The U.S. Department of Defense announced that it will open its communications networks, including its classified network, by February 2014 to mobile phones and tablet computers manufactured by Apple Inc. and Google Inc.
Traditionally, the military has relied on BlackBerry devices for communication. BlackBerry currently dominates the technology field at the Pentagon with more than 450,000 devices.
However, the new plans in development will permit “the use of commercial products for classified communications for the first time,” the DoD said in a statement.
“This is not simply about embracing the newest technology – it is about keeping the department’s workforce relevant in an era when information accessibility and cybersecurity play a critical role in mission success,” Teri Takai, chief information officer of the DoD, said in a statement.
Plans to create a “military mobile applications store” are also in development. A company will be selected by early summer to help develop the “architecture necessary to manage mobile devices and distribute software applications,” John Hickey, mobility program manager at the Defense Information Systems Agency, said.
