FIPS-certified BlackBerry PlayBook: First tablet to be certified for U.S. Government use

Research In Motion (RIM) announced today that it has received FIPS 140-2 certification for the new BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet, making the BlackBerry PlayBook the first tablet certified for deployment within U.S. 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).

Scott Totzke, who runs Blackberry’s security division at RIM said.:
“This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the US federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information,”

The BlackBerry Playbook might have received a load of criticism after its release given the fact that it packs a ton of shortcomings. The U.S. government however thinks differently, certifying it to be the first tablet that will be used officially by the government itself.

The small 7-inch flash-enabled tablet has received Federal information Processing Standard(FIPS) certification is a powerful, ultra-portable tablet that fits comfortably in one hand, offers true multi-tasking capabilities and a high-fidelity web experience. It also allows for secure pairing with BlackBerry® smartphones via the BlackBerry® Bridge™ app, which enables users to access their BlackBerry smartphone’s email, calendar, address book, memo pad, task list, BBM (BlackBerry® Messenger) and browsing functionality using the larger display on the tablet.

The FIPS-certified BlackBerry PlayBook tablet is being showcased this week in Washington DC at FOSE – the largest Federal government information technology conference in the U.S. – where BlackBerry PlayBook has just been awarded Best in Show, and also Best of FOSE in the Handheld Devices category.

RIM’s most famous product, the Blackberry, is already well-established in the US government. President Barack Obama is a big fan, and uses a version modified to meet his security requirements.

More information about the BlackBerry PlayBook is available at
www.blackberry.com/playbook.


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