Halliburton To Dump Blackberry For iOS

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Halliburton To Dump Blackberry For iOS

Posted by Unknown on Tuesday February 7, 2012 @01:06AM from the death-spiral-in-motion dept.

grub writes "Halliburton has decided to drop Research In Motion's Blackberry platform in favor of Apple's iOS for its workforce. 'An internal newsletter outlined the plan for the nearly 70,000 employees who work for Halliburton in more than 70 countries. "Over the next year, we will begin expanding the use of our mobile technology by transitioning from the BlackBerry (RIM) platform that we currently use to smartphone technology via the iPhone."'"

53 of 188 comments (clear)

Min score:

Reason:

Sort:

Seems fitting by gottspeed · 2012-02-07 01:09 · Score: 3, Funny

Lets all join hands in making the world a better place for investors!
1. Re:Seems fitting by jellomizer · 2012-02-07 01:55 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  A company like Halliburton, is a big company. Most of you the only reason to hate it was because of its connection with a former Vice President who was a War Hawk Republican. Like all Large companies they do a lot of things. And the IT decision to move from Blackberry to iOS, probably isn't part of some evil plot. Just probably more innocently trying to give customers a better tool for their job.
  Blackberry had some really large problems in the past few years. Network outages, lack of interests in developing 3rd party apps. Most likely a lot of employees wanted iOS devices more then ones who liked their blackberry. So they made an IT decision to switch... No big deal.
  
  If Apple messes up or something that is far superior pops up then you will see the market switch again.
  
  This isn't some Evil attracted to Evil, liberal hippy crap. To big companies often thing that are ethically wrong... Yes. Are all their decisions based on Evil... No.
  Sometimes an IT Decision is just that.
  
  --
  If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
2. Re:Seems fitting by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:01 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  A company like Halliburton, is a big company. Most of you the only reason to hate it was because of its connection with a former Vice President who was a War Hawk Republican. Like all Large companies they do a lot of things. And the IT decision to move from Blackberry to iOS, probably isn't part of some evil plot. Just probably more innocently trying to give customers a better tool for their job.
  Blackberry had some really large problems in the past few years. Network outages, lack of interests in developing 3rd party apps. Most likely a lot of employees wanted iOS devices more then ones who liked their blackberry. So they made an IT decision to switch... No big deal.
  If Apple messes up or something that is far superior pops up then you will see the market switch again.
  This isn't some Evil attracted to Evil, liberal hippy crap. To big companies often thing that are ethically wrong... Yes. Are all their decisions based on Evil... No.
  Sometimes an IT Decision is just that.
  No, I am pretty sure it was because they were shameless war profiteers who won no-bid contracts and earned billions in profits while ONLY BY COINCIDENCE were they hugely invested in and advised by several officials in the white house... And then they blew up an oil well in the gulf that shit all over the coastline of 5 states. All liberal hippy crap, no doubt.
3. Re:Seems fitting by P-niiice · 2012-02-07 02:25 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  A company like Halliburton, is a big company. Most of you the only reason to hate it was because of its connection with a former Vice President who was a War Hawk Republican.
  
  Yeah, that's why we should hate them. It couldn't also be it's support and coverup of a gang rape committed by employees, or it's opposition to anti-human trafficing among other things.
4. Re:Seems fitting by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 02:39 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  As a fairly liberal hippy type person, I have to say he's still pretty much right. You can't just say "Halliburton has done evil things, therefore all things done by Halliburton are evil". I disagree with a lot of things about the company, and I take anything they say with a grain of salt, but I seriously doubt they have "Chief Evil Officer" who's job it is to double check all corporate actions and make sure they meet the necessary standard of evil. Most likely enough people complained about Blackberry that IT decided to switch platforms. It's news because it shows that RIM is seriously hemorrhaging big customers. If they can't hold onto the Halliburtons, they're in even worse shape than a lot of people thought. I believe it was just a week or so ago that I was responding to a post about how "regulate" industries were never going to move to IPhone just because some dirty users wanted to... Well, yeah...
  
