Enterprise bans on iPhones may be lifted with the announcement on Thursday that the iPhone will support Microsoft Exchange email. When the iPhone initially came out, some enterprises banned workers from using it for fear of security problems that could come with users accessing their corporate email from the devices. But with Apple’s licensing of ActiveSync, Exchange email can be securely pushed out to iPhones.

Apple joins a host of other prominent phone makers, including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, and Motorola, among ActiveSync licensees. The Exchange capability is being released as part of a beta of the iPhone 2.0 on Thursday to hundreds of companies. Apple expects to ship the new software as a free update to iPhone customers in late June.