Apple announced today, via its Web site, that the company is working on a software development kit (SDK) that will allow outside companies to design their own third-party applications for the iPhone.

"We are excited about creating a vibrant third party developer community around the iPhone and enabling hundreds of new applications for our users," Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, wrote in the statement. "With our revolutionary multi-touch interface, powerful hardware and advanced software architecture, we believe we have created the best mobile platform ever for developers."

According to Jobs, the SDK, which will also allow users to design apps for the new iPod Touch models, will be released early next year. "It will take until February to release an SDK because we're trying to do two diametrically opposed things at once--provide an advanced and open platform to developers while at the same time protect iPhone users from viruses, malware, privacy attacks, etc," Jobs explained in the statement.

The announcement comes after mounting criticism about the company's previously staunch stand against third party applications on the phone. Thus far, the company has suggest the use of Web apps, going so far as to create a page on their site that lists available programs.

Pundits like our own Sascha Segan, however, have criticized the move, stating that Web apps traditionally lack the speed and features of their downloadable counterparts.

Jobs recognized Nokia's similar move toward third-party support, stating that like the Finnish handset manufacture, Apple is "working on an advanced system which will offer developers broad access to natively program the iPhone's amazing software platform while at the same time protecting users from malicious programs."