US 'federal government 2.0' ditches BlackBerry, embraces Apple

[*LTD*]

http://www.appleinsider.com/article...nt_2_0_ditches_blackberry_embraces_apple.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...the-blackberry/2011/05/27/AG7wW1EH_story.html

US 'federal government 2.0' ditches BlackBerry, embraces Apple

A new story offers a look at how employees of the U.S. government are making major tech changes, trading BlackBerries for iPhones, and laptops for Apple's iPad.

The new devices are "invading" the federal government, according to a feature in The Washington Post. The story kicks off by painting the picture of a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives tracking a "bad guy" with video surveillance via an iPad.

"This is not a movie. This is not a Steve Jobs dream," author Michael S. Rosenwald wrote. "This is the federal government 2.0, where technology upgrades no longer come at a 'Little House on the Prairie' pace. Even President Obama, a BlackBerry devotee, has upgraded. He now owns an iPad, and it has been seen on his desk and under his arm."

Shifting to consumer-oriented technology like Apple's products allows the government to have happier, more productive employees. And Apple isn't the only beneficiary of the changes: Some free services, like Google's Gmail, are being adopted to cut costs, as well as offer more flexibility.

ATF is said to have about 50 iPads or iPhones in use -- a number expected to increase to 100 "soon." And the U.S. State Department is testing the iPad, while Congress allows the use of iPads and iPhones on the house floor.

The Post also noted that the Department of Veteran Affairs will soon allow clinicians to choose an iPad or iPhone for work instead of a BlackBerry. The report characterized the adoption of Apple devices, as well as those running the Google Android operating system, as "trouble" for Research in Motion and its BlackBerry platform.

President Obama shown with an iPad 2. Photo via The White House.

BlackBerry devices have long been a mainstay of the U.S. government, largely because of the service's secure e-mail platform. But RIM fell behind in third-party software support, as the number of applications on Apple's App Store and Google's Android Market have continued to swell. The report also noted that RIM was "late to the booming tablet market" with the debut of its PlayBook in April to lukewarm reviews.

The story from Washington is yet another bit of bad news for RIM, as another high-profile national story this week from Reuters noted that some investors have called for a change in leadership at the Canadian smartphone maker. RIM has lost market share and fallen behind both Apple and Google, resulting in a sinking stock and pressure on co-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie.

As RIM struggles in government, Apple has found success across its product lineup, extending beyond both the iPhone and iPad. Earlier this month, it was revealed that Apple's sales of Mac computers to governments increased 155.6 percent in the March 2011 quarter. That well exceeded the PC market's 2.3 percent overall growth.

Ricky Carioti/ WASHINGTON POST - ATF section chief Paul Vanderplow connects an iPad to a monitor and watches an arrest video at the ATF National Headquarters in Washington, DC.

----------------------------------------------------------

What, no Playbook?

Funny thing is, the Playbook would have allowed them to simply *stay* with RIM.

Very telling. But we saw the seeds of this a couple of years ago. I was a little early in calling RIM toast in 2009, but here we are. The evidence is really starting to pile up.

UPDATE:

Original article has two additional pages.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...e-blackberry/2011/05/27/AG7wW1EH_story_1.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...e-blackberry/2011/05/27/AG7wW1EH_story_2.html

 

[rdowns]

Microsoft screwed up. They should have gone after RIM and not Nokia.

 

[Repo]

Remember when the government made their own, proprietary equipment?

 

[eawmp1]

Finally, change in which all on MacRumors can belive in.

 

[lostngone]

How?

I do not know how these agencies are getting around the FIPS compliance requirements?
iOS products do not even have a full device encryption solution(that I know of). The few services I have found for iOS just use the cloud model to get around the issue of storing sensitive data on the device.

 

[wpotere]

I do not know how these agencies are getting around the FIPS compliance requirements?
iOS products do not even have a full device encryption solution(that I know of). The few services I have found for iOS just use the cloud model to get around the issue of storing sensitive data on the device.

These are going to be unclass devices for general communications, not classified material.

 

[lostngone]

These are going to be unclass devices for general communications, not classified material.

Doesn't matter the government has requirements to encrypt any PII on mobile devices.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

so standard BS from spun article from LTD got it.

Sadly if you read it and get over the LTD headline change and BS spin you can understand the truth.

iPad being so big so what no one really has had something on the table very long other than Apple so that is a non story.

