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Apple Mobile Devices Cleared For Use On US Military Networks
puddingebola writes with this excerpt from a Bloomberg report: "The Pentagon cleared Apple Inc. (AAPL) devices for use on its networks, setting the stage for the maker of iPhones and iPads to compete with Samsung Electronics Co. and BlackBerry for military sales. The Defense Department said in a statement [Friday] that it has approved the use of Cupertino, California-based Apple's products running a version of the iOS 6 mobile platform. The decision eventually may spur a three-way fight for a market long dominated by Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry.'" Also, Apple devices are best for uploading viruses to alien craft.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
It comes with drone control & angry osama apps.
I am a free slashdotter. I will not be modded, blogged, DRM'd, patented, podcasted or RFID'd. My life is my own.
"a peace symbol sir"
a peace symbol? but dont you sell to the military?
"yes sir"
what are you trying to say soldier?
"something about the duality of man sir"
Can you side load easily with it?
Enterprises could always "side load" (bypass the Apple App Store) their own apps on their own devices.
iOS 6 is most likely specified simply because its the current version. To keep things simple. Want onto the network, then be running the current os version. That and the internal developers needs a min iOS target.
This represents a serious change in Apple's direction. They have avoided the business/enterprise market because they haven't been interested in competing in other, existing markets and certainly never wanted to be held to the same standards as the likes of Dell. But now the government/military market? This is a long way from trying to tie everything together with iTunes.
As mentioned before, you could for many years now buy an "Enterprise" developer license, which allows you to make your apps available to any unmodified iOS device without going through Apple's app store. (The license requires you to make sure that apps will _only_ be downloaded to devices belonging to that enterprise). So this license is specifically for enterprises who want to develop apps for their employees.
So now, they will spend millions and more of tax payer money, to create a special store with iOS applications, presumably a special store with Android applications, while still maintaining all of their Blackberry infrastructure.
Um, what? A Enterprise license will cover this scenario and costs $299/yr. It has been place for years.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
This adds many levels of complexity for the infrastructure,and the hiring and training of support personal
for all sorts of devices. Why? What benefit does Pentagon bet from maintaing 3 different platforms
instead of one?
Short term its true, long term its simply stupid. Dependence on a single vendor...whoever they are is simply bad for any business. It keeps the vendors honest (massive cost saving), and better supply chain(another cost saving).
Now whether a closed ecosystem like apple should be considered at all is a different matter.
I was at a conference a few years back (LandWarNet, before it was split into pieces) and the SecDef was making the keynote via VTC and was foaming at the mouth for his new iphone 4. This is all top-driven.
Two-Star General Whoever doesnt want a DoD fork of android, he wants an iphone or regular android issued by his command that he can use for official and personal use (shhh!) without having to spend $100/mo on a personal mobile phone contract.
I have LTCs wasting money on devices they dont want to use (apparently the Slate tablet isnt so hot anymore if you need ethernet and a non-bluetooth keyboard) and pestering me for devices they will have no need for (iphone, android offer few advantages over a BB7 device in regards to phone calls and email) even if they could have them or the limitations didnt make them unappealing.
our tax dollars at work, we are financing people's workplace trendiness. some will say 'so what its an iphone, replacing an existing blackberry device and contract', but its much more. Part of the DISA configuration requirements is a management server. Thats enterprise hardware and a service agreement. There will also be funded training for use of the management server. Not to mention some poor SOB will gain an additional side-duty.
the DoD can buy a few Mac's and develop their internal apps for their iphones and droids that will never be able to run on blackberries
God damn it Siri, I said Call Luke Mostow not Nuke Moscow!
Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
Apple's stock is tanking
Yeah, it must really suck being the most VALUABLE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY ON EARTH.
Yes, enterprise customers can side load apps on iOS.
I know Americans have poor geography skills, but last I checked, Austin, TX, was in the US. And then Samsung spent $4b upgrading it.
But continue your hater-ade. And Samsung still supplies the A6 processors to Apple. And for final irony, The SGS4. Uses the US-made Exynos processor OUTSIDE NORTH AMERICA. And uses the TSMC-fabbed Qualcomm Snapdragon INSIDE North America.
So what you're saying is that both have their CPU manufactured in the USA, both have the physical device manufactured in the east, and only one has tens of thousands employed in the states designing the thing. Notably that same one has already begun moving production of various of their product lines to the US too.
Stock price is an indicator of how much a company is expanding.
No, only it's financial results that tell you that. Stock price variations tell you nothing more than investor sentiment.