Qantas Drops BlackBerry in Favour of iPhone

When it comes to smartphone technology, Qantas has become the next big follower of consumer preference: they are ditching the one-beloved BlackBerry for the increasingly more popular iPhone.

The action comes as a result of an airline employee survey where the clear first choice for more workers was Apple’s iPhone.

Therefore, Qantas will replace 1,300 company-issued BlackBerrys with iPhones, saving the airline AU$1.4 million in mobile data expenses, according to Reuters.

Click here to read the July issue of Business Review Australia

"The iPhone offers a user-friendly interface and simple access to emails, contacts and calendars, as well as meeting all Qantas' security requirements," a Qantas spokesman told Fairfax Media.

Under the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) policy, employees’ Google-powered Android devices will also be supported by Qantas.

Research in Motion (RIM), BlackBerry’s producer, has had a rough year: their stocks have plummeted more than 70 per cent in the past year; RIM Australia’s managing director, Ray Gillenwater, stepped down after a mere three months in the position; and key clients such as Dell and IBM have also departed.

Regardless, the Canadian telecommunications company is adamant about remaining loyal to Australian businesses.

"No one has a better track record of securely managing mobile devices in the workplace than RIM," said a spokeswoman for RIM Australia to Fairfax Media. "Our infrastructure is trusted by some of the most security conscious organisations in the world – including the Australian government."

Fairfax Media also pointed out that several major Australian banks and government departments continue to rely on RIM mobile technology.