Apple is already racking up blockbuster sales with consumers. The company is making small inroads into the coveted U.S. corporate market dominated by RIM’s BlackBerry. Analysts say that employees from small and mid-size companies are very satisfied with their own iPhone and they are also trying to convince their employers to support it. Furthermore, analysts estimate that 15 to 20 percent of the people who have bought the iPhone will use it for business reasons. In the September quarter, Apple sold 6.9 million units of its new 3G iPhone, and BlackBerry sold 6.1 million units. Apple announced recently that it will feature Microsoft Corp’s Exchange for corporate e-mail and other new security standards.

Big names, such as Genentech, Nike or Walt Disney, announced that they support the iPhone, but the BlackBerry continues to own the enterprise space. Apple will have a difficult mission trying to crack industries like finance and government and that’s because they have higher email security requirements. In this competition, BlackBerry won’t just stand and defend their first position in some domains, but they will also attempt to catch first position in the consumer market, with the BlackBerry Storm smartphone.

Around the world, 39.9 million smartphones were sold, and that’s a 28% surge. Apple sold about 7 million, which means a 17.3% share, while BlackBerry has a 15.3% share. The leader is Nokia, with 46.6% of the smartphone market. Even if it’s a big growth for Apple, it’s a question about whether or not the company can keep up the good work, and that’s because more and more companies release iPhone rivals, such as HTC with the G1. In addition, Nokia has also announced its own touch-based device that is targeted squarely at the iPhone. BlackBerry rivals, Bold and Storm, go on sale this month, and it looks like RIM could jump back in front of Apple quite easily.