iPhone 2.0 beta gets hands-on test at major financial firm

A major U.S. financial institution will test Apple’s iPhone 2.0 beta for potential use by internal end users, despite raising red flags about inadequate security on the next-generation device three weeks ago.

“I’m awaiting my device as I type,” he said in an e-mail Wednesday. The official, who asked not to be named and that the company remain unidentified because of corporate policies, said several users will test the device across various security, network and Microsoft Exchange support teams.

A clear concern is that iPhones 2.0 is likely to require using iTunes, given that the current version of the smart phone requires the Apple-built application. “We in the corporate space do not allow iTunes,” the official said. Many companies fear that network and storage capacity will be sapped with songs and videos downloaded from iTunes accounts by end users. There are also concerns that re-use of copyrighted material could violate federal laws, some analysts said.

The official said that after using the 2.0 beta version for a while, a visit is planned to discuss it with iPhone developers at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, Calif.