JPMorgan Chase to Allow Employees to Use iPhones for Corporate Email

Strategic Insights -

JPMorgan Chase, the second-largest bank in the US by assets, is testing the use of iPhones for corporate email, a move that could provide employees with an alternative to Research in Motion's (RIM) BlackBerry. The bank, which has 220,000 employees worldwide, is working with Apple and Google to allow employees to use the devices for business purposes. This shift is part of a larger trend where consumers are opting for iPhones and Android devices over BlackBerries.

Key Takeaways:

  • JPMorgan Chase is testing the use of iPhones for corporate email, making it an alternative to RIM's BlackBerry.
  • The bank has about 220,000 employees worldwide and is working with Apple and Google for the device testing.
  • UBS AG, Switzerland's largest bank, is also considering allowing its staff to use iPhones for company messaging.
  • Standard Chartered Bank has switched to iPhones for employees and expects to have 15,000 distributed by year-end.
  • Apple and Google are making inroads in RIM's traditional stronghold with corporate customers.
  • RIM's share of the global smartphone market has declined to 18.2% in the second quarter from 19% a year earlier.

Statistics:

  • JPMorgan Chase has 220,000 employees worldwide.
  • RIM's share of the global smartphone market has declined to 18.2% in the second quarter.
  • Apple's share of the global smartphone market has risen to 14.2% from 13% in the same period.
  • Android devices have surged to 17.2% of the global smartphone market in the second quarter from 1.8% a year earlier.
  • Standard Chartered Bank expects to have 15,000 iPhones distributed to employees by year-end.

Sources:

  • Bloomberg News
  • Two people familiar with the JPMorgan Chase situation, who did not want to be named.
  • Pierre Ferragu, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein Ltd.
  • UBS AG spokesperson Jean-Raphael Fontannaz
  • Research firm IDC
  • 2010 Toronto Star.