MobileIron announces upgrade for iOS 4

MobileIron could speed up the iPhone's introdution into the corpoate space

Device management firm MobileIron has announced an updated version of its enterprise management application which could speed corporate adoption of the iPhone.

MobileIron originally released its app in September and the latest version, due in the third quarter, will come with three core features designed to increase enterprise appeal, according to the firm.

Zero-touch security will enable IT departments to push security updates to an iPhone without needing users to authorise any action, and any rogue phones which are not authenticated automatically will be blocked, claimed MobileIron.

The company has also added applications discovery, which will enable businesses to create and publish in-house apps without the need to use iTunes.

MobileIron will do this by providing the back-end system, and it believes that this feature will drive development of large in-house apps.

Finally, the app's real-time cost control will allow IT departments and users to streamline costs proactively, the firm said.

Ojas Rege, vice president of products at MobileIron, explained that the primary focus of this feature is to notify individuals of potential high-cost international roaming charges.

"During the first several months of the app downloads, we noted that two-thirds of our customers had deployed an iPhone," he added.

"Security is a core requirement of the enterprise market, and Apple's iOS 4 has addressed this issue."

Tools like this could encourage sectors that have traditionally shied away from using iPhones. Government ministers in Whitehall were told recently that iPhones are not approved as a work device.

However, as Apple looks to strengthen its corporate appeal there was good news recently when UK bank Standard Chartered decided to offer workers the chance to switch to the iPhone from BlackBerry.