Apple devices for the Federal Administration: iPhones, iPads & Co. for 770 Mio.
The federal administration receives up to 300,000 Apple end devices. The IT service provider is purchasing them.
Apple boss Tim Cook can be pleased about an order.
(Image: Apple)
The federal administration will purchase up to 300,000 Apple end devices by the end of 2027. This was announced by IT distributor Bechtle, which has concluded a corresponding framework agreement with the Procurement Office of the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI). The budget for the project is almost 770 million euros if it is fully utilized. The devices, consisting of iPhones, iPads and accessories, will use the iNDIGO ("iOS Native Device In Government Operation") platform, which should also allow confidential content to be stored or exchanged on the hardware up to the status "for official use only" (VS-NfD).
Materna on board
Bechtle is the universal provider for the project. In addition to the device set-up, the company will even distribute protective covers and "styluses", i.e. Apple Pencil, to federal employees. Bechtle will also provide user support. The project is located at the company's system house in Bonn, as it has been "active in the government sector for many years". Materna was selected as the service partner for the implementation of iNDIGO.
By providing a standardized device platform, the BMI says it wants to create "the basis for even more efficient mobile collaboration between all employees of the federal administration". "At the same time, we are establishing a high security standard that meets all the technical and organizational requirements of administrative activities," said State Secretary Markus Richter. Bechtle emphasized its close partnership with Apple, which is a "central factor".
iNDIGO with BSI-Okay
iNDIGO is hardly known outside the administrative IT sector. It is said to offer "a comprehensive combination of integrated security functions, regular updates, hardware-based encryption and strict data protection guidelines". The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) approved the platform for VS-NfD.
The system is based on MDM profiles and other measures and is designed to ensure that officials can work securely on iPhones and iPads. There are special applications that are approved for this purpose. For example, users need their own browser apps such as "TrustOwl", which was developed by Marterna. The system was already in place from iOS 15.1 and iPadOS 15.6.1. Apple guarantees highly secure use per device for up to six years, as the service provider Agilimo writes.
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