The Pentagon, once an avid Blackberry user, is planning on opening up its tech contracts to Apple and Samsung, as well, spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Damien Pickart reported to Reuters.
While neither company has been officially confirmed yet, the Department of Defense (DOD) is expected to clear key devices through security testing, including iOS devices like iPhones and iPads and Google’s Android platform, used by Samsung and other carriers.
The goal is to increase the amount of mobile options available to DOD personnel, increasing efficiency by introducing some new competition. According to an internal poll, the Pentagon has 470,000 BlackBerry users, 41,000 Apple users and 8,700 Android users, with most of the Apple and Android software working as pilot programs for future adoption.
Of course, if Apple or Samsung offer more robust solutions for the DOD, these numbers could quickly change, and the two mobile companies could land lucrative defense contracts for their latest solutions.
The Pentagon requires companies to work through a STIG (Security Technical Implementation Guide), which requires significant security testing and multiple alterations by the mobile companies, such as highly limited access to apps. The Apple iOS system security review is expected within a week or two, followed by new Blackberry reviews for Blackberry 10 and PlayBook devices.
The DOD will benefit from having three different mobile platforms to choose from, giving it greater flexibility and the natural benefits of competition. However, Apple and Samsung also stand to benefit from jumping through so many hoops. As the Wall Street Journal points out, financial institutions and legal corporations prove much more willing to adopt mobile technologies once they have been accepted by the rigorous review process the Pentagon uses. Acceptance into the program could win the companies many new private clients, as well.
The move represents a continued effort on the part of the DOD to adopt cutting-edge technology and provide opportunities to many private firms in the industry in the process. The April 2013 budget announced that it would seek $34 billion in savings by first “expanding IT consolidation efforts.” Naturally, any IT solution will need to undergo similar security tests that Apple and Samsung currently face, with similar advantages throughout the market.
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