Department of Defense Ordering 650,000 iOS Devices? [Updated: DoD Denies]

[malexandria]

Small Discounts

It's not that small of a drop in the ocean

iPads (using base $500 model)
120000 x $500 = 60,000,000

iPad minis (using base $330 model)
1200000 x $330 = 39,600,000

iPod touch (using base $300 model)
200000 x $300 = 60,000,000

iPhone 5 (using base $649 unlocked)
210000 x $650 = 136,500,000

That's a $296,100,000 million.

Yes, the DoD gets a discount so lets say its around $200,000,000 for the sale ($100 million savings almost).

If that was Samsung or Google, people would be screaming high heaven that Apple is doomed with a sale of this size.

$200 million is a great day for any company, even Apple.

As someone who had to deal with Apple on purchasing 300 iMacs (top of the line, fully loaded) and 100 Macbook Pro 15inches) I can tell you they were pretty dickish to work with and offered a very small discount (maybe 4%).

 

[Abazigal]

Shouldn't they invest in durable devices with secure software?

This seems like a terrible move. Overpay for devices that are prone to easy cracking/breaking, a mobile OS that isn't secure and puts entertainment over security, and an overall ecosystem that supports consumer grade products and software.

iOS is not professional grade let alone high level government clearance level software. Nothing wrong with iOS for the average consumer, but I don't want to see issues of national security and life or death situations being handled on entertainment devices.

They can always get those otterbox and griffin cases for the iphones and ipads.

 

[diamond.g]

I work for DHS and one of the reasons my agency hasn't fully gone to IOS devices is because of the restrictions presented by the software. I am still unable to check my work email on my mac because the OS doesn't support the drivers needed for common access card readers. I guess DOD doesn't have this issue.

Oh it supports the drivers for CAC. They have an interesting walk through on http://militarycac.com/MountainLion.htm.

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The DOD doesn't pay federal taxes.

But Apple does. (or at least they are supposed to)

 

[JHankwitz]

This is just a small drop in the ocean of sales by a company as big as Apple. It is kind of like Boeing bragging that they sold one more island-hopper type airplane to the military.

Apple is not bragging here. I believe the jist of this story is that the Government may be open to changing their buying habits.

 

[Brother Esau]

Would you prefer that the DoD spend hundreds of millions to design, contract, build, test, and deploy an in-house solution? Which would make your $195M look like lunch money.

No, I would prefer that our Government scaled down on their spending because we as a country are essentially "Bankrupt" and they know it and the rest of the world knows it too. Apparently the only ones that don't know it and choose to do nothing about it is us the American people.

Are You people aware of the fact that every single country around the globe is laughing at us?

As far as WAR and the Department of Defense goes, I honestly believe that all people around the globe want to live in peace and the only ones that apparently do not want this is the Governments Entities of all nations and countries.

In short, they Perpetuate Anarchy for Profit!

Perfect example, our country is ready to collapse financially and the Government is Buying the Most expensive Phones and Tablets available on the Market while the majority of their citizens are going hungry and struggling to keep a roof over their families heads.


I would have to say that is wrong on so many levels its disgusting!

 

[uknowimright]

you can always tell who actually hasn't used an android device by their posts

 

[jlasoon]

Luckily the country isn't in a financial cris.... oh wait.

You mean the stock market isn't a leading indicator?

The whole economy is just one giant "***** castle" melting on some Caribbean beach during the summer months. Unfortunately most are delusional about our current state of affairs.

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The DOD doesn't pay federal taxes.

No one who works for the government actually pays taxes.

 

[AppleFan1984]

If your smartphones are managed so that they can't be modified, then it's not open source anymore.

User privileges within a system and source availability for that system are two entirely different things.

One would hope that military use of any OS would include modification of the system for their unusual need for a level of security which goes far beyond consumers'.

If this alleged purchase is for real, I hope the Pentagon also gets a limited source license with it.

At the kernel level, both OSes are POSIX and very similar in terms of separating system and user processes.

The main difference between iOS and Android in terms of security lies with app approval: both charge developers the same 30%, but Apple provides a more thorough review process for the money, while Google just pockets the money and acts only when complaints are filed against an app.

The second difference is the range of app stores: iOS has only one, but on Android you can turn off the lock that limits it to Google Play to install apps from other sources. While there may be any number of theoretical risks with Android (and in all fairness, more than a few with iOS too), the relatively rare case of actual exploit most commonly happens when installing apps from outside Google Play.

Neither model is perfect; each has tradeoffs, and given that iOS is distinguished by Apple's review process it's all the more notable when malware creeps into the iOS App Store, which may happen more rarely but has happened.

Regardless of which OS may be deployed, soldiers in the field should not be able to install random apps on it. Apple's review process is more thorough than Google's, but isn't perfect.

The risks of allowing soldiers to use the devices as consumers do is far too broad, including not only potential malware but more importantly inadvertent use of geolocation and other features common to consumer use but which could be deadly to a platoon or even an entire division in the battlefield.

As an AAPL holder, I can appreciate the feel-good of this possible purchase. But whether iOS is chosen or something else, I hope the Pentagon gets the source, and has limited license to modify the system for their unique requirements.

 

[jlasoon]

Why not order them. All you have to do is print the money if you are this Administration...

Ben "Shalom" Bernanke is that you?

