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Story URL: http://www.silicon.com/financialservices/0,3800010322,39271408,00.htm

HSBC dreaming on the iPhone?
…and ditching the BlackBerry?

By Liam Tung

Published: Thursday 14 August 2008

Global banking giant HSBC is considering ditching the BlackBerry and adopting Apple's iPhone as its standard staff mobile device, a move that could result in an order for some 200,000 iPhones.

HSBC's Australia and New Zealand chief information officer Brenton Hush told silicon.com sister site ZDNet.com.au yesterday: "We are actually reviewing iPhones from a HSBC Group perspective... and when I say that, I mean globally."

HSBC has some 300,000 staff internationally. A decision to standardise on the iPhone on its corporate networks would likely lead to one of the world's largest iPhone orders.

Hush said: "A decision on a piece of hardware like that would potentially be deployed, conservatively, to 200,000 people. You know, it's a big decision, especially when you have an existing fleet out there."

He said: "But it's definitely something we are considering from a HSBC Group perspective. We always explore the potential application of new technologies and this is no different."

Should HSBC select the iPhone as its official corporate mobile device, the decision would be a major blow to RIM, maker of the BlackBerry, which is HSBC's current standard staff mobile.

Most corporations passed on the iPhone when it was first released, due to limited availability and the device's lack of support for Microsoft's Exchange email platform. However, Apple has rectified both issues, and has additionally built a number of tools into the new iPhone 3G specifically targeted at corporate use.

Hush was recently promoted from an internal position to the rank of chief information officer of the local arm of HSBC.

Hush said he did not own an iPhone, however added, "I have obviously had hands on experience with them."

Heads of technology of other large organisations were cautious about the idea of standardising the iPhone for corporate network access at the time of its launch.

Steven Bandrowczak, global CIO of Nortel, which has 30,000 staff, said he doubted whether his staff would choose the iPhone over its current device, the BlackBerry, due to the latter device's superior email functionality.

No time frame has been given for a decision on the iPhone move, with Hush adding that for his position located in Australia, the iPhone was a low-ranking priority at this stage.