iOS devices have already been cleared for use by a number of government agencies, and today, The Wall Street Journal reports the DoD is about to grant two more important security approvals that could increase the number of agencies allowed to deploy iPhone, iPads, and Samsung Galaxy devices.
The Defense Information Systems Agency, or DISA, the agency that sanctions commercial technology for Pentagon use, is set to rule that Samsung’s Galaxy line of smartphones, preloaded with Samsung’s Knox security software, conforms with the Pentagon’s so-called Security Technology Implementation Guide, according to people familiar with the approval process. That would allow it to be used by some Pentagon agencies for things like sending and receiving internal emails, according to these people.
Separately, DISA is expected to rule that Apple’s latest operating system, iOS 6, conforms to a different security-requirement guide, these people said. That would allow iPhones and iPads to be used by military agencies for nonclassified communications, like email and Web browsing.
Samsung has been steadily increasing its pressure to break into corporate and government markets by hiring a team of security experts and former RIM employees to reach out to government agencies and corporations.
Samsung’s plans include a water and dust proof variant of its flagship S4 dubbed the Galaxy S4 Active.
BlackBerry also says it is close to getting clearance and approvals from the government for its latest BlackBerry 10 OS.
As of February, BlackBerry made up the majority of the 600,000 devices used by the Department of Defense, as the Pentagon says its networks now have about 470,000 BlackBerrys, 41,000 Apple products, and 8,700 Android devices.
