The eagerly anticipated SDK for the Apple iPhone was released last night in typical Apple fashion. The entire presentation can be watched via the Apple website and shows how Apple intend to open the iPhone up to both third party developers and individual enterprises.

Using the new development tools, developers will be able to create full applications that can be sold via the new App Store. Developers are being invited to write applications that can access the full power and capability of the iPhone

The first part of the presentation went into the addition of enterprise features that will be enabled in the free iPhone 2.0 software update which will enable corporate clients to manage and secure the iPhone Apple has licensed the ActiveSync technology from Microsoft so that the iPhone can connect straight out of the box with companies Exchange servers. This will enable users to directly access their corporate email, calendars and contacts. Backing this up will be support for Cisco IPSec VPN to enable secure connection to corporate networks and the ability to authenticate using digital certificates.

IT Administrators will also be able to configure the iPhone, tying it to corporate networks and if need be remotely wipe lost or stolen devices.

Companies will also be able to develop their own private software, which though hosted on the Apple hosted App Store will only be available to their customers.

The second part dealt with the actual SDK and what can be done. This included a couple of demonstrations. Games developer Electronic Arts who were present at the launch demonstrated a version of the much anticipated game, Spore.. Apple also demonstrated a version of Super Monkey Ball by Sega, which makes full use of the iPhones built in accelerometer.

Developers will be able to access all the existing Apple functions, enabling them to use the touch interface, address book and connectivity functionality.

In a Q&A after the presentation, more details emerged. When asked if VOIP would be allowed, it was confirmed that as long as this was only over WI-FI then it would not be a problem. Likewise, iPhone owners who subscribe to Exchange calendars and contacts will still be able to keep separate personal mail, contacts and calendars separate.

Parental controls will also be enabled in the iPhone 2.0 software release which will be free to all iPhone users and available as a charged item to iTouch users. The only thing that was unclear was the question of building applications that use the dock-connector.

The announcements greatly enhance the iPhone and iTouch and raise some interesting possibilities. Allowing VOIP over WI-FI could potentially turn the iTouch in particular into a great little second phone. Coupled with games and the ability to stream video from the AppleTV or the currently in beta BBC iPlayer, this would make a great mobile platform for kids around the house.

Likewise companies such as Tom-Tom would have a great incentive to port their satellite navigation software to the iPhone, connecting a GPS receiver via Bluetooth.

The SDK is available as beta now, and will be officially released in June along with the software update. The next few months could see some very interesting tools coming to the iPhone

June is also the one-year anniversary of the iPhone launch, maybe at the software update we will also see a hardware update. 3G, improved camera/video, GPS?????……