Chances are the iPhone are used in some areas or allowing employee to use personal phones to connect to the work place email. Again non story. For anything high security related guess what iPhone still fails and blackberry wins.

This is a non story with standard headline spinning from LTD.

 

[maflynn]

Microsoft screwed up. They should have gone after RIM and not Nokia.

The big difference between RIM and Nokia is that Nokia was desperate. RIM is not desperate, they think they can still turn things around.

 

[lostngone]

Chances are the iPhone are used in some areas or allowing employee to use personal phones to connect to the work place email. Again non story. For anything high security related guess what iPhone still fails and blackberry wins.

This is a non story with standard headline spinning from LTD.

It is really silly, in our agency we do not handle any classified data but it is still a requirement that mobile devices are FIPS140-2 complaint so that means only the Blackberry is allowed.

 

[eawmp1]

The big difference between RIM and Nokia is that Nokia was desperate. RIM is not desperate, they think they can still turn things around.

RIM or Microsoft?

 

[Rodimus Prime]

The big difference between RIM and Nokia is that Nokia was desperate. RIM is not desperate, they think they can still turn things around.

RIM bread and butter is still growing and they are still growing every year. So how is RIM in trouble?

They may not be growing at the same pace the smart phone market it is but they are selling more units every year. Also remember bread and butter for RIM is the enterprise and that is not really under any real threat right now.

 

[wpotere]

Doesn't matter the government has requirements to encrypt any PII on mobile devices.

Tis true, not sure what I was thinking...

I also forgot that *LTD* has a habit of posting spin stories. This is likely not going to happen anytime soon. I do know that we have deployed a few mac books out to the units but that is about it.

 

[miles01110]

I do not know how these agencies are getting around the FIPS compliance requirements?

They aren't. Instead of using compliant devices, they are just blatantly ignoring FISMA and FIPS 140-2.

The bottom line is that Apple products in the US Federal Government are nothing more than headline-grabbers. "USAID is using iPads!"... USAID is also a huge CF and manages to piss everyone off- including their landlords at the Department of State.

Lack of central management, nonexistent encryption, lackluster enterprise support, and dozens of other deficiencies on Apple's part will guarantee that no significant distribution of Apple products will happen in the USG.

 

[maflynn]

RIM or Microsoft?

Nokia AND Microsoft

 

[maflynn]

RIM bread and butter is still growing and they are still growing every year. So how is RIM in trouble?

I never said RIM was in trouble. Anyways I think the writing is on the wall with RIM. While numbers are positive things are slowing down. From what I've read they're pulling in less consumers then they used too and their enterprise sector is under assault from apple, android, and if MS can get their WP7 act straightened out then them too.

 

[neiltc13]

"Shifting to consumer-oriented technology like Apple's products allows the government to have happier, more productive employees."

Yep, when apps force quit on my iPad and I get the spinning beach ball or a kernel panic on my Mac I sure am happier and more productive.

 

[maflynn]

Yep, when apps force quit on my iPad and I get the spinning beach ball or a kernel panic on my Mac I sure am happier and more productive.

Admittedly KPs on OSX are a rarity. I wish the same could be said for apps force quitting on my iPad

 

[zap2]

RIM bread and butter is still growing and they are still growing every year. So how is RIM in trouble?

They may not be growing at the same pace the smart phone market it is but they are selling more units every year. Also remember bread and butter for RIM is the enterprise and that is not really under any real threat right now.

That was largely true for Nokia, their recently have been improving, but thats a general increase in the market, when the market have 25% growth and RIM has 5% growth, that's a negative event.

Nokia's growth have been positive over all, but not nearly as quick as Google/Apple. And RIM has been better then Nokia but still much worse then Apple/Google.

 

[*LTD*]

That was largely true for Nokia, their recently have been improving, but thats a general increase in the market, when the market have 25% growth and RIM has 5% growth, that's a negative event.

Nokia's growth have been positive over all, but not nearly as quick as Google/Apple. And RIM has been better then Nokia but still much worse then Apple/Google.

Nokia's "growth" has been plummeting for the past few years. I'm not sure where you're getting the "positive overall" impression, unless we're talking years ago.

I do not know how these agencies are getting around the FIPS compliance requirements?
iOS products do not even have a full device encryption solution(that I know of). The few services I have found for iOS just use the cloud model to get around the issue of storing sensitive data on the device.

