Thanks to petrib who pointed this out. Apple just announced that they are going to support third party applications on iPhone and iPod touch. This is not surprise because developers have been crying for SDK for iPhone. Many people have predicted that Apple will open their platform soon or later; otherwise they will have difficulty competing with "open" smart phones.

What made me surprise is the statement from Steve Jobs in the news. They will have an advanced system that allows developer to access iPhone's software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs. It sounds like Platform Security in Symbian OS, doesn't it?

It will take until February to release an SDK because we’re trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once—provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc.

...

Some companies are already taking action. Nokia, for example, is not allowing any applications to be loaded onto some of their newest phones unless they have a digital signature that can be traced back to a known developer. While this makes such a phone less than “totally open,” we believe it is a step in the right direction.

There is no detail of how they will implement the system. It could be similar to Symbian's PlatSec or totally different. Let's wait and see on February next year.

Bonus Links

• Third party applications on the iPhone - from Apple Hot News.
• Some more info on the SDK - from Fake Steve Jobs.