Pentagon plans to buy iPhones, Androids in threat to BlackBerry’s market share

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/pentagon-plans-to-buy-iphones-androids-in-threat-to-blackberrys-market-share/2012/10/28/aeafb0a4-1f8f-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_story.html

The Pentagon is planning to open its network for the first time to Apple iPhones and devices running Google’s Android operating system, a threat to BlackBerry maker Research in Motion.

The Defense Department plans to hire a contractor to build a system that will manage and secure at least 162,500 Android devices and Apple products such as the iPad, according to a document posted online Oct. 22. The system may be expanded to handle 8 million devices, the department said.


The project is “a significant step towards delivering a secure mobile communications capability’’ to the entire agency, according to the document.

The plan opens the door for the military to provide alternatives to BlackBerrys, which already are used on the Pentagon’s network. RIM has clung to government business as an area of strength as consumers and some businesses switch to rival devices with bigger touch screens and faster browsers.