Two additional pages from the original article.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...e-blackberry/2011/05/27/AG7wW1EH_story_1.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busin...e-blackberry/2011/05/27/AG7wW1EH_story_2.html

 

[steve2112]

They aren't. Instead of using compliant devices, they are just blatantly ignoring FISMA and FIPS 140-2.

The bottom line is that Apple products in the US Federal Government are nothing more than headline-grabbers. "USAID is using iPads!"... USAID is also a huge CF and manages to piss everyone off- including their landlords at the Department of State.

Lack of central management, nonexistent encryption, lackluster enterprise support, and dozens of other deficiencies on Apple's part will guarantee that no significant distribution of Apple products will happen in the USG.

Yeah, this has been my experience. Regs in every government agency where I have worked have required all mobile devices to be fully encrypted with FIPS compliant encryption. Being able to centrally manage all phone devices was the biggest reason Blackberrys are used. With Blackberry Enterprise Server, you can centrally push security policies (a big plus, since you can't depend on users to secure their own devices), remotely wipe devices, and more. There is no central control for any other platform. I was a BES admin at my last job, and the most common request, aside from the "why is my email slow" whining, was remote wipes for lost/stolen devices and remote password changes.

Aside from all of this, I don't understand why people would WANT their employer to have that much control over their personal device. I like to keep my personal and work stuff separate. Yeah, I would like to only have one device, but I'm not willing to give up control of my personal stuff to my employer. Then again, maybe I'm just weird like that.

 

[lostngone]

Aside from all of this, I don't understand why people would WANT their employer to have that much control over their personal device. I like to keep my personal and work stuff separate. Yeah, I would like to only have one device, but I'm not willing to give up control of my personal stuff to my employer. Then again, maybe I'm just weird like that.

I agree.
I am not a fan of the Blackberry however in this case I will defend them. A lot of people talk about how bad Blackberry is however in our agency's case it isn't all RIMs fault.

We disable the Camera, Bluetooth, limit GPS, limit Wifi and disable all non-approved 3rd party apps. We would have to do the same thing with iOS devices.

I WOULD NOT agree to have my personal iPhone restricted in this manner.

 

[rdowns]

That was largely true for Nokia, their recently have been improving, but thats a general increase in the market, when the market have 25% growth and RIM has 5% growth, that's a negative event.

Nokia's growth have been positive over all, but not nearly as quick as Google/Apple. And RIM has been better then Nokia but still much worse then Apple/Google.

Things are not looking too good for Nokia.

Nokia's shares extended their fall Wednesday after issuing a second profit warning the previous day that sent its shares tumbling 18 percent.


The profit warning also led analysts to predict Nokia’s days as the largest mobile phone company in the world could be numbered, with one suggesting its market share could be cut to just 15 percent by the time it launches its Microsoft Windows 7 smartphone.

It has, by Nokia’s own admission, been a tough couple of years. The company may still be the big beast of the mobile phone industry but it has seen its market share plummet over the last twelve months as rivals HTC, Apple and Google have brought out more exciting and more reliable products.

 

[steve2112]

I agree.
I am not a fan of the Blackberry however in this case I will defend them. A lot of people talk about how bad Blackberry is however in our agency's case it isn't all RIMs fault.

We disable the Camera, Bluetooth, limit GPS, limit Wifi and disable all non-approved 3rd party apps. We would have to do the same thing with iOS devices.

I WOULD NOT agree to have my personal iPhone restricted in this manner.

Same here. We followed pretty much the same policies on our Blackberries, and there is no way I would want my phone locked down like that. We actually had a few people who got approval to connect personal BBs to our BES server because they need a different carrier than the one we used. They always complained about how locked down they were. I also had one person who freaked out when he learned that the BES server logged every phone call made and every text message. I reminded him of who was paying the bill for his service, and that he was free to get a separate phone for personal use.

 

[Melrose]

The big difference between RIM and Nokia is that Nokia was desperate. RIM is not desperate, they think they can still turn things around.

I don't necessarily think they believe that, perhaps more "we do our own thing differently and it will make a difference in key markets." RIM has always been strong in the business side of stuff like this - and they have a long history of experience to rely on in that regard. If they can be a bit more innovative they won't have to worry. They still have a solid brand and solid products... and they aren't afraid to maintain their own look while every other handset maker tries to out-polish Apple.