Blackberry Competition: Earlier today, we brought you news that the Pentagon may no longer be relying solely on Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) BlackBerry devices. Instead, it is open to other options, which at this time include Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) as well as Samsung.
While there is a lot of information floating around, it appears that both Apple and Samsung are going through the process of clearing security testing. Once that process is complete, the real battle between BlackBerry and its competition will begin.
He gave us an update on where things stand at the present time with Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) and its peers.
Here is a rundown of what Pickart is able to share at this time about Apple, Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) and others, as a Defense Department spokesperson (tickers added):
“As clarified in the recent release of the our Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan, the Department of Defense is working towards establishing a multi-vendor environment that supports a variety of devices and operating systems, to include Samsung, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and BlackBerry (Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)).
Several mobile devices and operating systems are currently going through the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Security Technical Implementation Guides review and approval process. STIGs are the configuration standards for DoD Information Assurance and IA-enabled devices and systems and contain technical guidance to “lock down” information systems and software that might otherwise be vulnerable to a malicious computer attack. STIG approvals allow DoD organizations to place orders knowing that the technology has the necessary detailed security configuration information required to meet DoD security requirements. They do not directly result in product orders, but facilitate the process by eliminating the need for security reviews at the individual DoD organization level.
The Samsung developed STIG for Samsung’s Knox version of Android is going through the DISA STIG review and approval process with a decision expected sometime in the next two weeks. Samsung has included examples of technologies that can be used with their device to address our full set of security requirements, but the STIG will not be tied to any specific product.
Additionally, DISA has published an interim STIG for iOS 6 and we are working with the DoD Chief Information Officer to resolve a few open questions before releasing this as a full STIG. We expect release of the iOS STIG sometime in the next two weeks.
Finally, BlackBerry has submitted STIGs for DISA review and approval for BlackBerry Operating System 10, Blackberry Playbook, and BlackBerry Device Service. All STIGs for BlackBerry are currently going through the DISA STIG review and approval process. A decision is expected in early May.
The Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan updates the June 2012 Mobile Strategy with specific objectives and puts the strategy into action. A key objective of the plan is to establish a department-wide mobile enterprise solution that permits the use of the latest commercial technology such as smart phones and tablets, and the development of an enterprise mobile device management capability and application store to support approximately 100,000 multivendor devices by February 2014. DoD currently has more than 600,000 Commercial Mobile Devices in operational and pilot use, including approximately 470,000 Blackberries, 41,000 Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) Operating Systems and 8,700 Android Systems.”
As you can see, there is a lot going on right now with the implementation of Research In Motion Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) BlackBerry devices, as well as the potential addition of others, such as those from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL).
Lt Col Damien Pickart will be keeping us updated on new developments, so be sure to check back often for breaking news.
Disclosure: none
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