iPhone becomes more ready for business. But not for Adobe's business

Steve Jobs introduced the new iPhone OS 4.0 and it brings a lot of features for using iPhone in the enterprise environment. First, is multi-tasking (with some restrictions). For example, this allows to use of VoIP and security applications in the background, but not only when the user switches on them. Secondly, iPhone OS 4.0 adds important features to the mail client: the ability to create multiple email accounts, view attachments, email encryption and Exchange 2010 support. In addition, it allows IT-admins to install and update mobile applications via Wi-Fi or 3G and wipe data remotely. It also supports VPN SSL, so users can safely use enterprise web applications.

All these innovations will be highly appreciated by IT administrators and will the iPhone on real competition with Android, Blackberry and Windows Mobile, which dominate the enterprise market. However, not all companies will find iPhone OS 4.0 useful.


Because Apple updated the iPhone SDK and in fact blocked the mobile applications that were created on Adobe Flash platform. As we know, iPhone doesn't support flash-player, so Adobe created the technology that allows developers to convert flash-application to iPhone-apps. This technology was promoted as one of the main features in the new version of the Adobe CS5 suite, which will be released on April 12. And now, a couple of days before the release, it appears that it will not work.

Lead Adobe developer, Lee Brimelow, in his blog formulated the (un)official position of Adobe on this issue: "Go Screw Yourself, Apple!". There are even rumors that Adobe may discontinue support of CS5 for Mac.

Interestingly, the Apple banned flash on the iPhone just after recent announcement by Google that flash will be bundled with Chrome browser. So even Google (the leading evangelist of open technologies) recognizes the need in flash (at least the temporary need).

Let's see whether Steve Jobs can win over the whole-rest-market with the niche product. History has already punished him for this once.