This just in from riding the risk range - RIM is so far out in front with end-to-end enterprise-class mobile smartphone security, nobody is going to catch them before all the ice cap melts in Antarctica.  The battle is for number two.

In this corner the security challenger is the wildly popular Apple iPhone, riding the strength of the Apple brand and all the Steve Jobs cool.  iPhone sales are single-handedly propelling AT&T's wireless sales in a poor market.  Problem is Apple is a cool consumer device, not ready for prime time enterprise work with sensitive information.  Apple displays way more security savvy in concealing their product roadmaps and introductions, executive succession and Steve Jobs whereabouts, than in designing and building the iPhone.  An entire cottage industry of third-party security solutions is attempting to fix the iPhone's security failings for the enterprise marketplace.  Without AT&T's help to secure the iPhone user, device and session, good luck.

Palm and Google are making noises about providing enterprise-class security for their mobile devices, we'll see.  Palm already has announced more security than that provided in the iPhone.  Google is making a lot of claims for security baked into Android.  It's still very early in the product cycles of these two, stay tuned.  They clearly are targeting the enterprise marketplace, in addition to the consumer.  The end-to-end security offerings for these two ultimately could be determined by the carriers supporting them.

Stay tuned for Microsoft and Nokia's Symbian.  Both companies know security and could quickly re-arrange the furniture with a future smart phone offering.     More on this brewing street fight later,