Your congressman wants an iPhone
TheHill.com is reporting that members of the U.S. House of Representatives could be getting iPhones when they return to Washington, D.C. after the elections.The Chief Administrative Office (CAO) oversees all communications systems for the House and has been testing a small number of iPhones to see how they meet the needs of congressmen and their staffs.
House members and their staffs currently use RIM BlackBerry devices, with nearly 8,200 installed. The CAO delivers all emails to the BlackBerrys using a BlackBerry Enterprise Server. A new server would be required for the iPhones, so the CAO wants to test the devices and email delivery prior to making a decision to approve use of iPhones.
The CAO is testing iPhones simply because a number of people had requested them as an option. If the CAO does approve the iPhone and lawmakers decide to switch, they'll pay for the devices out of their Member's Representational Allowance (i.e., taxpayers will be paying for them).
Adoption of the iPhone by the U.S. Congress could be another blow to RIM, which is now behind Apple in terms of sales and revenues. Apple CEO Steve Jobs gleefully reported that "Apple beat RIM" during yesterday's Q4 Earnings Call.
Thanks to Kyle for the tip!
Update: Jordan Golson points out TheHill.com got this story all wrong.
Share
Categories
TheHill.com is reporting that members of the U.S. House of Representatives could be getting iPhones when they return to Washington, D.C....
Add a Comment
So where is my iphone Ipay my taxes like a good little boy and then I have to pay someone to find out if I over payed because these morons make tax codes I cannot understand and now I have to buy them an iPhone and they give thselves raises when can I give myself a raise does this seem right to you guys I mean after all they are our employees I say weshould have to vote to give them a raise
Then they might have to actually do their job
This has got to be a joke. Why would an organisation remove something incredibly stable, secure, features coming out of its ears and securely links back to your internal network for apps and put in a mostly consumer device. If they want to look good and be part of the Apple brand. They should Bbuy a new purple suit and grow their hair.
You said that if the CAO doesn't approve, then the Member's Representational Allowance would have to pay for them, which would come from taxpayer money.
But wouldn't the iPhones be paid for with taxpayer money if issued by the CAO as well?
Well, since they are paid by tax payers, even if they bought them personally we would be paying for them. :-)
October 23 2008 at 12:25 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI don't mind if we end up paying for them. It's probably equal to one nanosecond in Iraq. Anyway, if it makes them and their staffers more efficient, maybe they can get more done before the next recess.
October 23 2008 at 12:58 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI live on Capitol Hill and the AT&T service is great but there is no service in the Metro subway. But I'm sure lawmakers will spend millions to make sure iPhones work on the Metro so why not?
October 22 2008 at 10:34 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyOnly Verizon customers get service on the metro. They have an exclusive contract.
October 22 2008 at 11:55 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyEmail support is particularly weak on the iPhone, the keyboard notwithstanding.
A few large organizations have considered deploying the iPhone, but they end up staying with the Blackberry.
Doris Matsui would be 10x more cool if she got an iPhone. She's already cool cause she's azn.
October 22 2008 at 6:51 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Replyi'm worry about the increasing chances of typo if they go iphone, which can't be good when passing important bills and stuff.
October 22 2008 at 6:09 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIsn't RIM a Canadian company...and isn't Apple...not one?
Seems to make sense to me!
Er.... I don't think congressmen need an allowance to buy a phone. I think they can probably afford it with the amount of money they're getting paid. I get paid about 1/5th of what an average politician gets paid and my boss won't cover any expenses whatsoever.
So I don't think taxpayers' money should be spent on things that politicians could easily afford out of their own pocket.
Hot Apps on TUAW
Deals of the Day
more deals- Used Apple iMac 17" Core 2 Duo 1.83GHz for $430 + $28 s&h
- Lounge Deluxe Stand for iPhone / iPod touch for $28 + $8 s&h
- Brookstone Surround-Sound Earbuds for $14 + $7 s&h
- Refurbished Skullcandy Tokidoki Smokin' Buds Mic'd Headset for $5 + $2 s&h
- Stitchway Backup Battery for iPod / iPhone for $5 + free shipping
- Used Apple MacBook Pro 2.4GHz 15" LED Laptop for $1,030 + $29 s&h
Software Updates
more updates- EFI Firmware Update brings Lion Internet Recovery to 2010-model Macs
- OS X Lion 10.7.3 released with Safari 5.1.3, Wi-Fi bug fix
- Aperture updated to 3.2.2, addresses Photo Stream issue
- Apple updates Keynote to address Lion issues
- Google Search app gets new look on iPad
- Apple releases Apple TV Software Update 4.4.3
Featured Stories
more stories
Popular Stories
TUAW (or The Unofficial Apple Weblog) is a website devoted to tips, reviews, news, analysis and opinion on everything Apple.
36 Comments