“We believe Apple is likely gaining some iPhone traction in enterprise with 19 of top 100 Fortune 1000 companies having iPhones deployed,” Um wrote. “However, we do not think this is a displacement of solutions such as BlackBerry but, rather, believe it is likely at the expense of other Microsoft Exchange capable smartphones.”

Um sees great opportunity in this trend, as long as Apple is willing to step up its game a bit. “In order for Apple to gain greater traction in the enterprise market,” he writes, “the company must overcome some issues including providing 24×7 customer support, providing more future product roadmap details (to allow large enterprises to build ahead and prepare), provide alternatives to OS upgrades solely from iTunes desktop application.”

Ironic, isn’t it, to read such a note in light of all the smack Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer once talked about the iPhone? “There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share,” Ballmer said in 2007. “No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item. They may make a lot of money. But if you actually take a look at the 1.3 billion phones that get sold, I’d prefer to have our software in 60% or 70% or 80% of them, than I would to have 2% or 3%, which is what Apple might get.”

PREVIOUSLY:

• Windows Mobile 6.5 “an Amazing Engineering Feat,” All Right…
• Perhaps if They Think of Their Win Mobile Devices as Broken iPhones…

According to Bostock and Co., Icahn just doesn’t get it (and, to be fair, there are some who agree). “Your letter reflects a significant misunderstanding of the facts about the Microsoft proposal and the diligence with which our board evaluated and responded to that proposal,” Bostock wrote. “A fair-minded review of the factual record leads to one conclusion: that Yahoo’s 10-member board, comprised of nine independent directors along with Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, remains the best and most qualified group to maximize value for all Yahoo stockholders. Conversely, we do not believe it is in the best interests of Yahoo stockholders to allow you and your hand-picked nominees to take control of Yahoo for the express purpose of trying to force a sale of Yahoo! to a formerly interested buyer who has publicly stated that they have moved on. Please may I remind you that there is currently no acquisition offer on the table from that company or any other party.”

Well, no acquisition offer that Bostock knows of, anyway. Microsoft may not be finished with Yahoo yet. “We think Microsoft may still be interested [in Yahoo] as, in our view, it needs Yahoo to compete vs. Google,” wrote UBS analyst Ben Schachter in a research note today. “We continue to think a deal will be reached.”

And it has others suggesting that Microsoft and the Internet search pioneer may announce a deal as early as this week. Predicting that Yahoo is unlikely to post stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings next week, UBS Securities (UBS) analysts Benjamin Schachter and Heather Bellini say they wouldn’t be surprised if in the next few days the company agreed to be acquired by Microsoft. “We still think Microsoft will prevail,” Bellini said in the note. “We would not be surprised to see a deal struck sometime this week, and think it will end up being for a higher price than the original $31 per share offer.”

And who knows, it could happen. A merger of the two companies has seemed a foregone conclusion for quite a while now. As Tech Trader Daily’s Eric Savitz aptly notes, “… in the end, it’s simply obvious. Microsoft needs to buy. Yahoo needs to sell. The rest is a sideshow.” Mafioso Torch Yo, anyone?