1. qbnkelt's Avatar
    Interesting read in today's Washington Post.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...wpisrc=nl_tech
    04-04-12 01:50 PM
  2. sleepngbear's Avatar
    Not exactly flattering, is it. These people obviously haven't touched an OS7 phone if they still think the only thing a BB can do is email. Of course that's as much RIM's fault as anybody's for leaving that perception out there basically untouched.
    04-04-12 02:04 PM
  3. RoseBud68's Avatar
    BlackBerry remains official Washington’s smartphone even as its maker’s fortunes decline

    Outside Washington, the world is moving at warp speed away from the BlackBerry. At its maker, profits are declining and executives are leaving, and the BlackBerry has even conceded its perch as the top smartphone in its native Canada.

    Inside the Beltway, time stands still. A half million federal workers — President Obama and his staff among them — are still thumbing little black keyboards on little black devices. And that number hasn’t dipped over the past few years while Research in Motion, BlackBerry’s maker, has recorded plummeting sales everywhere else. The slow-moving federal bureaucracy is keeping the BlackBerry around. But RIM’s intensifying troubles and thriving rivals are confronting Washington with a question: Should it break its “crackberry” addiction?

    Some agencies are already loosening their policies to let their workers choose other smartphones. Lawmakers and aides can now bring iPhones into the halls of Congress.

    But, for the most part, the federal government hasn’t joined the smartphone revolution.

    “We appreciate RIM’s focus on security, which is paramount for government use,” said Casey Coleman, the chief information officer at the General Services Administration. The agency has issued some iPhones and Android-based phones for staffers, but the vast majority of its 12,000 agency-issued smartphones are BlackBerrys.

    But Coleman added that other platforms are proving equally secure. The GSA, she said, places “a priority on adoption where appropriate of innovative new technologies,”

    Agencies and big contractors note that the BlackBerry is cheaper than the iPhone and many Android devices. IT departments across the government have years-long contracts with RIM and the wireless carriers that promote the device. And tech staffers at federal agencies are trained to fix BlackBerry products, which makes it harder to switch to new technologies, analysts say.

    Plus, newer devices aren’t as secure as the BlackBerry, some agency officials said.

    The slow pace of change has made the BlackBerry as much a part of federal culture as short-sleeve, white-collared shirts were among NASA engineers or lapel pins are among politicians on Capitol Hill. Some analysts even expect Washington to become the last bastion for RIM’s devices.

    That would leave many Washingtonians with smartphone envy.

    Paul Silder, a government contractor, says he feels stuck with the BlackBerry that the Department of Homeland Security gave him.

    So the 44-year-old father of two is left longing for an iPhone or an Android that he can proudly tuck into the holster on his left hip.

    “I want a bigger screen. I only really use it for work, but it would be nice to surf the Web more easily,” Silder sighs.

    RIM said it is making a full-court press among government agencies, touting the security of its no-nonsense devices.

    “The federal government is a very important market to us and will continue to be. It is our core strength,” said Scott Totzke, a RIM senior vice president.

    Just look at how hackers breached the accounts of Google’s mail service in the past year, other RIM executives have noted. And do you really want workers distracted by the temptation of claiming daily coupons or posting pictures on Facebook on their smartphones when they should be writing policy papers or legislation?
    04-04-12 02:04 PM
  4. BergerKing's Avatar
    And some of the ignorant comments that follow that story....
    04-04-12 02:08 PM
  5. qbnkelt's Avatar
    Not flattering at all. BUT making the point that within certain agencies, solutions such as Good are not even considered.
    Of course, this is not at all news to me. I manage the wireless fleet contract as well as systems integration and security. This is exactly the kind of discussion around our conference table every time other platforms come up. Yup, BB has lost its cachet. But when the consideration is preserving the integrity of data and systems, lost cachet doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
    Mecca EL likes this.
    04-04-12 02:15 PM
  6. anthogag's Avatar
    Stupid article.

    "Smartphone envy"...wow that's a ridiculous statement to write...

    People are suffering in Washington because they can't have an iPhone at work...this is a troll post
    04-04-12 03:03 PM
  7. RIMvanWinkle's Avatar
    I wonder when/if Crackberry will get a smack-down for full-text posting of articles with the stated intention of denying clicks for content.

    Mods need to have a boilerplate mini-infraction. It's horrible netiquette.
    04-04-12 03:06 PM
  8. southlander's Avatar
    All the more need for RIM to move as many as is possible to BBOS 7 devices. The one guy can then browse the web all he wants. Lol.

    But RIM is in an odd spot. They would rather just push BB10 devices to these agencies right? But then that's more wait.. wait.. wait...
    04-04-12 03:14 PM
  9. T�nis's Avatar
    Thanks, to the poster who posted the text. I hate the Washington Post, and it didn't get my click.

    As for government users, they should stay on BlackBerry for security, and so they can be monitored by their BES admins. There's no reason for that father of four clown DHS worker to be twittering and going on facebook. I'm sure he's already underworked and overpaid.

    Personally, I'd like to see RIM shed some of the complaining consumer clutter, too. It'll take the load off the N.O.C. and make BIS leaner and meaner for BlackBerry enthusiasts.
    04-04-12 03:19 PM
  10. qbnkelt's Avatar
    Stupid article.

    "Smartphone envy"...wow that's a ridiculous statement to write...

    People are suffering in Washington because they can't have an iPhone at work...this is a troll post
    Think again.
    04-04-12 03:22 PM
  11. RIMvanWinkle's Avatar
    Thanks, to the poster who posted the text. I hate the Washington Post, and it didn't get my click.
    I hate 7 Eleven but if I take anything from their store I pay for it.

    Probably a "Who Cares" but it reflects badly on everyone.

    On another note, why hasn't anyone linked this to the GSA's Las Vegas boondoggle to blur things up a bit?
    04-04-12 03:28 PM
  12. T�nis's Avatar
    I pay for it or allow one of your friends who works there to "forget" to ring it up.
    04-04-12 03:30 PM
  13. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    Not exactly flattering, is it. These people obviously haven't touched an OS7 phone if they still think the only thing a BB can do is email. Of course that's as much RIM's fault as anybody's for leaving that perception out there basically untouched.
    It is possible that some of those government workers can't do much more than email on their locked down restrictive IT policy BES devices. However, those folks would be disappointed if they got similarly locked down iPhones issued to them.
    04-04-12 03:52 PM
  14. qbnkelt's Avatar
    It is possible that some of those government workers can't do much more than email on their locked down restrictive IT policy BES devices. However, those folks would be disappointed if they got similarly locked down iPhones issued to them.
    That's the detail that everyone who speaks about the wonders of BYOD or iOS/Android is missing. Those devices will be locked down if they enter the federal government. I have yet to see one single person with a government issued iOS/Android device.
    04-04-12 04:13 PM
  15. Laura Knotek's Avatar
    That's the detail that everyone who speaks about the wonders of BYOD or iOS/Android is missing. Those devices will be locked down if they enter the federal government. I have yet to see one single person with a government issued iOS/Android device.
    Everyone seems to be quick to mention how the US Army is testing special Android devices. None of the authors nor the people who post on those articles grasp that the soldiers will not be playing Angry Birds (or any other games for that matter).
    04-04-12 04:31 PM
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