Unified Communications Coming to iPhone

The iPhone isn’t a business device. The iPhone isn’t for business applications. Hogwash. The VAR Guy NEVER believed all of those crazy statements from tech pundits. He has long suspected that Cisco Systems and other companies would find ways to write unified applications for the iPhone. Today, Apple finally bowed to demand and announced a software development kit for the iPhone. The move paves the way for the iPhone to increasingly support business applications.

Apple’s timing was super-smart. First, focus on the consumer market. Then, let those early adopters bring the iPhone into work — stirring iPhone demand within the executive ranks. Now, introduce a software development kit to more closely link the iPhone to corporate applications.

Smart. Very smart. And exactly what the mobile device market needs. Apple and Cisco had been kicking around a potential iPhone-unified communications relationship over the summer. But the talks broke down.

Rather than betting the house on Cisco-specific applications, Apple can now offer a level playing field to all third-party software developers through the SDK, which is slated to debut in February.