iPods no longer just for music

Since the dawn of digitized music more than a decade ago, MP3 players have gained in popularity. None have become as ubiquitous as the Apple iPod, which currently maintains a market share of around 75 percent.

Take a walk around any college campus, and you will see myriad students with white wires streaming out of their heads.

No one can doubt the iPod's popularity as a music player; however, many executives fail to recognize the device's potential as a business tool.

Apple currently offers four categories of iPod — shuffle, nano, classic, touch. The WiFi-enabled iPod touch is the newest offering in the line. It provides a 3.5-inch widescreen display and uses the same multitouch technology used in the Apple iPhone.

In fact, it is essentially an iPhone without the phone. With the ability to access the Web, display multiple file formats, and run a variety of applications, the iPod touch acts less like a music player and more like a PDA on steroids.

Although the touch is available with up to 32 gigabytes of storage, the iPod classic can be purchased with either 80 or 160 gigabyte drives. Consider that only a few years ago most desktop computers were shipped with hard drives smaller than that!

While the classic does not have wireless networking capabilities and is equipped with a smaller screen, it is nonetheless a useful tool for business management.

So what are the potential business uses for these devices? Here are some examples:

Communication

and productivity

In addition to five built-in applications, the iPod touch can access a variety of Web-based applications and services that are specifically formatted for the platform.

Sites such as appSafari.com and iphoneapplicationlist.com provide categorized lists of these services, and these lists continue to expand. Users can take notes, view documents, send and receive e-mail, and much more with ease.

The iPod's convenient size makes it a perfect tool for accessing internal databases and inventory control systems.

Training and education

Both audio and video podcasting have become popular with trainers and educators. At least two dozen major universities, including Stanford, Harvard, and MIT, are making lectures available or offering extension courses through iTunes U, part of Apple's iTunes Music Store.

Many of the lectures are free. Other podcasts that are available include certification training, business education, and technology discussions. With very little effort, a company could create an internal training program as well.

Network and system

administration

Flash drives are convenient for installing software, transferring large files, and carrying support applications; however, most of these devices are limited to a few gigabytes of storage.

A high-capacity iPod can serve as a pocket-sized external hard drive, allowing support staff to carry all their tools in a shirt pocket.

In 2005, researchers from IBM demonstrated the use of Linux on an iPod to perform rescue and recovery on a crashed Windows PC.

Security issues

The iPod touch may join both WEP and WPA managed networks, but it still shares the same security concerns as any wireless device. Care must be taken when using such devices from remote, unsecured locations.

In larger enterprises, IT staff could use the WiFi capabilities to search for rogue access points or assess the range of the corporate wireless network.

Because the iPod is essentially an external hard drive, data thieves and corporate spies could use it to steal confidential information.

However, the risk is no greater than that posed by CD-R and USB flash drives. If iPods or any personal devices are used to store data, a combination of physical security and encryption should help to ensure that the data do not fall into the wrong hands.

All internal systems should have updated antivirus software installed and configured to scan any portable device when it is mounted.

In a high-security environment, iPods and other such devices may be prohibited. Corporate security policies should balance the business needs with the possible risks.

For many organizations, the iPod is a powerful and flexible tool whose potential use is limited only by the imagination.