Research In Motion's PlayBook Tablet hasn't exactly been a roaring success. However, while the device has failed to match up to competitors, the device got a boost this week as it received the federal stamp of approval for government use. RIM has revealed that the BlackBerry tablet has just been awarded Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 certification, something that's required if a device is to be used in any government department or the White House.
"This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information." Scott Totzke, senior vice president of BlackBerry security at RIM, said in a statement.
It's not surprising that the BlackBerry PlayBook has garnered the approval of the feds -- the company has always been dedicated to providing strong security for its customers. Now, with the PlayBook being the first and only tablet to receive FIPS approval, any government agency or department hoping to add tablets to their arsenal of gadgets will have to use the PlayBooks.
Launched in April of this year, the PlayBook boasts a 1GHz Cortex-A9 dual-core CPU; 1GB of RAM; a 7-inch, 1024x600 display; a 5-megapixel camera capable of shooting 1080p HD video on the back and a 3-megapixel camera capable of 1080p HD video up front (for video calling and the like); support for Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR; Micro-USB; and Micro HDMI. It runs RIM’s new QNX-based BlackBerry Tablet OS but can also run existing BlackBerry Java apps as well as Android apps.