  --
  I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
5. Re:Seems fitting by tripleevenfall · 2012-02-07 02:50 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Moreover, why is Halliburton moving away from Blackberry to iOS supposed to raise any eyebrows? RIM is in a death spiral. This article could have been written about thousands of other companies.
  (Yes, I know that this is /. so there's necessarily evil afoot when android isn't chosen, but... )
6. Re:Seems fitting by Xest · 2012-02-07 03:11 · Score: 2
  
  Whilst I don't disagree that you're probably right, this is just an IT decision, let's please not trivialise how evil Halliburton actually is down to a mere connection to a politician people may or may not like.
  They were running empty convoys through Iraq just so they could charge the government for more money, despite the fact US troops and civilians died on such convoys.
  They're also still to this day trying to exploit the anti-BP rhetoric surrounding the deepwater horizon incident to shirk off their portion of the blame, despite the fact other companies involved have accepted their portion of the blame, companies such as Mitsui, Anadarko, Weatherford International, and Cameron International.
  This is before you factor in any number of cases of severe corruption in places like Nigeria, and responsibility for a number of other oil and other chemical leaks.
  So yeah, it may be an IT decision, but I suspect people hate it for far more than just it's links to Cheney alone. It's actions are quite despicable.
7. Re:Seems fitting by geminidomino · 2012-02-07 03:31 · Score: 2
  
  opposition to anti-human trafficing among other things.
  You know, just because someone is an anti-human, that doesn't mean they don't deserve to live free of the indignities of being kidnapped, abused, and sold like baseball cards...
  (Sorry, but with the phrasing, I couldn't resist)
8. Re:Seems fitting by ohnocitizen · 2012-02-07 06:30 · Score: 2
  
  This. Plus their corporate policy on the rape of their employees ought to land everyone responsible in jail. (http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1)
Physical keyboard? by PT_1 · 2012-02-07 01:11 · Score: 2, Insightful

I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good phone, but it has no physical keyboard. Many employees use their phone for answering email; to me the iPhone seems like it would really inconvenient for use in this manner. Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
1. Re:Physical keyboard? by vlm · 2012-02-07 01:13 · Score: 5, Insightful
  
  I'm not saying that the iPhone isn't a good phone, but it has no physical keyboard. Many employees use their phone for answering email; to me the iPhone seems like it would really inconvenient for use in this manner. Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?
  Brevity of reply = feature not bug
  
  --
  "Science flies us to the moon. Religion flies us into buildings." - Victor Stenger
2. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:15 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  "Does anybody else use an iPhone as their primary work device?"
  Only while driving.
3. Re:Physical keyboard? by MrHanky · 2012-02-07 01:15 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Oh, don't say that. With autocorrect, an on-screen touch keyboard is just as fast and arrogant as a maniacal keyboard.
4. Re:Physical keyboard? by EMR · 2012-02-07 01:16 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  I use it all the time, and don't really have issues writing emails on it.. With any compact device it takes practice. I personally have a harder time on those mini physical keyboards than on the virtual iPhone keyboard.
5. Re:Physical keyboard? by twofishy · 2012-02-07 01:32 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Yup. Used BlackBerry for about 5 years before switching to iPhone when the 4 came out. It took a day or to to get used to it, but these days I'm just as fast typing on the screen as I ever was on the BlackBerry phone. And the phone a whole is a lot better than the last BlackBerry I owned.
6. Re:Physical keyboard? by mcwop · 2012-02-07 01:36 · Score: 2
  
  I do. Speech to text rules. I type less each day.
  
  --
  "I don't think it's selfish, to eat defenseless shellfish." -NOFX
7. Re:Physical keyboard? by JonathanF · 2012-02-07 01:39 · Score: 2
  
  Think the "I can't write unless I have a hardware keyboard" trope died once people actually bothered to learn to type on touchscreen keyboards. I know I can type faster on an iPhone (or Galaxy Nexus) than I can on the multiple recent BlackBerrys I've used. Not having to use awkward function key combos and using autocorrection to your advantage can go a long way.
8. Re:Physical keyboard? by Danathar · 2012-02-07 01:44 · Score: 2
  
  Yes. And there are many where I work that are happy with it.
9. Re:Physical keyboard? by cc1984_ · 2012-02-07 01:52 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  >arrogant
  Can we assume that's from your iPhone auto correct?
  Choose
10. Re:Physical keyboard? by rockmuelle · 2012-02-07 01:56 · Score: 2
  
