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Despite all the chatter about the use of iPhones in the enterprise and an Apple campaign promoting the use of the hot smartphone for business purposes, it appears Apple still has a long road ahead of it to beat RIM’s BlackBerry in the business applications market. At least, that’s the conclusion that can be drawn from a new survey of iPhone users by Compete.
According to the survey, released April 28, a whopping 76 to 100 percent of iPhone usage is personal use. “The results of the survey show, once again, that the iPhone is used differently than other smartphones, even as more similar devices go on the market,” Compete concluded.
To make matters even tougher for Apple in the enterprise applications market, according to another Compete survey released April 8, “traffic to BlackBerry’s Website has slowly overtaken Apple’s online iPhone traffic.”
Compete wrote, “RIM [Research In Motion] decided to reinvent BlackBerry as a consumer brand, not just a work device. They have embarked on several major promotions since Spring 2008, including the ubiquitous ‘Life on BlackBerry’ campaign. Other manufacturers mainly focus advertising specifically around device launches, and not so much as a branding tool. RIM has clearly stepped up its total advertising spending in both areas.”
The metrics site also noted that while Apple releases only one device per year, RIM has an entire suite of smartphones available for use on multiple carriers to keep the BlackBerry name in the news and on consumers’ minds.
Of course, Apple will have a lot to hype itself if it brings out a new iPhone in summer 2009, and there’s already buzz about the iPhone OS 3.0. With blogosphere speculation about the addition of video to a new iPhone, Apple’s site traffic can expect a big jump.
“What others can take from RIM’s example is the notion that, despite the hype, Apple and its iPhone are not actually invincible,” Compete wrote. “Others can compete [with], and even conquer, the breakthrough device if they build compelling products, design smart promotional strategies and take the time and, yes, money to execute to perfection.”
As for Apple’s current campaign promoting the iPhone’s enterprise applications, it still appears that iPhone users prefer pleasure to business.