MobileMe is Apple’s solution for web-based productivity. For $99 a year, you get a calendar, email, online storage, and apps. Besides the fact that it’s offered by Apple, there has never really been a clear incentive for paying $99 a year for something you can get free elsewhere. The benefit, of course, is having a tightly integrated and tailored experience that is made to work with your Apple devices. It completes the experience. The average consumer is probably just not willing to pay $99 for this experience. However, businesses might benefit from a security standpoint.
One useful security feature is Find My iPhone. In the event that your phone is lost or stolen, you can login to your MobileMe account and find the device on a map. As long as the phone has a 3G or Edge connection, the MobileMe map can estimate where it might be. This feature will also display a message on the phone and play a sound, even if the screen is locked and the device is on silent.
There have been a lot of mistakes made with company secrets and consumer privacy lately. The iPhone 4 was found in a bar and leaked to the world before the official announcement this month. One part of the story worth repeating is the phone was wiped remotely, which may have been instrumental in keeping most of the details of the phone a secret.
Remote Wipe is one of the features offered by MobileMe. If your phone falls into the wrong hands or gets lost, you can permanently erase all the data on it remotely. Your personal data is destroyed and the phone returns to factory default settings. This would be a very useful tool for businesses that loan devices to employees. The company doesn’t have to rely solely on the employee to keep their data safe.
The new MobileMe offers a fast and secure productivity solution with the ability to keep your email organized and updated, even when working remotely. These standard features, combined with the added security of Remote Wipe and Find My iPhone, may be worth $99 per month to any small business or organization.
Do you use MobileMe?