  I'm an iPhone user and generally like the platform, but the lack of a physical keyboard is problematic when it's cold out. I suspect many employees oil services company will be using their phones outside while gloves, which will be an challenge on the iPhone's touchscreen.
11. Re:Physical keyboard? by MightyYar · 2012-02-07 01:57 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  typing this on i touchscreen keyboard
  Comedy gold!
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
12. Re:Physical keyboard? by swalve · 2012-02-07 01:58 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I'm not even that large of a person, no sausage fingers for me, and I find that I am unable to use onscreen keyboards with any kind of accuracy either. Four years ago when I was buying my first smartphone, I honestly wanted an iPhone. But when I tried to type on it, nothing but gibberish. Picked up the Blackberry and it fit like a glove. And it still works. Maybe onscreen keyboard prediction technology has gotten better, but I doubt it based on what I see in various forums.
  
  Part of the problem, I think, is that the keyboards include predictive word choosing, and people don't really normally look at the spelling of a word when they are reading. They just see a word that starts and ends with the right letters and is roughly the same size.
13. Re:Physical keyboard? by Tharsman · 2012-02-07 02:10 · Score: 2
  
  My touch screen phone is my primary digital device. Period.
  My computer has fallen back into niche uses like coding and writing extensively long multi-page articles.
  The touch screen keyboard becomes second nature within a week of ownership. This holds true for all touch screen phones, Android, iPhone or WinPhone7.
  At the end of the day, if a keyboard is so important, there are a a lot of cases that come with bluetooth keyboard. Just check this link out:
  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=bluetooth+keyboard+case+iphone&id=76D36CFA8438B11231CD36CAF645900802FD70E6&FORM=IQFRBA
14. Re:Physical keyboard? by MightyYar · 2012-02-07 02:25 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  LOL, a have Java dictionary?
  One pro tip: never type curse words into your phone. It will learn the curse words and then auto-correct at the worst possible times.
  
  --
  W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
15. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 02:31 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I find it harder to type on touchscreen keyboards then on physical phone keyboards when I'm shitfaced.
  But the touchscreen is easier to clean the puke off of.
16. Re:Physical keyboard? by dkf · 2012-02-07 02:41 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  I find it harder to type on touchscreen keyboards then on physical phone keyboards when I'm shitfaced.
  You reply to work emails when drunk? I know it might make dealing with the utter rubbish out of Marketing easier, but even so it's probably unwise...
  
  --
  "Little does he know, but there is no 'I' in 'Idiot'!"
17. Re:Physical keyboard? by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 02:56 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Add me to the pile of "I find virtual keyboards easier than the little ones on a Blackberry" people. I was using a coworkers BB a few days ago to text with another coworker who's number I didn't have. I wanted to throw the thing against a wall. It was awful to type on that tiny little chiclet keyboard, I am at least twice as fast on my iPhone or friends Android devices with virtual keyboards. It's all about what you're used too.
  
  --
  I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
18. Re:Physical keyboard? by courteaudotbiz · 2012-02-07 03:12 · Score: 2
  
  I remember the good ol' times of the Graffiti handwriting recognition. It was so fast and reliable...
19. Re:Physical keyboard? by CohibaVancouver · 2012-02-07 03:49 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  Touchscreens are much harder to type on whilst driving a car
  Conveniently, this usability issue is addressed by Darwin.
20. Re:Physical keyboard? by Anomalyst · 2012-02-07 04:09 · Score: 2
  
  I type less each day.
  Doesn't typing the same word every day get a little boring?
  
  --
  There is no right to feel safe thru security vaudeville at the expense of everyone's freedom, privacy and tax money.
21. Re:Physical keyboard? by quacking+duck · 2012-02-07 06:26 · Score: 2
  
  If they only Darwin'ed themselves by hitting trees, that's one thing.
  Unfortunately, Darwin doesn't discriminate between the idiot texting while driving on an undivided highway, and the family of four that he/she hits when he crosses the center line.
22. Re:Physical keyboard? by Overzeetop · 2012-02-07 07:03 · Score: 2
  
