Apple: Perhaps it needs the enterprise after all

Does Apple need to cook up an enterprise strategy pronto? Despite enterprise interest in the Mac platform and more importantly the iPhone Apple hasn't been going out of its way to target corporate users. That move may be a miscalculation given the economy and a struggling consumer.

Wall Street has spoken this week and concluded that Apple definitely isn't recession proof. The question is what can Apple do to buffer itself from the consumer market. The answer is pretty clear: Become more credible in the enterprise where Apple can grow for years off of a small base of customers.

One of the big issues with this Apple in the enterprise concept is data. The iPhone's traction into the enterprise is anecdotal at best. Exhibit A: This Bloomberg report. The headline proclaims that Apple's iPhone is winning BlackBerry defectors. Fair enough. I was very interested to see what data Bloomberg found. I found nothing. The story's lead example--Kevin Willis, a retired NBA center--is the only person cited as someone who swapped a BlackBerry for an iPhone. Does one guy make a trend? Sure Apple has noted that Oracle, Disney and Genentech were all testing the iPhone. Indeed, Apple says 35 percent of the Fortune 500 is testing the iPhone.

But a test doesn't mean that companies are tossing BlackBerries out the window. Even though Research in Motion is hellbent on winning over consumers it is still a stalwart in the enterprise. Companies will wind up supporting the iPhone, but will they standardize on it? Will the iPhone become a de facto corporate platform? Will Macs wind up in your cube?

The answers to those questions will become increasingly important as the consumer struggles. Apple can't outrun an economic slowdown forever and the corporate world--which is also in a world of hurt--could at least provide some diversification in the customer base. The problem: Forrester finds that there is interest in Apple in the enterprise, but the company isn't set up to sell to corporate America.

Simply put, Apple needs to be more aggressive about the enterprise. We'll see if the company comes around.

Also see: Apple cuts iPhone 3G build plan; Suppliers to take a hit