BlackBerry PlayBook first tablet certified for US government


24 Jul 2011

Research In Motion’s (RIM) BlackBerry PlayBook has received FIPS 140-2 certification, which means it is the first tablet computer certified for use within US federal government agencies.

No other tablet on the market has gained FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certification from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is required under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA).

“This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organisations and enables the US federal government to buy with confidence, knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information,” said Scott Totzke, senior vice-president, BlackBerry Security at RIM.
 
The BlackBerry PlayBook can fit in one hand. It has a 7-inch, high-resolution display, offers multi-tasking capabilities and a high-fidelity web experience.

The tablet can also be securely paired with BlackBerry smartphones via the BlackBerry Bridge app, which enables users to access their BlackBerry smartphones’ email, calendar, address book, memo pad, task list, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) and browsing functionality using the larger display on the tablet.

In another nod for RIM, the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet has won ‘Best in Show’ at FOSE 2011 and Best of FOSE in the Handheld Devices category.

FOSE is the largest federal government information technology conference in the US. The event took place in Washington last week.

Photo: The BlackBerry PlayBook tablet computer