General

Pentagon moves away from RIM as BlackBerry 10 testing begins

In more bad news for BlackBerry maker Research in Motion, the Pentagon has put out a request for proposal looking to expand its secure networks to support iPhone and Android devices at the Department of National Defence.

The Pentagon, which once used only BlackBerry devices because they provided superior security, said it will continue to support “large numbers” of RIM products as the new Apple and Android departments come on board, reports Reuters.

The initial request for proposal says the network must be able to support 162,500 Android and Apple devices.

The move comes as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency also said it would end its exclusive contract with RIM, and would begin using the Apple iPhone for its more than 17,600 employees.

But wait, says RIM, according to a report from Bloomberg, the company’s much-delayed BlackBerry 10 smartphone is in the testing stage with wireless carriers, meaning it will likely be delivered  in the first quarter of 2013.

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