BlackBerry 10 Devices Get U.S. Department of Defense Clearance
Just as Apple and Samsung are pushing to get their phones cleared for high-security use within the U.S. government, a staple is announcing the expected. BlackBerry just announced that the U.S. Department of Defense has cleared BlackBerry 10 phones (and the PlayBook tablet as well, strangely) for use on DoD networks. Working with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets have undergone successful testing through DoD labs leading to a subsequent listing on DISA's Unified Communications Approved Product List, and honestly, not too many mobile companies can claim such a thing.
“BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry,” said Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security at BlackBerry. “This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market.”
The real question, however, is whether or not the certification will matter. BlackBerry is still struggling to gain market share, and many (even those in the government) have moved on to iOS or Android while BlackBerry was spinning its wheels crafting BB10.
“BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry,” said Scott Totzke, SVP, BlackBerry Security at BlackBerry. “This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market.”
The real question, however, is whether or not the certification will matter. BlackBerry is still struggling to gain market share, and many (even those in the government) have moved on to iOS or Android while BlackBerry was spinning its wheels crafting BB10.
