President Elect Obama should be using Windows Mobile

With all the hoopla yesterday about how President Elect Barack Obama wanted to keep his BlackBerry (NY Times), I would have thought that someone in his tech savvy entourage would have suggested the National Security Agency Secure Mobile Environment Portable Electronic Device (SME PED) certified General Dynamics Sectera Edge. The Sectera Edge is a highly customized Windows CE/Windows Mobile based device (General Dynamics is mum on what pieces they used). The device is certified to make Top Secret voice calls and access Secret data over the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET). It also allows operation within sensitive compartmented information facilities (SCIF) like the White House’s situation room and includes a slot for a DOD PKI certified Common Access Cards (CAC). It is the only certified mobile device which allows you to seamlessly switch between secure and non-secure networks. Best of all it integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange which is used by the White House. What’s not to love about this device.

Although General Dynamics does not reveal the processor it uses, it has published the following specifications:

• Memory – Unclassified 128MB ROM 64MB RAM, Classified 64MB ROM 64MB RAM
• Display - 2.8-inch QVGA touchscreen display
• GSM version -(850/900/1800/1900), UMTS/HSDPA (850/1900/2100)or
• CDMA version -(800/1900) 1xRTT, CDMA (800/1900) EV-DO Rel. A
• WIFI - 802.11b/g
• 1 USB connection (secure/non-secure environment)
• 1 serial connection(secure environment only)
• 2.5mm stereo headset jack
• Expansion - microSD slot
• Dimensions -1.3”D x 3.2”W x 4.9”L
• Weight - 12 oz.
• Operating temperature -9 to 140 deg. F

Although, a little heavy, this looks like a pretty nice device and definitely much more functional than a Blackberry.