Ah, June 2007.  Apple launched the iPhone, I had an asymmetric bob and Gartner warned Enterprise customers in no uncertain terms that they should keep the handset at arm's length (note: one of these is untrue).  Back then, analyst Ken Delaney suggested that "Apple has no intentions of supporting [the iPhone in] the enterprise.  This is basically a cellular iPod with some other capabilities and it’s important that it be recognized as such"; now, with the launch of the SDK and the unveiling of Apple's resolutely Enterprise-friendly Exchange and VPN functionality, he's unsurprisingly changed his tune.  Gartner are now recommending the iPhone for business customers:

"In its initial release, the iPhone was, with few exceptions, an Internet tablet with browser-based applications as its main offering, however, the release of firmware 2.0 changes that, enabling enterprises to develop local code and create applications that do not depend on network capabilities.  The iPhone will thus match up initially in several segments against its main smartphone competitors -- BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Symbian Series 60" Ken Delaney, analyst, Gartner

"[iPhone 2.0 will] open up a huge market for the iPhone, which previously had been stymied by a lack of basic business security and application functionality.  However, Apple must widen distribution and of course deliver what they have promised" Ken Delaney, analyst, Gartner

You can't really blame them; the package of Exchange support, Cisco VPN and WPA2 WiFi security is in fact better in some ways than any other mobile device.  The Exchange implementation is arguably more successful than in Windows Mobile, even, thanks to Apple sending Microsoft back to the drawing board to cut out the intermediate NOC and message server.  Of course, Ken wouldn't be himself without a quick splash of ominous soothsaying:

"[E]nterprises should thoroughly review the platform's management and security options to understand how they can control any consumer elements of the platform that may pose a risk" Ken Delaney, analyst, Gartner

If anything, the biggest challenge will be training IT and support staff as to best integrate the iPhone with existing systems.  Hopefully that'll get done quickly; something tells me that corporate demand for the handset come iPhone 2.0 day will be huge.

[via Information Week]