Windows Phone is starting to made inroads into the enterprise marketplace, but there are other sectors showing interest in the handsets. In the UK, Cambridgeshire Constabulary plans to replace 4,000 BlackBerry devices with 8,000 Windows Phone devices, with security being cited as a key factor.
Ian Bell, head of ITC at the constabulary said: “The security hasn’t been right [with Windows Phone in the past], but it absolutely is now. Mobile device management providers have worked their socks off to be ready for 8.1 Phone release, and with the new encryption and new application VPN, it makes this platform become viable from a public sector perspective”.
The switch is due to take place by the end of the year, and it will see frontline staff kitted out with Nokia Lumia 1520s, while executives will receive Nokia Lumia 930s.
This is not the only police force that has seen the benefits of Windows Phone. Forces in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire are also due to make the switch. As well as security, the prospect of working with universal apps on phone, tablets and desktops is another appealing aspect of the platform.