“TSA currently has most of the capabilities in the ‘Microsoft Windows’ and ‘RIM Blackberry’ environments and requires the hardware, software and licenses to support a greater diversity of devices and operating systems as we follow the public driven demand for more mobility,” the agency said in its proposal. “One of the major OEMs today that produce a widely used full suite of hardware, software and licensing is Apple corporation.”
According to the agency, by using Apple products, especially iOS and the App Store, it will be able to become a more efficient organization. The document noted that several government-designed apps are available only for iOS, and not Google’s Android platform, too.
The proposal has already worked its way through several levels of approval, but still has a few more to go before the TSA can start spending its money on Apple gear.
[Thanks to Nextgov for the heads up.]