Cisco Can Now Dial the iPhone

It’s about time. I expected Cisco Systems and Apple to announce some sort of iPhone applications partnership earlier this year, when Cisco sued Apple over the iPhone name. But a deal never occurred. Steve Jobs was hesitating to open up the iPhone to third-party developers, Cisco CEO John Chambers mentioned during a partner event in May. Now, all that has changed. Cisco–and its software partners–finally have the ability to write iPhone applications. Here’s why.

Until now, iPhone has been perceived mainly as a consumer device. I never quite agreed with this public perception — especially since corporate executives with deep pockets were embracing the iPhone with open arms (and open wallets).

By mid-2007, Cisco insiders told me they didn’t expect a partnership with Apple to occur. Instead, they hinted, Cisco would make sure unified applications reached the iPhone through Apple’s Web browser. That’s a nice start. But we all know browsers have their limits.

Fast forward to this week, and we finally have some good news. Apple has announced plans for an iPhone software developer kit (SDK). I’ve got one word for the strategy: Sweeeeeet. When the kit arrives in February 2008, Cisco and its unified communication partners will finally have the ability to write apps that integrate tightly with the iPhone.

A lot of people hoped Mac desktops, servers and notebooks would bring Apple back into the enterprise. I’m a Mac user myself, so I tend to notice all of the new MacBooks business users are carrying.

But the iPhone is Apple’s real ticket into business. And integration with Cisco’s unified architecture can only help the iPhone’s momentum in business.