Could your next phone be an iPhone?

The device is suitable for government work, at least if you are just looking for basic services such as phone, Internet access, camera, e-mail, Global Positioning System-based location tracking, and Microsoft Office-based word documents and spreadsheets. The latest version of the iPhone also includes virtual private network software from Cisco, a good start for secured data communications. A recent GCN lab review found the iPhone 3G “offers great features at a fair price.”

Drawbacks still hamper wide deployment, however.

Another factor is enterprise support, or the ability to support the iPhone along with all the other devices in the organization through a centralized management console. Apple offers little in the way of enterprise support, although third-party companies are starting to fill in the gap.

For instance, Zenprise has extended its software for remotely managing mobile devices to support the iPhone. It offers features such as setting up accounts for new employees and troubleshooting a malfunctioning activation or synchronization process. It gets around the Apple restrictions by not placing any applications on the device, said Ahmed Datoo, a Zenprise marketing vice president. Read more at www.gcn.com