US Immigration and Customs Enforcement drop Blackberry for iPhone, employees get early Christmas bonus

[ ](http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/us-ice-drop-blackberry-for-iphone/)

RIM may be [banking](http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/09/thorsten-heins-bb10-delay/) on the release of [BB10](http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/19/blackberry-10-hands-on-video/) and new devices to rejuvenate the [flagging brand](http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/15/betting-on-blackberry-or-hoping/), but the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) isn't waiting around, opting to end their contract after eight years together. ICE stated that RIM "can no longer meet the mobile technology needs of the agency," and that it intends to purchase over 17,000 iPhones for its personnel at a cost of $2.1 million. Android was also interviewed for the role, but the agency decided that currently, Apple's closed ecosystem was the best choice, offering "reliable, mobile technology on a [secure](http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/27/apple-buying-security-firm-authentec-for-356-million/) and manageable platform." While this isn't the first group (or likely, the last) to [drop the Blackberry](http://www.engadget.com/2012/07/16/qantas-replacing-staff-blackberrys-with-iphones/), we're wondering if the remaining million government customers in North America will stay loyal after this official stamp of disapproval. We imagine employees from other agencies might also care to make a case for switching -- nothing to do with free [iPhones](http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/18/apple-iphone-5-review/), of course.

Filed under: [Cellphones](http://www.engadget.com/category/cellphones/), [Software](http://www.engadget.com/category/software/), [Mobile](http://www.engadget.com/category/mobile/), [Apple](http://www.engadget.com/category/apple/), [RIM](http://www.engadget.com/category/rim/)

[US Immigration and Customs Enforcement drop Blackberry for iPhone, employees get early Christmas bonus](http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/us-ice-drop-blackberry-for-iphone/) originally appeared on [Engadget](http://www.engadget.com) on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 11:01:00 EDT. Please see our [terms for use of feeds](http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/).

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