  Actually, you need a bit of training to use the on screen keyboards. I, too, was wedded to my HTC phones for their kbd, and had troubles at first with the iPhone because I didn't understand how they work. The capacitive screens see a potential rise which is centered around the contact point - like a big bump or hill - not a single x,y location. The OS (well, drivers) then reduce that potential field to the most likely point. I believe that for the keyboard, additional processing is done to predict what key you are more likely to hit based on the typing in order to increase your chance of a correct keystrike in a borderline case.
  The key (ha!) is to press the key you want like you mean it. Don't try to finesse it or you'll probably end up with the potential field skewed one way or the other. Once you realize that you don't have to touch just the key you want, it gets much easier. It's basically the opposite of how you deal with a chicklet keyboard.
  It works, mostly. M and backspace suck mightily, and there is occasionally confusion in the U-I-O recognition, but for the most part it's as good as a physical keyboard. The biggest beef I have is that there are no arrow keys.
  
  --
  Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Remember their coveted corporate user base? by MrCrassic · 2012-02-07 01:13 · Score: 3, Informative

Now we know that RIM is dead. You heard it here first.
Feds won't like it by gruntled · 2012-02-07 01:15 · Score: 4, Insightful

iOS does not have a FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module associated with it, meaning that viewing non-public government data on their e-mail system would be a contract violation at worst and might expose them to criminal liability. Aren't these guys basically government contractors?
1. Re:Feds won't like it by d00f · 2012-02-07 01:26 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  There is also no reason why the Android couldn't do the same. Lawyers don't care about whether it would have been possible for some company to modify their product to meet the requirements of a contract - they care what was done.
  RIM designed their infrastructure and device from the ground up to be secure and there is a reason why nearly all the law firms, government contractors and big business uses their devices. Apple designed their iPhone around the best user experience - 2 different objectives and this explains why they've had great success with the home type users.
2. Re:Feds won't like it by gruntled · 2012-02-07 01:32 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  You're right, there's no reason Apple can't...except it hasn't bothered. Until last year, Apple didn't have a FIPS 140-2 certified encryption module for *anything*. And it's not like if Apple developed an iOS encryption module and submitted it for approval that suddenly it's done; FIPS 140-2 is a testing requirement; it can take a long time before your encryption module is certified after being submitted for testing.
3. Re:Feds won't like it by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 01:39 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  (Posting AC because I'm at work)
  It would appear you're not entirely correct: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3829534.htm
  "Mocana Corporation, a company that focuses on securing non-PC connected devices, today announced that it has earned the government's first FIPS 140-2 level one validation for an encryption product running on the Apple iPhone or iPad."
4. Re:Feds won't like it by gruntled · 2012-02-07 01:46 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  You can think of FIPS 140-1 as what's commonly referred to as encryption strength (that is, the type of encryption, like AES 256). FIPS 140-2 is a certification that the encryption you're using under 140-1 has been implemented properly and it looks like this chart combines both one and two. To the best of my knowledge there's no 140-2 certification for iOS.
5. Re:Feds won't like it by DigiShaman · 2012-02-07 03:20 · Score: 2
  
  Apple hasn't shown much willingness to cater to the enterprise market. They do of course have such a product division, but they treat it like a red headed stepchild and with low priority. Their server is basically a joke for small businesses in comparison to an MS SBS box. I should know, we deployed one at the request of one of our clients. Actually, I thought it would be an awesome experience. I was wrong, sadly.
  Maybe it's growth. Maybe they're setting up the pieces for the final "keystone" to capture all market share including the enterprise segment. Doesn't matter in the end though because it hasn't happened. Apple is sticking with the two fastest growing markets. Mobile computing and cloud-based services. In fact, I'm willing to bet they will start to abandon OSX over iOS purely from a philosophical view point. That is to say, they might even abhor decentralization. How much longer will it be before you can only install apps on your MacBook from App Store? Effectively locking out all other channels to obtain your software from.
  
