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BlackBerry dealt another blow as government agency opts for iPhones, Android

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 7:46PM EST
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Government deployment of BlackBerry smartphones in the United States has been big business for struggling Canadian handset maker Research In Motion, but the tide seems to be turning toward Android and iOS. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said earlier this month that it would be ditching BlackBerry smartphones in favor of Apple’s iPhone, and now the General Services Administration has added the iPhone and Android devices to its list of approved devices. The GSA, an independent 12,635-person agency that procures supplies and products for other federal agencies, spends upwards of $70 billion each year with contracted vendors. In addition to BlackBerry phones, Android devices and iPhones have now been approved for purchase by GSA staff in order to support “applications that can help them work more efficiently with customers like the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security,” a spokesperson told Bloomberg Businessweek. It is not clear when the policy change went into effect.

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Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 15 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.