Apple's iPhone now seen as real threat to BlackBerry

Apple Inc.'s move into mobile corporate e-mail with its iPhone is a serious threat to BlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd., analysts say.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based maker of Macintosh computers and iPod digital music players on Thursday announced it was adding "push" e-mail to its popular iPhone in June. Push e-mail, where messages are automatically sent to the phone, has become popular with business users and is widely credited as the secret behind Waterloo, Ont.-based RIM's success.
Apple is quickly encroaching on RIM's core business, analysts say.
While Apple's move is unlikely to immediately dislodge RIM's tight hold on the business market, which it basically owns, it will limit the BlackBerry's attempts to grow in the consumer market.

"Apple is moving much more aggressively toward RIM's space than RIM is moving toward Apple," said California-based technology consultant Rob Enderle. "It takes away RIM's expansion opportunity, but it doesn't necessarily displace them."
RIM is the device of choice of business users and will likely remain so until Apple can show that the iPhone's push e-mail is as secure as the BlackBerry's.
Apple, however, also on Thursday announced a software development kit for the iPhone that will allow third parties to create applications for the device. A test version of the development kit was made available immediately.