IPhone with Lotus Notes: IT manager’s nightmare?

IT managers who have been worrying about how to support the iPhone for
their executives may want to start some serious fretting.

A report from Engadget and the Associated Press said that IBM’s Lotus
Notes e-mail is coming soon to the Apple Inc.’s iPhone and the iPod
Touch. An announcement may occur Sunday at the start of Lotusphere.

Apple and IBM officials could not be reached for comment on the
report.

This development would apparently be the first big-time third-party
application since Apple said it would open the iPhone and iPod Touch
to outside developers. Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in October that the
software developer’s kit (SDK) would not be available until next
month, sometime after the presumed Lotus Notes announcement.

Many have criticized the iPhone as being less than desirable for
corporate users. One of the major reasons is that the device doesn’t
natively support a “push” corporate e-mail system such as Lotus Notes.

But iPhones with Notes, which has a commanding share of the e-mail
market, would give business users another reason to bang on the door
of their employer’s IT support team to insist on having the popular
device as a standard.

Engadget said IBM is also planning to announce its free Lotus Symphony
for the Mac at Lotusphere.