One of the biggest stumbling blocks for many would be iPhone customers was the fact that you could only activate an iPhone on a PERSONAL account. Well that changed today! AT&T/Apple are finally allowing iPhones to be activated on corporate accounts with discounts on the services (not the iPhone). This is the first major step at getting iPhones into the hands of business users. No changes in the iPhone itself and there are still issues with lack of enterprise level email support, etc., but this is a good step in the right direction. Looks like I’ll soon be able to go back to my old phone number that is paid by my company.
I wish that any company offering cell phone services could have access to the iPhone.
Here in North Dakota, that is not an option.
Sheldon…the mobile telephony industry in the U.S. has held back innovation.
We, the consumers, need to have phones that work on all networks – or even some minor variation of that.
Ideally, we get a reduction in rates of mobile telephone service (since phone subsidies wouldn’t be built in to the rates) and you buy the phone you want and activate it with your service provider.
Real innovation will happen once we get beyond that.
Think of it this way…it’s like buying a computer that will only work on (fill in the blanks – Comcast, Charter, Verizon…) a specific network.
Hey Terry,
Thanks for the tip…. I get a corporate discount although my company (HP) doesn’t pay the bill it is in my name, so I may now consider this and approach it on Apple’s and AT&T terms. I have to admit others I know don’t share my approach.