Apple answers the prayers of many an iPhone owner announcing that enterprise Microsoft Exchange “Push” technology is being added to the device via the iPhone SDK. That’s right fanboys and fangirls, you will soon be able to get your email, contacts, and calendar pushed directly from Exchange to your iPhone.

So, how does this news affect Research in Motion and the top position that the BlackBerry has in the enterprise today? Well, I don’t think it affects them any more than it did when Apple first released the iPhone back in June of last year. RIM had to have known that the next logical step for the iPhone was for it be able to get email directly from Exchange, and, quite honestly, I am kind of surprised that it didn’t day one when the thing shipped.

Surely some would be BlackBerry owners will opt instead for iPhones if they can get their “work” email on them. Let’s not, however, adorn the iPhone the next “BlackBerry Killer” just yet. At least wait until you can get an iPhone without a camera, with a physical keyboard, and on a network other than AT&T.


Exchange Push is just one thing on the list of many things that, in my mind, keeps the iPhone from truly being ready for the enterprise. We should also note that the ability to wipe the iPhone remotely was also added to iPhone SDK so there are actually two less things, but, I digress.

I do acknowledge that Apple is doing what they need to do to tap into an enterprise market that is completely dominated by the BlackBerry, however, my guess, at least in the short term, is that the iPhone will eat into the share of some of the other manufacturers like, Palm, Motorola, HTC, and Samsung before you see BlackBerry numbers start to taper off.

[Source]