802.1X Coming to iPhone
As part of their leap into the enterprise market, Apple is adding 802.1X support to the iPhone with their 2.0 firmware update in June. While I expected this to happen eventually, it is interesting that Apple found the feature noteworthy enough to mention in their top enterprise feature requests along with push email and push calendars. If you want proof check out this video and watch Phil Schiller, the SVP of WW Product Marketing at Apple discuss 802.1X at around the 5:30 mark of the video. This is during a press briefing announcing the SDK and the 2.0 feature-set. I’ve always thought 802.1X would be an essential part of networking going forward but to have it discussed as a key enterprise feature for the iPhone is great validation of the 802.1X market as a whole. Apple’s website calls 802.1X “the standard for Wi-Fi network protection.” Soon enough it will be the standard for wired network protection as well.