Lloyds International Moving 400 Staffers to the iPhone

Lloyds International is making a really interesting move with many of their Australian employees. They’re moving some 400 staffers over to the iPhone. Cool! The move comes after a successful pilot project, which convinced them a move to iPhone from the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) would be a sound decision. Key factors into this decision include improvements in using Exchange with ActiveSync, and a data deal with Lloyd’s service provide that will allow staffers to tether the iPhone for use as a modem.

The pilot project was a small test, but Lloyd’s feels the proof is in the pudding according to Michael Baukes, Lloyds International head of infrastructure:

“We did a small pilot of 20 and basically it was a resounding success… That was simply because after we did a cost model on the return on investment on Exchange with ActiveSync the numbers stacked up from a security and total cost of ownership perspective.”

The move over to the iPhone will take place once approval is given from the Lloyd’s big-wigs in the UK. Something I suspect we’ll hear about shortly. I can’t help but wonder if the iPhone will make its way through other areas of the company if the Australian transition is a success… Could it be we’ll see Lloyd’s staffers toting iPhones in the UK before long? Me thinks so. But we’ll see.

[Via: MacWorld]