On this day in 2007, Steve Jobs revealed the first iPhone to the world, changing the way we work and play forever.
Prior to a decade ago, we were still using bulky devices that had actual keyboards, weak web capabilities, and no apps.
It has taken years of new versions and tweaking to get the iPhone to where it is today. In case you forgot, the first iPhone ran on 2G and was only available at AT&T stores. The App Store didn’t exist yet, a computer was required to set up your device, and we were still using printed directions and Garmin GPS systems for navigation.
If we have learned anything in ten years, it’s that technology takes time to mature. Today, the iPhones and iPads we use and love have changed the way we communicate, share data and plan our day-to-day lives.
In honor of ten years of the iPhone, here are ten ways the Apple smartphone has changed the enterprise:
The iPhone Has Simplified Technology
Over the years, the iPhone has completely changed the way we do business, both internally amongst our teams and with our clients. What once hindered the way we work with complicated and slow processes, has improved our capabilities, efficiency and accessibility. These Apple devices developed with complex, world-class technology are packaged with clean, sleek designs and interfaces that work for every business person, even if you’re not tech savvy.
The iPhone Has Forced a Technology Culture
Steve Jobs and the Apple team pioneered innovation and changed the way we use mobile devices in our personal and professional lives. You would be hard pressed to find someone now who doesn’t use a touch-screen smartphone and doesn’t have instant access to their e-mails, messages and the web.
The iPhone has not only changed the way we get our data for work, but launched a mobile platform that is available and usable by all. Just ask a middle school student or your grandma who are using the same device as you.
The iPhone Eliminated Waiting
Once upon a time, we had to wait to get back to the office to send an invoice, complete an application or respond to an e-mail. Now, all data is available instantaneously on our smartphone, eliminating waiting and driving efficiency. From any place and at any time, we can access and complete critical information for our clients on the spot without the need for a desktop computer or printer.
The iPhone No Longer Ties Us to a Brick and Mortar Building
There was once a time when we had to be sitting at our desk, in a designated office, at a certain time every day. With smartphones and tablets, we can now work from home, the coffee shop, or 36,000 feet in the air with the same capabilities as someone sitting in a cubicle.
The iPhone Has Increased Productivity for Everyone
Since there is no longer the need to drive to the office, wait to print documents, or send files from a desktop computer, we now get work done immediately. These smart devices have changed the way we complete tasks, allowing us to get more done while saving precious time.
The iPhone Gave Us All the Apps
While the Apple App Store may have been non-existent when the iPhone launched in 2007, it did come on the scene in July 2008. From social media apps like Facebook and Instagram that allow us to communicate with friends and share photos, to Slack that lets us instant message with our co-workers among designated channels, and banking apps that keep us in the loop with our money and stocks, we are now always “in the know.”
The iPhone Led to the Phenomenon of Enterprise Mobility
Without the launch of the iPhone, there would no enterprise mobile apps. In fact, there were nearly five billion downloads of enterprise apps in 2014 and companies have gained an extra 240 hours of work per year from employees due to mobile working. In 2017, mobile workers can complete a presentation on their laptop and then access it on their personal iPad or iPhone to share with a client.
Using iPhone features, enterprise mobile apps are embedding push notifications, scanning barcodes with device cameras, using touch ID to keep data secure, and NFC capabilities for mobile payments.
The iPhone Led the Revival of the Tech Industry
Yes, the iPhone may have helped kill the Blackberry, but it also led the way to a new genre of mobile devices. Following in Apple’s footsteps, Google released its own developer-friendly operating system, Android. In a short matter of time, Microsoft and other mobile phone companies followed suit in launching their own touch-screen smartphones.
With the birth of the iPad in 2010, a new gadget market exploded with Amazon, Google and Microsoft all developing their own app-friendly tablets. Looking back, Steve Job’s announcement in 2007 completely revived the technology industry that is still thriving and innovating a decade later.
The iPhone Served as a Launch Pad for Beacon Technology
iBeacon technology launched in 2013, opening a new world of possibilities for location awareness and interactions with customers. Leveraging Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), a mobile device with iBeacon technology can be used to establish a region around an object. This technology allows iOS devices to determine when it has entered or left a region. Beacon technology has changed the way we shop, go to sporting events, and travel with our smartphones.
The iPhone Reinvigorated the US Economy
It’s no surprise that the development of the iPhone has led to job growth in new industries in the last decade. According to a report by Apple, their products and innovations have led to almost 2-million U.S. jobs in engineering, retail, supply chain, manufacturing and app development. In less than ten years, the iOS ecosystem has helped create over 627,000 jobs and earned U.S.-based developers more than $8 billion from Apple App Store sales worldwide.
So today, we look back on a decade of the iPhone and thank Steve Jobs for changing the way we work, play, and communicate.
To learn how PowWow Mobile’s SmartUX Platform works with your iPhone and other mobile devices, click here to watch this demonstration.
