Feds Bump BlackBerry and Eye Apple as US Government Officials Go High Tech

[Michael Essany]

The feds love their iDevices. That's according to an insightful new look into the role played by Apple devices at the highest levels of security inside the Federal Government. Playfully dubbed "the federal government 2.0," officials ranging from those in charge at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to the President himself, iDevices are taking over Washington. And that's bad news for BlackBerry.

This is not a movie. This is not a Steve Jobs dream. 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.

At ATF, more than 50 iPads or iPhones are now in use (the number is expected to double to 100 soon). The State Department is presently "testing" iPads. In recent months, Congress began allowing iPads and iPhones on the House floor. And we all know iPads populate the White House, including the Oval Office.

Of course, not everyone in the Capitol is a loving fool for all things Apple. Rep. Darrell Issa (R- Calif.), for example, has concerns about the swelling pool of iPad users coming and going at the White House. At a recent hearing, Rep. Issa asked a White House staffer: “Are any of these [iPads] carried into the White House?” When the official confirmed that they are, Issa replied, “So people carry a product which circumvents your entire system by going to the AT&T network on a daily basis in the White House, isn’t that true?” Issa went on to voice concern about what potential harm iDevices could do to presidential recordkeeping.

Not withstanding the concern of some, there's no changing the fact that DC has become a top destination for iDevices. “The demand we are seeing now in the last 90 days has been just extraordinary,” says Tim Hoechst, chief technology officer at Agilex Technologies. Hoechst's company helps federal agencies integrate Apple products into workforces. “It’s like everybody is saying, ‘This is really happening here now,’” Hoechst tells the Washington Post.

Source: Washington Post

[ripped53]

Scary!!!

[Carter321]

Edited for language... user banned.

[alexevo]

How do they deal with the security issues since BlackBerries/RIM tout themselves as being the most secure mobile platform and obviously we all know how easily iPhones/iPads are jailbroken thus rendering them vulernable.

Plus can you even implenent IT Policy type stuff on iDevices like you can with BlackBerries?

[DNA64]

Actually, President Obama owns at least 2 iPad's.

One an alleged gift from Steve Jobs Himself during their dinner meeting in San Francisco, and the other a recent gift from Polish Premier Donald Tusk. Both are iPad 2's.

The President has also admitted to tethering his iPad 2 to his Blackberry.

[Streetcat]

Actually, President Obama owns at least 2 iPad's.

One an alleged gift from Steve Jobs Himself during their dinner meeting in San Francisco, and the other a recent gift from Polish Premier Donald Tusk. Both are iPad 2's.

The President has also admitted to tethering his iPad 2 to his Blackberry.

They may very well own iPhones/iPads however, they do not use them for government use. Or at least shouldn't.

[vantheman169]

I was in the Navy for 9 years. What a waste of tax dollars. If somebody had an iDevice issued from the Gov it would be used to play angry birds and fruit ninja all day long 365 days a year.

[Turb02]

Old news...They're all over the DoD.

[Rcooley617]

Umm I notice how all these comments don't mentioned the offensive picture of our President.....This picture is inappropriate and need to be removed immediately!!!!!

[Turb02]

Umm I notice how all these comments don't mentioned the offensive picture of our President.....This picture is inappropriate and need to be removed immediately!!!!!

Its not offensive its a caricature...