Why interact? Ask me how!

Apple unrolled its roadmap for the iPhone this morning, and it charts a route to the heart of the business district, with some side trips to the amusement park. On the business end, Apple answered the needs of corporate IT departments and sent a shiver through BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion by announcing that it had licensed the protocols to let the iPhone connect with Microsoft’s Exchange, allowing for push-mail and coordination of calendars and contacts, as well as the ability for companies to remotely delete data if necessary. The other headline news is the much anticipated release of the software development kit that will let third parties create iPhone applications using the same tools Apple does. Developers will need to submit their creations to Apple for approval (so no porn, malicious software or iPhone jailbreak cracks). The developers can set their own prices (including free) and distribute their apps directly to the iPhone or via the iTunes store. On any application that carries a price, Apple will take a 30 percent cut. And just to prime the pump a bit, venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers have set up a $100 million fund exclusively to help finance start-ups in the iPhone application niche. Some sample programs were shown at the press event, including sales tools from Salesforce.com and medical software from Epocrates, but there were also revelations of a more playful side of the iPhone, including Sega’s plans for a version of “Super Monkey Ball” and Electronic Arts’ porting of the as-yet-unreleased “Spore.”