  --
  Life is not for the lazy.
6. Re:Feds won't like it by thevil · 2012-02-07 03:57 · Score: 2
  
  Aiming to break into the government market on an enterprise level, Apple has submitted three cryptographic modules that are in the modules in process queue for FIPS 140-2 compliance, according to Easter. Two of the modules in the testing process are specifically designed for iPhone and iPad security, and the third is a more generic module, he said.
  Apple seeks to better iPad, iPhone security via FIPS 140-2 compliance
Re:Remember their coveted corporate user base? by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · 2012-02-07 01:17 · Score: 3, Funny

On the plus side, RIM should find it much easier to retain customer-service reps, now that the risk of picking up the phone and being on the receiving end of Dick Cheney's rather impressive gravelly snarl is gone...
data usage by geoffaus · 2012-02-07 01:31 · Score: 2

Hope they dont have to pay for roaming - the Iphone uses way more data than the BB

--
As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a reference to Godwin's Law approaches 1
Re:No mention if Droids were considered by Dixie_Flatline · 2012-02-07 01:38 · Score: 3, Interesting

I suspect that it has something to do with support level. Google doesn't do end-user support, so you're stuck with a raft of manufacturers that have no proven support structure and are notoriously behind schedule when it comes to OS updates. Apple has a good history of keeping their phones up to date with the latest OS revision for at least a couple of years, which is probably pretty enticing.
The REAL question is why they didn't consider Windows phones. Or maybe they did, but couldn't wait for the WP8 update. There's a company that has a long history of enterprise support; they seem like they'd be a natural fit.
Another Nail in the BB Coffin by na1led · 2012-02-07 01:42 · Score: 2, Interesting

By the end of this year, RIM will have lost so many customers it won't have any legs to stand on. I'm not sure if this is a good thing, but I guess it's progress.

--
-- By all means let's be open-minded, but not so open-minded that our brains drop out.
1. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by tom229 · 2012-02-07 01:52 · Score: 2
  
  It's definitely not progress. I, for one, am beyond tired of my only choices being coke or pepsi.
  
  --
  If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
2. Re:Another Nail in the BB Coffin by HideyoshiJP · 2012-02-07 04:17 · Score: 2
  
  They've been trying very hard to keep up, and I've definitely seen some positive things, especially with regard to the GUI, but they can never move forward if they continue to cling to the past. Give ActiveSync to non BES users and realize that keyboards are widely becoming a niche product. Market devices as such.
Perfect example of not keeping up... by stewbacca · 2012-02-07 01:49 · Score: 2, Insightful

The latest Blackberry ads proudly claim "we want a tool, not a toy". Um yeah, no.
If your tool actually did anything that the Android and iOS toys don't do, you might have a point. But since the toys do everything your tool does, but even better, your company is on the brink of extinction.
Let me get this straight by kpainter · 2012-02-07 02:16 · Score: 2

These are the same people who dumped the United States as HQ for Dubai...
Check yo facts, foo. by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 03:31 · Score: 5, Informative

Mac OS X is FIPS 140-2 certified: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/1401val2011.htm#1514
iOS is working on FIPS certification (Review Pending stage for iPad, iPhone on IUT) right now: http://csrc.nist.gov/groups/STM/cmvp/documents/140-1/140InProcess.pdf
Re:If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by DrgnDancer · 2012-02-07 03:40 · Score: 3, Informative

That's easy to say, but when you're in any kind of regulated industry you often can't. Usually industries like energy, health care, finance, and government contracting have a limited number of devices that they're allowed to use. They could provide you a list and let you purchase one from the list, but they usually prefer just to purchase and issue phones they they know are allowed. Some also reduce the choices further to simply support. It's not always about you...

--
I don't need a million points of light, just two points of multi-mode fiber and a 10 Gig-E router.
Re:If I worked at Halliburton, I'd be Droid now by Anonymous Coward · 2012-02-07 04:14 · Score: 3, Funny

Whoah, I bet you have the wallet that says "Bad Mother Fucker" on it, too.
Re:SMS is the single most used "app" by Archangel+Michael · 2012-02-07 05:08 · Score: 2

TXTing is so 00's It was useful when people only had regular cellphones. Now that most of the people I need to message are on smart phones of one kind or another, I prefer email, which I get on any computer I use (home, work) as well as my phone. I don't want to be tethered to my phone at all times.
I don't even pay for a txt plan any longer.

--
Agent K: A *person* is smart. People are dumb, stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.
Honesty by twnth · 2012-02-07 07:59 · Score: 2

Why can't all the BB haters just be honest.
Its not about touch screen keyboards vs physical keys.
Its not about security and central administration vs cool TV commercials
Its about Angry Birds.
And it doesn't play on BB.