Samsung Electronics and BlackBerry have both announced that some of their products have been approved for use in U.S. Department of Defense networks following testing by the Defense Information Systems Agency.
Android-powered tablets and smartphones running the Samsung Knox 'bring your own device' security solution have been given approval, as have devices running BlackBerry 10. This currently covers the Samsung Galaxy S4, BlackBerry Z10, BlackBerry Q10 and BlackBerry PlayBook.
JK Shin, President and CEO of IT and Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics, said “We are very pleased to announce that the U.S. Department of Defense has approved Samsung Knox-enabled devices for use in DoD networks. This approval enables other government agencies and regulated industries such as health care and financial services to adopt Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablets. This is a significant milestone for Samsung as we work to grow our relationships within government and large corporate enterprises.”
Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President of BlackBerry Security, said “BlackBerry 10 is ideal for our government customers because it offers a rich, highly responsive mobile computing experience, along with BlackBerry’s proven and validated security model – a combination that’s unmatched in the industry. This approval will enable DoD customers to connect their BlackBerry Z10 or BlackBerry Q10 smartphones to DoD networks and securely access assets from work, while enjoying the wealth of consumer-oriented functionality that BlackBerry 10 brings to market.”