Samsung, General Dynamics team up on secure smartphone

Samsung Electronics is working with General Dynamics on a secure smartphone as it takes on rivals for a share of the corporate and government mobile device markets.

Samsung will begin delivering phones using a security system designed by the defense contractor in May, and a tablet later this year, Michael Guzelian, vice president of secure voice and data products at Falls Church, Virginia-based General Dynamics, said in an interview.

The companies joined in the arrangement as the Defense Department opens up its networks to competition from mobile phone makers after years of relying on BlackBerry.

Out of 600,000 mobile devices in military use, 470,000 are BlackBerrys and just 8,700 run Google’s Android operating system that powers Samsung devices, according to the department. A defense win may help spur commercial demand.

“If one of these is good enough for Chuck Hagel, it’s probably good enough for JPMorgan,” said Steve Suber, general manager of secure mobility, referring to the new Defense secretary and JPMorgan Chase & Company, the biggest U.S. bank.

General Dynamics views the military market as a proving ground that may lead to sales to businesses seeking secure mobile devices for their workers, Suber said.

Bloomberg