Archive notice: This article was originally published on October 19, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The long lead time was necessary in order to develop efficient protection against viruses and hacker attacks. Apple has so far not permitted programs from other manufacturers on the iPhone. That had caused criticism in the IT industry.
The virus threat on mobile phones was increasing, Jobs emphasized. As an example of a solution, he cited the policy of Nokia, the world’s largest mobile-phone manufacturer, which permits only programs with signatures from the developers on its newer mobile phones. This was a step in the right direction. Apple was working on a system that was to grant programmers broad access to the iPhone software platform and at the same time protect against viruses.
With the so-called Software Development Kit (SDK) announced for February, it should also be possible to write programs for the iPod touch player, which is likewise equipped with a touch-sensitive screen.
