Pentagon plans to purchase over 162K Apple iOS and Android devices
The U.S. Department of Defense is planning to revamp and expand its secure mobile devices infrastructure, replacing aging RIM BlackBerry products with versions of Apple's iPhone and iPad, as well as select Android smartphones and tablets.
The plan was revealed in a document published by the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency earlier this month, which outlined a proposal for a mobile device management (MDM) solution that secures Apple and Android devices, but leaves out BlackBerry and Windows products, reports Bloomberg.
According to the release, the Defense Department plans to contract out a solution to manage and secure at least 162,500 iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, with the potential to expand the system to handle eight million devices. The system has the potential to handle a total of 262,500 devices by the end of the one-year long contract period, which has contingencies for up to four six-month extensions.
DISA said the undertaking is ?a significant step towards delivering a secure mobile communications capability to the entire DoD enterprise," and will incorporate existing mobile devices with the new procurements.
As BlackBerrys are currently standard issue at the agency, however the new contract plans will allow a variety of mobile devices to access the DoD's network so employees can ?take advantage of the increasing wireless capabilities that exist and that are developing in the marketplace," according to the document.
It is unclear what percentage of the proposed 162,500 devices will be running iOS, however it appears that no new BlackBerry purchases will be made. RIM Vice President of Government Solutions Paul Lucier, said that the agency didn't mention BlackBerry compatibility in the proposal's requirement list because there is already a system in place to manage and deploy the Canadian company's products.
Responses to the proposal are due on Nov. 27 with the winning contractor expected to be announced in April.
The plan was revealed in a document published by the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency earlier this month, which outlined a proposal for a mobile device management (MDM) solution that secures Apple and Android devices, but leaves out BlackBerry and Windows products, reports Bloomberg.
According to the release, the Defense Department plans to contract out a solution to manage and secure at least 162,500 iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, with the potential to expand the system to handle eight million devices. The system has the potential to handle a total of 262,500 devices by the end of the one-year long contract period, which has contingencies for up to four six-month extensions.
DISA said the undertaking is ?a significant step towards delivering a secure mobile communications capability to the entire DoD enterprise," and will incorporate existing mobile devices with the new procurements.
As BlackBerrys are currently standard issue at the agency, however the new contract plans will allow a variety of mobile devices to access the DoD's network so employees can ?take advantage of the increasing wireless capabilities that exist and that are developing in the marketplace," according to the document.
It is unclear what percentage of the proposed 162,500 devices will be running iOS, however it appears that no new BlackBerry purchases will be made. RIM Vice President of Government Solutions Paul Lucier, said that the agency didn't mention BlackBerry compatibility in the proposal's requirement list because there is already a system in place to manage and deploy the Canadian company's products.
Responses to the proposal are due on Nov. 27 with the winning contractor expected to be announced in April.
Comments
I think this is the way it will continue to move. Just submitted my request for a secured iPhone to replace my BB.
Oh, but MSFT thinks they have some kind of advantage in the enterprise market. NOT! Good riddance! They fortunately have become irrelevant in the mobile space and their confusing hacked together product offering is about to be a big fail. Windows 8 home, pro, and enterprise editions, win 8 "pro pack" add-ons, win8 mobile, win tablet RT, win tablet standard, metro UI, classic UI... Or there is always Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, or Ultimate My oh my! What to do.... typical MSFT cluster fk!!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
I think this is the way it will continue to move. Just submitted my request for a secured iPhone to replace my BB.
Please clarify. Is there a difference between a "secured" iPhone and an "unsecured" iPhone?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Rothgeb
Maybe this will encourage efforts to create iOS malware.
Especially since Android has the malware market cornered.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
I think this is the way it will continue to move. Just submitted my request for a secured iPhone to replace my BB.
Please clarify. Is there a difference between a "secured" iPhone and an "unsecured" iPhone?
What I mean is one that runs a sandboxed container application that handles web, email and various other protocols and permits encrypted communication direct with company server or servers. Approved for sensitive but not classified information.
I can understand needing Androids for doorstops, but what will the iOS devices be used for?
Ah. You mean your company has an app (or vendor's app) that provides an encapsulated "portal" to all your company's data in a secured and encrypted way?
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
Quote:
Originally Posted by muppetry
What I mean is one that runs a sandboxed container application that handles web, email and various other protocols and permits encrypted communication direct with company server or servers. Approved for sensitive but not classified information.
Ah. You mean your company has an app (or vendor's app) that provides an encapsulated "portal" to all your company's data in a secured and encrypted way?
Close enough. It's a government rather than private network, but that just means more testing and certification. I believe that private companies are using the same system.
Would be nice. Our company said no way to iOS because the Feds said they would not use it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sflocal
Please clarify. Is there a difference between a "secured" iPhone and an "unsecured" iPhone?
A "Secured" iPhone can not be lost in a bar...
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
The U.S. Department of Defense is planning to revamp and expand its secure mobile devices infrastructure, replacing aging RIM BlackBerry products with versions of Apple's iPhone and iPad, as well as select Android smartphones and tablets.
The plan was revealed in a document published by the DoD's Defense Information Systems Agency earlier this month, which outlined a proposal for a mobile device management (MDM) solution that secures Apple and Android devices, but leaves out BlackBerry and Windows products, reports Bloomberg.
OMG! "...leaves out BlackBerry and Windows products." I can understand BB being left out as their BB10 won't even be on the market until 2013 and why should the gov want to buy their old crap that will be history once the BB 10 makes it to the market... that's assuming that RIMM won't be history by then too.
But for the door to get slammed on Microsoft has really got to make the monkey boy break dance! Well, a company can't be out of the phone and tablet market and expect the government to let them bid with only alpha/beta products, running beta OS and beta software. If you figure this up, MSFT and RIMM can be shut out of even BIDDING on the these products for up to THREE years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
According to the release, the Defense Department plans to contract out a solution to manage and secure at least 162,500 iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, with the potential to expand the system to handle eight million devices. The system has the potential to handle a total of 262,500 devices by the end of the one-year long contract period, which has contingencies for up to four six-month extensions.
DISA said the undertaking is ?a significant step towards delivering a secure mobile communications capability to the entire DoD enterprise," and will incorporate existing mobile devices with the new procurements.
Samsung may not be allowed to bid due to its legal position with Apple, and the pending ITC investigations in the USA. They may not be able to provide the OS they will be bidding. Motorola may be the likeliest Android device manufacturer allowed to bid, which may explain why Google/Motorola dropped their suits; they got wind of this contract in the making.
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider
It is unclear what percentage of the proposed 162,500 devices will be running iOS, however it appears that no new BlackBerry purchases will be made. RIM Vice President of Government Solutions Paul Lucier, said that the agency didn't mention BlackBerry compatibility in the proposal's requirement list because there is already a system in place to manage and deploy the Canadian company's products.
I think RIM Vice President of Government Solutions, Paul Lucier, is blowing smoke and making hopeful statements in a hopeless situation. RIM products may be purchased, but only if there is "no way in hell" an iOS or Android product cannot do the job. The U.S. government is marginalizing RIM and that all there is to that.
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Originally Posted by Napoleon_PhoneApart
I can understand needing Androids for doorstops, but what will the iOS devices be used for?
Well, the iPhones will be used for communications while the iPads will be "recreational devices."