iPhone sales are gaining on BlackBerry’s, according to a report by Forrester Research. While RIM’s BlackBerry is still the most popular device for business users, the iPhone is closing the gap. In so many words, the iPhone is better than the BlackBerry, and RIM had better watch out, before it gets left in the dust entirely.

Granted, RIM has taken steps to regain its footing, announcing plans for improvement around its OS and platforms, hoping to lure developers back to its camp. However, with market share suffering and the iPhone 4 hitting stores today, there’s plenty of trouble for RIM to overcome if it hopes to keep BlackBerry the dominating phone for enterprise.

All the while, Apple’s been hard at work shaking the iPhone “toy” image out of people’s minds. Since launching the iPhone in 2007, Apple’s platform has opened up an entire marketplace derived around serving people their immediate needs. This has crossed over to the enterprise world, giving Apple a couple of years to make gains on BlackBerry’s business-specific design.

An article from WSJ highlights Apple’s takeover in the business world, noting the rising demand of iPhones in the IT industry:

“One catalyst is that employees are clamoring for iPhones, even if they have to pay for all or part of it themselves. AT&T Inc. CEO Randall Stephenson said in an interview last week that about 40% of its iPhones are sold to companies or individuals with corporate discounts.”

That’s left Apple with a three-pronged strategy towards making the most of the next 12 months. Releasing iPhone 4 on the heels of Google TV means that Apple must look to its business partnerships in order to curb Android’s growth and also dominate RIM’s niche market.

The year of the business partnerships

There are three main ways in which Apple can leverage partnerships to accomplish total domination, some more direct than others, outlined in the WSJ article:

**Corporate partnerships–offering discounts to employees to encourage business use
**B2B–Marketing business apps through AT&T stores, teaming with Microsoft for data sync and protection
**Marketplace–getting third parties like Citrix to create business apps to meet demands (i.e. virtual desktops)

All this partnering in the enterprise realm moves Apple beyond the entertainment industry, as it appeals to a widening range of consumers. There will be another series of partnerships Apple will have to work on if it hopes to stop Google from infringing on its dominance in the media and entertainment fields. Minimizing the relevance of BlackBerries is one of many moves Apple is making this year.