IBM is looking forward to develop applications for iPad

At the recently finished Macworld 2010, IBM announced its new series of business focused applications for the iPhone. These include Lotus Connection and Lotus Quickr. The Lotus Connection is a social networking application .The Lotus Quickr is a software sharing document. In January, IBM launched Lotus Notes app and Lotus Notes Traveler Companion for the iPhone and the iPod.

These applications are targeted towards business people who are using the iPhone. In addition, the applications would also run on iPad. Manager of Lotus software said that the applications would allow the company to gain a “foothold” on the iPad application segment. IBM is also planning to release applications specifically designed for iPad which will be launched almost at the same time with the iPad. He also said that the screen size of the iPad gives IBM the opportunity to do some “very interesting things.” Forbes reports:

Apple's ( AAPL - news - people ) iPad seems squarely targeted at consumers, not BlackBerry-wielding suits. But Rennie says that the tablet, like the iPhone, will likely be used by executives who blend their home and work life and want to use their own personal gadgets to do work securely. "Peoples' lives don't segment neatly between work and home. The iPad gives people what will probably be a home device, but they're still going to want to access a full suite of business software on it," he says. "It'll be a device our customers will own, and they'll expect us to support it."

Famous market research firm, IDC, estimates that about four million iPhones are being used in the corporate segment which will increase to 9 million by 2013. In addition, iPhones bought and maintained by companies will grow to more than three million over the next four years.

Unlike Google and Microsoft, who focus on their own mobile applications, IBM has no mobile OS. This is gives the company an opportunity to develop applications for Apple. It would prove to be a big opportunity for the company.