Disclaimer: "this post in no manner attempts to insult, offend, ridicule or mock my religious friends. If by any chance you feel mocked, ridiculed, offended or insulted by my post, please accept my sincere apologies".

 

[jlasoon]

I agree POTUS probably has zero involvement with such an operational purchase, but the premise of your post is still factually incorrect.

Why fight? Our institutions of lower learning peddle this nonsensical garbage daily. Don't fight it. If the government wants to spend $1 Quadrillion buying up Apple gear all the better. Our country needs robust physical stimulation. Didn't you get the memo? "Forward Comrades"

 

[elietabet]

Eat your heart out samsung.
and they say apple is in trouble.

 

[Dwalls90]

The DOD doesn't pay federal taxes.

Duh. Apple pays taxes on the income it receives from the sale.

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Aren't Apple famous for avoiding corporate taxes by keeping stuff off shore?

They keep foreign income in foreign countries instead. Domestic income stats here. Apple easily pays its fair share of corporate tax.

 

[metsjetsfan]

Since these are made in china, are they going to install some type of listening chip inside each one to spy on us?

can't we all just get along...

 

[Brother Esau]

Why fight? Our institutions of lower learning peddle this nonsensical garbage daily. Don't fight it. If the government wants to spend $1 Quadrillion buying up Apple gear all the better. Our country needs robust physical stimulation. Didn't you get the memo? "Forward Comrades"

Can anyone one say here Sheepy sheepy? Dude are you kidding me with that statement?

 

[CEmajr]

Good for Apple and good in the fact that they are switching over to an American company rather than using Blackberry or some Android devices.

After spending 4 years managing/overseeing the budget for my unit, I would really like to know what the use for these devices is and how they justified the purchase. The DoD is probably the biggest waster of federal tax dollars in the entire US Government. Regular citizens would be shocked to see some of the things that we used to blow tax money on. It's ridiculous.

 

[jlasoon]

Can anyone one say here Sheepy sheepy? Dude are you kidding me with that statement?

Yes dismiss me. Everything I say is irrelevant. My epoch-making self-absorbed pathological narcissism is no match for your candor.

 

[bommai]

Tell me now, where are those iPhones made? Certainly not in the US, and therefor when bought support the country in which they were made, China. Don't be surprised when the US defaults on its own debt and China converts the White House into a King Buffet.

Actually while iPhone is manufactured in china, china only receives a minute fraction of the total price of the phone. The rest is pocketed by apple which is a US company.

 

[jlasoon]

Actually while iPhone is manufactured in china, china only receives a minute fraction of the total price of the phone. The rest is pocketed by apple which is a US company.

Does Apple bring that money home?

 

[ipadDev]

Android is only partly open, and aside from Motorola, all the hardware would be designed by foreign companies. The kernel of iOS is open source as well, so whoop de doo. The DOD has no interest in kernel hacking mobile OSs, so I doubt they care much.

I've worked on both the iOS and Android sides of the DoD's mobile software initiatives and you know nothing.

 

[Mobster1983]

When I first saw the title my first thought was 'they were seizing 650,000 iOS devices'...So I thought I was in trouble.

Anyways, I don't think it's such a great idea that they bring iPads, iPhones and iPods onto the 'battlefield'. I see a lot of cracked iPods/iPhones at school (plus my brother's iPod touch is broken) so I know how easy they are to break. I'm surprised my iPod doesn't have a cracked screen yet.

What if Apple made toughbooks?

My first deployment to Iraq I had an iPod touch that I carried with me everywhere. I lived outside the wire and was constantly patrolling. Never damaged it.

Second deployment I took an iPad and another iPod touch. Never so much as a scratch on it and I didn't even use a MILSPEC case. My iPad just had the Apple case that came out with the iPad.

 

[l3it3r]

DoD had approved iOS for use a while back (check iase.disa.mil for more info). I saw no less than 10 GFE iPads just yesterday actually. I see all the 'latest and greatest' that they are using on a regular basis - it's my job. iPhones and iPads are making huge waves in the DoD right now. No one wants the bb anymore aside from the keyboard, maintaining the back end is a nightmare anyway. And android hasn't made much of a wake in the pond as far as I've seen.

 

[phillipduran]

Obama is an Apple President.

Are you referring to Obama the Blackberry guy?
http://crackberry.com/president-obama-still-using-his-blackberry

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I have a hang nail, oh, but wait, it is the result of the sequester so it's ok.

Everyone understands that the sequester results in no reduction in government spending, right? Plus any spending approved for this month was not effected by the sequester unless Obama specifically stopped it. Since when did news become propaganda?

We have seen huge budget and resource increases in the make it hurt department of the government.

 

[TuffLuffJimmy]

You do realize most of debt is held by foreign banks. It is an allusion to that. Also, we know that a country does not default like that. It was a huge sarcasm post that you failed to see, I think you need a sign just like Dr. Sheldon Cooper does.

Just keep digging, bud. You're only embarrassing yourself further. You were not being sarcastic, perhaps exaggerating, because your statement lines up with your other just as misinformed posts.
Further, it doesn't matter where a debt is held, it matters who holds it. And as stated before it is held by Americans. Or were you just being sarcastic (you didn't even use the word correctly!) again?

And who is Dr. Cooper?

 

[Medic311]

I have seen iPads floating around HQDA. Complete with the stupid CAC dongle...

haha where does the CAC module plug into...the 30pin dock port?

gosh that would be obnoxious....

 

[SockRolid]

Black Berry Down