healthcare centraly controled...so if you think that is good when on average your healthcare is rated as 30th best, BEHIND Costa Rica...you think again on centraly controlled services. Sometimes it good and sometimes its bad. But maybe you're a typically black and white kind of guy (and for futher clarification I am NOT calling you a racist)...but there are more colors you know....we are tempted to say bad things about Americans as if you were all the same, however that is not the case and neither are we!
But this is getting a bit off topic..
There is NOTHING business like with these plans except for the fact that they COST MORE..cough cough...double the price of data for personal... for what? NOTHING except to say "hey, we have a business plan."
Way to go APPLE :)
You mean you actually pay for your own cell phone at work?
Do they mean
unlimited
or
unlimited*
* actually we're liars, like most other carriers and ISP's we lie about what unlimited actually means. It really means limited. Hey, don't blame us, those dicks in advertising standards let us get away with lying to you.
Seriously, Fuzzy. Where's THAT class action law suit?
Seriously, why would anybody get a business data plan? Just the data plan is $45/mo. for the exact same features as the consumer data plan (which is $20/mo). I have a "family plan" and several phones (used for business) and added a $20/mo. data plan to each (they're all iPhones).
I'd be paying a lot more on a "business" plan for no perks.... other than maybe the ABILITY to add international? Please.
Since when does a device that won't even store addresses is considered a business tool? I must've missed the memo.
Hm...it does store addresses, multiple per person actually....and then you can map them on google maps... or am i missing your point?
I should have been more clear - it doesn't import addresses from Outlook, the tool that (educated guess here) at least 50% of businesses use.
Um what? It syncs with Outlook contacts just fine.
http://www.apple.com/iphone/easysetup/getready.html
@PG: When you say "....educated guess ...." I think your use of one of those two words is inappropriate.
So with this update today on business accounts, is ATT offering discounts for corporate employees with FANs on their personal account? Anyone have any idea?
AT&T is the devil
As a person in IT that has to deal with phones my heart sunk. We are on the verge of reimbursing people for their phones instead of paying the contract ourselves. Now we'll have an onslaught of orders before this policy change can get in place.
Ugh
You want to add another one to why iPhones aren't wanted by businesses. It doesn't work with our security settings we have on our cisco wireless network.
montly? or monthly? that's the second typo I've ever seen on engadget and on the same day....apocalypse?!
you must be new here
Crazy it costs more unless they are gonna activate some heft discount pricing. My old AT&T corporate plan allowed for something like 20% off the total bill (data + voice), so in that respect the total bill would be relatively close (5 Bucks more for Business). So unless it's over 20% off discount, it sucks.
*Me as IT* You want what? HAHAHAHA!
Seriously I'd sooner let someone star using a hacked Nintendo DS as a phone then allow a damn iPhone in our environment. If someone wants an iPhone more power to him/her. You ain't linking that shit to our hardware beech. Apple is only moderately consumer friendly. Their practices are outright hostile to the enterprise and it will be a cold day in hell when we start using their shit for business.
dude with english like that I wouldn't let you anywhere near ANY corporate hardware. 'beech'.
if you're going to insult something for being unprofessional, that's fine, but you sort of canceled yourself out on that one.
Lotus Notes? What about Exchange/Activesync? :(
Lotus Notes? DOS?
Anyone have any tips on getting AT&T to let me do a family plan with at least 3 iPhones but with two or three different area codes?
I've heard they don't allow different area codes but they only do on the Business Plan (which they didn't over for the iPhone until now....)
I wonder which company will jump to iphone when they can buy a blackberry.
James: Realplayer porn?
1) No IT Management Utility
2) No Encryption
3) No password forcing to end user.
Any CIO, or Network Engineer will notice the Security Ramifications this can cause.
No, no, and no iPhone for you.
Not true my CIO/Network Engineer has an IPHONE for his business phone and is and APPLE FANBOY you would think he would be smarter...
Thankyou @ThirdMoose, that was more a on topic reply I was hoping for...to compare it with a possible introduction to the iPhone...which if you would compare it to other similar devices is way overpriced, they (Apple and fans) say it's better and part of a bigger all in one solution..well then it should be cheaper..because if it offers an all in one solution..you can make savings on a whole lot of development costs...
I handle the billing for my companies cell charges and i believe the only reason why you would choose these plans is if u want your company name on your account so it can be payed by them easily. I have execs that have to expense these huge 3K bills b/c when they signed up for this they didn't realize the contract was in their name not the corp account(real genius of them) and at the time AT&T wasnt offering corp discounts anyway. They seem to still not be but at least itll be a corp account which actually doesn't give u any perks besides lotus it seems.
The only reason to get a corp acct is b/c of corp discounts or easier billing.
This just doesn't make any sense for anyone.
For all those "excuses" that people tout for reasons not to offer iphone is corporate are all laughable false (okay, unless you work for the NSA, or the CIA the camera one is real)... the bottom line is IT fought tooth and nail not to bring Blackberry's - conveniently forgotten now. That's why reason after all this time, there are really less than 15 million Blackberry users - the wiping and security is just a good front (really? corporate can magically erase a $19 AT&T phone from their desk?). The bottom line is 90% of IT now is the DMV of technology. They are supposd to service and support YOU but instead are just bureaucrats treating you as the main hinderance to them getting anything done - if only the didn't have to deal with YOU - forgetting who pays their paycheck.
Most of the policies that the users in our company hate (no IMAP/PoP3 access, no e-mail retention beyond 21 days, new complex password every 30 days, etc) were dictated to us by the legal department. As usual though, IT is the lightening rod.
It's easy and fun to blame IT for all of your tech woes, but the IT depts at many companies I have worked for just implement what the people on the top floor tell us to do.
If they say they want remote wipe and wireless sync with exchange on all smart phones we distribute, then unfortunately, the iPhone, in it's current state, is out.
Must emphasize further! Exchange/Activesync or else no thanks iphone.
As an admin for a fortune 100 company that directly supports mobile devices I can tell you any company with any sense will ban the iphone until it supports basic security, it's been outlined enough that encryption, password, remote wipe are the "standard" most companies want to see. Have you people not read the lawsuits for lost company data? So YOU users can whine and complain all you want how we BLOCK cool gadgets .. WE are paid to protect companies from data leakage and potential security risk.
If Apple has any remote interest in being in the corporate market they need to intergrate with Blackberry BES and Exchange ActiveSync. Considering Apple is mostly an entertainment entity it's not apple to apple .. Iphone is not a Blackberry and vice versa.
*marked as inaccurate*
iPhone does not go corporate. Show me the Exchange support...oh wait.
The Iphone is not a good business tool. Being in IT I can tell you confidently that hardly, if any will use the Iphone as a real business.
No exchange support will completely cripple the device. This is the biggest reason. 95% or more of companies use exchange.
You can't type nearly as good or fast on an IPhone that you can on say a Blackberry or treo.
It's incredibly expensive for a device that's inferior to other companies business needs.
Does anyone have information on if the iphone will run a program called "Citrix". Citrix is used to access my work PC on an exchange server? I would then have access to a shop software called Jobboss.
The people at the Apple store couldn't help, they don't have the practical experience.