IBM to add Lotus support for iPhone, iPod Touch

The Microsoft rival plans to announce the software at its Lotusphere conference to be held next week.

The software will either be free for those who hold a Web-access license, or $39 USD for new users. It will essentially complete the business capabilities of the iPhone, which already supports Microsoft Exchange.

Lack of corporate support is one of the main reasons why so far the device has not caught on outside of consumer circles. It now appears that Apple is actively seeking to go after these customers in an effort to broaden the market.

Apple and IBM's deal extends to the Mac as well: the Armonk, N.Y. company plans to release compatible versions of Lotus Notes and Lotus Symphony for the platform in the coming months.

135 million customers use Lotus worldwide, according to IBM. The two companies had previously worked together in CPUs, as the IBM PowerPC chip powered Mac computers until 2005.