Several months ago we made a decision create web based remote administration tool. We plan use this panel to control main parameters and get statistics information from execution core of automated trading system. Of course, not all of them, only more important like status of FIX connections, ability to stop/start processes, read uptime and used resources. Web pages was tuned special for Apple iPhone according to their HTML Guide.
To prevent unauthorized access to web pages, we configure Apache web server to grant access to clients only with pre-installed special pki keys. Yes, weak place of such system is if someone stole your phone he will have access to system. But as long it was only prototype we just postponed implementation of more serious access restrictions.
But then come big disappointment. First was ‘backdoor’ confirmed by Jobs. I dont know how about rest of humanity but I personally and our clients feel not very comfortable because of some one can trace or even control our actions. I am sure that Apple will not use private information but where guarantees that ‘backdoor’ soon will be not ‘open’ by smart guy? And our private data will flow to unknown direction…This scares.
Another nice surprise happens with me personally few days ago. I also using iPhone(honestly, I was the one who push idea use iPhone as control point to customers…This was my big mistake). One wonderful morning I have found out that my big contact book disappear. Phone showed to me only one number – my. Probably to alleviate disappointment – look, you dont lost all numbers. Obviously, here partially my mistake. I always though that cell phone – dramatically stable thing and never made backups. Why should I do this if all my previous phones working for a years without any problems. Yes, they was not so pretty looking, without touch screen and MP3 player. Is MP3 and touch screen can balance the scale with stability? Not for me for sure.
Phones become more feature rich, bit vendors trying to move responsibility of pure testing/buggy firmware from their R&D departments to you and me. You need permanently backup your contacts because we cant make out applications stable enough.
Here all depends for what you need your phone. For me phone is only instrument, not the part of image. Our clients just want do their work without risk lost some information or be hacked one day.
Even with personal use bugs are annoying, what to say about business? From our point of view Apple tried gain the market, it was rush – be the first with such phone, and they reduce testing time. Maybe this is wrong opinion. But for sure we will not recommend iPhone for our clients because he too young for serious business.
