The iPhone is finally ready for its enterprise close-up, at least according to Apple Corp., which unveiled its software developer kit (SDK) for the iPhone at a March event for journalists and analysts on its Cupertino, Calif., campus.
In addition to the much anticipated launch of its SDK for the iPhone, Apple's cutting-edge smartphone now integrates with Microsoft Corp.'s Exchange e-mail platform, a feature whose absence VARs and business users criticized because it kept the smartphone from being a viable business tool for millions of users. Both features will be available in June as a free update to iPhone customers as iPhone 2.0 software, and are in beta testing now. More than 100,000 copies of the SDK beta were downloaded in the first four days it was available.
Apple also announced that Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has created a $100 million "iFund" to fund software development on the iPhone and iPod Touch. In addition to Exchange integration and the SDK, iPhone 2.0 software will include features like push e-mail, push calendar integration and contacts, a global address list, expanded VPN compatibility, including Cisco Systems Inc.'s IPsec VPN, two factor authentication and enterprise-class Wi-Fi using WPA2/802.1x. Administrators now have the ability to wipe a business iPhone clean of its data to help keep sensitive corporate information secure. Apple has licensed the Active Sync protocol and built it into the iPhone to allow it to communicate directly with Exchange.
The next release of iPhone software will also include an App Store where users can purchase and download iPhone applications made with the SDK. Applications will also be available through iTunes. Developers can also use the App Store to update programs. Apple will keep 30 percent of revenue from applications sold through the App Store but will not charge developers any credit card, hosting or marketing fees. Developers get to set prices for applications; joining Apple's developer program costs $99.
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