ComunicationiPhones replacing Blackberries at more U.S. agencies
The security features of Blackberry phones kept them as the favorites with government agencies even as iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy models were offering more features, but this security advantage appears to have disappeared, and iPhones are replacing Blackberry phones at more and more government agencies
iPhones are popular among consumers, and now they are becoming popular with the U.S. government – and they are replacing Blackberry phones at more and more government agencies. The U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) will make the switch from RIM’s Blackberry to the iPhone 5. Nearly 18,000 workers will receive new phones.
Techcrunch reports that the DHS contract with Apple is worth $2.1 million, but no date has been announced yet for when the switch will be made. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) switched from Blackberrys to iPhones earlier this year, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) followed suit shortly after. The U.S. General Services Administration began issuing iPhones, as well as Android devices, to some government workers last February.
For Blackberry the loss of these government clients has a lot to do with the continual delay of the Blackberry 10, the company’s newest model. The security features of Blackberry phones kept them as the favorites with government agencies even as iPhones and Samsung’s Galaxy models were offering more features, but this security advantage appears to have disappeared, as DHS stated in an official document that the decision to switch was due to Blackberry phones falling too far behind.
The statement also said the iPhone was chosen in order to meet the needs of the agency’s “evolving mobile law enforcement business requirements that require the use of more capable and dynamic mobile technology.”
A significant reason for the switch is the third-party vendors that use the Apple Store for their applications, while stopping developing products compatible with Blackberry phones. The switch also opens the door for government agencies to use iPads.
