iPhone in Enterprise

Now that Apple has announced iPhone support for the enterprise, RIM has no choice but bring BlackBerry Connect to iPhone as soon as possible. Small enterprises have a viable choice even with Windows Mobile and executives are going to drive their IT staff to make iPhones work for them. Professional consumers have a lot of choices with iPhone and Windows Mobile Devices and would like to use the same device inside the enterprise.
RIM cannot afford influential users in enterprises connecting directly to their Exchange. There will come a tipping point when the enterprises will decide to switch over. RIM will have to tackle it both by bringing better devices, which I believe is happening and enhancing the BlackBerry Connect experience to prevent users from switching over.
Until now, the server side technology controlled device adoption. The tables have turned. Once the enterprise starts trusting Exchange Active Sync, it will be the device that matters. RIM did a good job with Pearl as a consumer device, but with so much competition, RIM will have to raise its game several notches.
Exchange Server Active Sync is old news and most of the enterprises are aware of its features, but it did not seem a major threat to RIM based on Microsoft's release history. It typically takes some time for Microsoft to get it right. So why is should RIM worry about today's news? The answer is that by adopting it, Apple has given the Active Sync solution voice and credibility. Large Enterprises may not bat an eyelid, but small enterprises will take notice.