VA moving forward with smartphone, tablet initiative

In one of the earliest initiatives to put advanced mobile technology into the hands of government employees, the US Veterans Affairs Department will slowly roll out support for smartphones and tablet computers on its network.

Hints of the new program were first dropped in March 2011, when FedBizOpps.gov revealed the VA had amended its Government Enterprise Contract to invest in new computer hardware. However, the transition has been slow-going as government officials work out the details of the initiative.

The VA will initially hand out smartphones and tablets to 1,000 of its employees -- approximately 0.3 percent of the agency's workforce. Employees will have to demonstrate their individual needs for the technologies. The VA will also monitor employee use to ensure no sensitive information is being put in harm's way.

Tablets and smartphones have already found homes in many businesses around the country, so it seems natural that the federal government would eventually get on board. According to a Government Computer News report, government agencies will be more compelled to adopt tablets when they can be sure of the devices' security and performance capabilities.