ContractsDefense Department drops Blackberry

Published 28 February 2013

The U.S. Department of Defense has opened its mobile communication networks to Apple, Google, and other mobile communication companies.Currently the department handles more than 600,000 mobile devices, of which 470,000 are BlackBerrys, 41,000 are Apple devices, and 8,700 run on Google’s Android system.

The U.S. Department of Defense has opened its mobile communication networks to Apple, Google, and other mobile communication companies.

At one time many federal agencies used BlackBerry for their mobile communication needs, as the RIM devices provided the strict high-level security requirements needed by those agencies, and came with their own messenger service. As other companies have surpassed BlackBerry with faster Web browsers, more applications, and bigger touch screens, BlackBerry has fallen behind the times and now the company is paying for it with lost contracts.

Cnetreports that last October, the Pentagon, which had an exclusive contract with BlackBerry, announced it was signing contracts with other mobile device companies. Later the same month the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)  said it was  dropping BlackBerry devices in favor of Apple’s iPhone.

“The Department of Defense is taking a leadership role in leveraging mobile device technology by ensuring its workforce is empowered with mobile devices,” Defense Department Chief Information Officer Teri Takai said in a statement. “As today’s DoD personnel increasingly rely on mobile technology as a key capability enabler for joint force combat operations, the application of mobile technology into global operations, integration of secure and non-secure communications, and development of portable, cloud-enabled capability will dramatically increase the number of people able to collaborate and share information rapidly.”

Now Defense Department employees will be able to choose what devices they use instead of just having one device across the board.

“This is not simply about embracing the newest technology,” Takai told Cnet, “it is about keeping the department’s workforce relevant in an era when information accessibility and cybersecurity play a critical role in mission success.”

Currently the department handles more than 600,000 mobile devices, of which 470,000 are  BlackBerrys, 41,000 are Apple devices, and 8,700 run on Google’s Android system. The department wants  eventually to have as many as 8 million devices.

Although the government has opened up the bidding for contracts, BlackBerry could still be awarded a Defense Department contract in the future.