A Japanese group of companies is expected to announce the "iOS Consortium" on Thursday, a group that will develope software for the iPhone and iPad. According to the Nikkei newspaper, the group will support the use of Apple products for business use, including fostering developers and overseeing joint software projects. The paper says that the group will include 70 domestic companies at launch, including tech NEC and Hitachi, as well as firms including Unicharm.

The iOS Consortium has also released a Facebook page, in which says that the group will officially launch on the 21st of this month.

Apple's smartphones and tablets have been succesful in Japan's consumer market, but their penetration into the corporate market remains limited.