RIM has US government cert for BlackBerry PlayBook

RIM got a rare win for deployment of the BlackBerry PlayBook on Thursday by landing the first official certification for a tablet by the US government. The QNX slate is the first to meet Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) guidelines and is cleared to roll out in federal institutions. The FIPS badge was proof the PlayBook could be used to handle secret data, RIM said.

No government contracts or trials were mentioned along with the approval. It's unclear how long it would take to see the PlayBook at the federal level assuming officials decide to use it.

The approval could help RIM's difficulties in getting real institutional adoption. Although RIM has mentioned getting some corporate deals, governments even in the company's home country of Canada have sometimes been silent on the PlayBook. FIPS may also not be absolutely necessary as many federal agencies have been actively trying iPads or accepting their unofficial use. While the PlayBook's approach is potentially more secure, Exchange data and common security features like remote wipes are already present in iOS and are sometimes considered good enough.

Some Canadian government offices are testing the PlayBook, though others are testing the iPad either alongside or instead of its challenger.

The PlayBook's relatively late start and lack of on-device e-mail without a nearby BlackBerry phone are generally known to have given the iPad a first-mover advantage in the corporate world. About