Feds ditch Blackberry as iPhone and iPad become the norm

This era when the Federal government has had to use ridiculously laughable technology to do their jobs is slowly and steadily coming to an end. For many years, Federal employees have been forced against their will to use antiquated Blackberry phones and Windows PCs, due to “security” concerns. It’s incredibly ironic that they’re forced to use the least secure OS in the world for “security” reasons.

Finally, thanks in no small part to the recent efforts of the Obama administration and various Federal agencies, devices like Apple’s iPad and iPhone are making their way into government ranks. When Obama first took office, he immediately had the ban on Presidential smartphone use removed. He started out with a Blackberry, but that didn’t last long, as it was soon replaced with an iPhone and iPad, which he has often been seen carrying under his arm.

The single biggest driving force in this movement is the fact that employees hate using their officially sanctioned but antiquated devices. You’ve probably never had a government employee tell you how much they love using their government-issued Blackberry, but they’re all known for loving their personal iPhones. Federal employees, from the lowest desk worker to the highest section chief, have been repeatedly asking their IT directors why they can’t use their favorite Apple devices at work. Until very recently, the only solution was to tolerate an awful government-supplied Blackberry at work, and a beloved iPhone or iPad at home. Now, government agencies are slowly beginning to allow their employees to bring their iPhones and iPads in and use them for work purposes, at work.

Now, entire agencies are beginning to choose to replace their Blackberry phones and Windows PCs, not with newer models, but with far superior Apple products such as iPhones and iPads. This is great news for everyone. Federal government employees and public officials no longer need to put up with the headaches brought on by using outdated and poorly designed technology. As the Federal government becomes more open to Apple devices, corporations will now be far more open to them as well. The domino effect will hopefully continue, with more and more enterprise and government use of Apple products, as a brighter day dawns for Federal and corporate workers everywhere.

Article Via The Washington Post
Photo Credit: Vicky TGIW

Justin Lowery has been reading and writing about Macs and technology for nearly a decade. By day he is a web and graphic designer who creates powerful and beautiful solutions for companies and individuals worldwide. By night he writes passionately… Full Bio