RIM has just lost another major client to the iPhone. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency says it intends to move away from the BlackBerry and will be buying more than 17,600 employees an Apple device. A pretty big bummer for the company considering RIM is just about to launch its new BB10 smartphone in early 2013.
In a solicitation document posted last week, the agency says it has relied on RIM for 8 years, but their technology “can no longer meet the mobile technology needs of the agency.” According to their analysis, Apple’s iPhone offers the best solution because of tight controls of the hardware platform and operating system.
Agency personnel including Homeland Security Investigation and Enforcement and Removal Operations are going to be outfitted with iPhones. You know the U.S. government isn’t messing around when you’re talking security for people in these positions.
The damage? $2.1 million dollars.
Image Credit: Lifehacker
