After eight years of customer loyalty, the U.S. Immigration and Custom Forces agency are going to end their contract with RIM (Blackberry’s maker) to gain a contract with iPhone. Over 17,600 employees will gain a new iPhone costing near $2.1 million. The agency said that the company “can no longer meet the mobile technology needs of the agency.” They said that they also viewed Google’s Android, but decided that the iPhone would serve best at least for this year because of Apple’s tight controls of the hardware platform and operating system.
RIM has fired back by revamping the technology they’re putting in the BB10 to hopefully meet the government’s needs. RIM was always the choice for high-secured companies and IT firms, but because of the higher security levels on the newer iPhones and Androids, RIM now has some serious competition.
To me, this article is shows again how Apple dominates the market. Even customers who have been loyal to Blackberry for years now are giving up their contracts to go to the iPhone. Even at my own work, corporate is allowing managers an “upgrade version work phone” to get the iPhone for their phone. It used to be the saying that you had your personal phone, and your blackberry for work. I feel like this is changing rapidly, and already the iPhone is capable of having multiple numbers on it at once with apps. Hopefully with the new BB10, Blackberry will be able to compete once again.
It will be interesting to me to see which phone will finally beat the iPhone, or if that day will ever come.
iphone 5 vs. BB10
Sad to say how a 8 year relationship, even if it’s between two organizations, can end (referring to the link you posted). I unfortunately could not find information from your link that would tell me how long the contract is. This is important as I think ICE may be leaving RIM for Apple so RIM may be at more of a disadvantage once the contract expires. This means given how Apple and Androids security measures have advanced, RIM may not be able to ask for as much money at the negotiation table. If my reasoning is correct, I would have to imagine the contract’s range is 2 to 5 years. Technology is indeed a competitive environment.