iPhone SDK Announced, Exchange Support

Apple officially announced its Software Developer Kit for the iPhone. The kit will allow developers to create applications to sell via Apple's App Store to iPhone and iTouch users. During the conference, the most common examples where video games such as Spore and Super Monkey Ball. They also showed off an AIM app and demonstration of sales metrics tool that could be used by salesmen. Basically the kit makes use of the core operating system that Apple has been touting about the iPhone from day one.

The kit, available now, includes fully feature iPhone emulator software and debugging so can create and assemble and test the applications on a MAC before making them available for use. The kit itself is available for free, but to add applications to the Apple App Store has a fee of $99. In addition, the fee for an app is set by the developer but they have to share 30% of the sale with Apple. However, they can choose to make their apps free and if they do that, then 30% of free means Apple will not charge a percentage or usage free for making the app available (beyond the $99 charge). To offset these costs, Apple and Kleiner Perkins are launching the $100 million iFund for developers.

The software support on the user end will not become available until the iPhone is updated to 2.0 in June 08. However, by announcing now, developers will be ready on day one to start selling their new applications to the willing public. For iTouch users, all these new toys will be available for you too but with a small fee (similar to the last update with email, etc). The kit can be downloaded from here.

Probably the most important news though for most users is the support for Enterprise users for the iPhone, especially that Apple purchased a license of Microsoft ActiveSync. As a result, Enterprise users will be able to get Exchange emails, calendars, contacts, etc pushed to their iPhone just as they currently do with their blackberries and Palm. In effect, for Apple has made it very clear they are now going after the market that represents the majority of the Smartphone market, i.e. company employees required to carry the devices for work reasons.

So to sum, for the customers, come end of June they will get the opportunity to allow their iPhone and iTouch to work with exchange, download a ton of new apps that developers worldwide are probably working on right now. Oh and in addition to these new plans are rumors that iPhone update will be announced in early June. End result is if you are thinking of getting an iPhone or iTouch, wait until July so can get the latest and greatest model with the updated software and not worry about any additional fees that may come up in the meantime.