Need to Know: iPhone OS 4.0

Another day, another Apple announcement, but what does the arrival of iPhone OS 4.0 mean for business users? Read on to find out.

What is all the fuss about? Isn't it simply an update?

Yes and no. While Apple has rolled out minor updates since the release of iPhone OS 3.0 in June last year, this latest release marks a major evolution in what the OS is capable of. Indeed, it boasts more than 100 new features.

Such as?

Multi-tasking has probably got to be the main one. It's music to many iPhone users' ears that they'll be able to look things up while on the phone and generally benefit from a better user experience.

What else is on offer?

In addition to multi-tasking, Apple has also introduced folders to make it easier for users to sort the wealth of apps they have on their iPhones. You can put what you want where simply by dragging and dropping - much like you do on a desktop - and the OS will automatically name the folder based on the contents. Of course, if you don't like that name you can edit it to one of your choice.

What about business-specific features?

This is where it gets really interesting. During the announcement, Steve Jobs made quite a big deal about the iPhone's role in business. He said that more than 80 per cent of Fortune 100 companies are making use of the iPhone.

So it came as somewhat of a welcome surprise to see a long list of enterprise enhancements announced, including a unified email inbox, better security and data protection, mobile device management tools and support for Exchange Server 2010.