Apple iPhone owners with IBM Lotus Notes corporate e-mail accounts now have a new way to access their mail, calendars and contacts via iPhone thanks to a free application that's now available in Apple's App Store, called Lotus iNotes ultralite.

The application employs the Safari Web browser to access Notes and doesn't use any sort of exchange server, like IBM's Lotus Domino, so it's not exactly an ideal corporate mail delivery solution--Microsoft Outlook user can have mail "pushed" directly to their iPhones via Exchange thanks to features built into the iPhone 2.0 platform, which was first released along with the iPhone 3G in June.

Security minded users and administrators also have the option of using IBM's Lotus Mobile Connect VPN software along with Lotus iNotes ultralite, IBM says.

The application is available for free download to anyone with a Lotus Notes software license, though admins need to install IBM Lotus Domino Web Access 8.0.2 for the application to function correctly, according to CNET.com.

Though good news for Lotus Notes users with iPhones, the announcement is hindered by the fact that IBM was expected to release similar software to enable Notes on the iPhone way back in January at Lotusphere 2008.

IBM and Apple are reportedly in talks to bring the Lotus Notes Traveler software, which can securely bring Notes mail to Windows Mobile devices via Domino, to the iPhone, though no official announcement has been made as of yet.