40% of 2010 iPhone sales have been to businesses

AT&T made a quick blurb today that year-to-date sales of the iPhone have been more heavily concentrated with business customers than has been typical with the consumer-oriented device.

The mobile service provider said that nearly half of its total revenue from all customers and all phone models comes from business customers, and the iPhone is starting to edge in that direction.

The comments came at an investors conference, according to newswire reports.

Since the inception of the iPhone in 2007, the device has been targeted mainly for personal use. At its core it is, after all, an iPod with a phone. But with the explosion of apps over the last few years, enterprise applications have become more and more dominant.

The iPhone does support Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, push e-mail, and business contacts storage. And apps like Oracle, Cisco, and VeriSign have proven to be strong tools for business users on the go.

Apple’s phone is not seen as a direct threat to the Blackberry platform, staunchly considered the leader in mobile business. However, Research in Motion, which makes Blackberry phones, has had to keep on its toes as the iPhone continues to encroach ever so slightly on the powerful business market.