The first generation iPhone is admittedly a beautiful object but it is rare to find one in a business traveller’s pocket.

The screen is gorgeous, its interface and ability to access the web in all its glory is second to none but few road warriors have chosen it as their device of choice.

Why? Push email - and it is this that makes the BlackBerry the handset of choice for many who travel the world on business.

All that is about to change. When Steve Jobs recently announced the launch of the second generation iPhone - scheduled for 11 July in the UK and US – he was very keen to push a tie-up with his erstwhile competitor Microsoft.

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The next-generation iPhone will go on sale in the UK and US on July 11 and will feature faster web browsing and GPS

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If you take a look at the website for the new iPhone, it is the huge Microsoft Exchange logo that jumps out at you. Microsoft Exchange is the engine behind the email, contacts and calendar applications of a vast number of companies.

By adding support for this to the iPhone, which will allow easy access to your corporate as well as your personal email, Apple is aiming the second generation iPhone directly at the BlackBerry.

Now that Apple has been forced to admit that it will have to allow networks to subsidise the iPhone - just take a look at the new pricing plans - it is keener than ever to attract high-spending business users.

While the BlackBerry has a huge following - 14 million people worldwide had one at the end of last year - the iPhone’s desirability coupled with industrial-strength push email will see that dominance come to an end.