If a company that makes heavy-duty vehicles can develop Android phones, we really shouldn’t be questioning Boeing’s decision to jump on the mobile business bandwagon. This is apparently what the aerospace giant is planning to do – creating a highly secure communication device that is based on the Android platform. Boeing Network and Space Systems president Roger Krone (awesome title, by the way) said that this would mark the first time that the company, which is associated more with jumbo jets and missiles, will offer such communication device.
If you think this is just another one of those vanity projects that will never see the light of day, prepare to eat your words. The Android phone, which is dubbed, creatively, “the Boeing phone”, is already near completion and it is set to blast off into the smartphone space at the end of 2012.
Creating a phone is one thing, but where will Boeing market it? For sure, you won’t find it at the places where the regular Joe and Jane go to get their phones. The spokeswoman confirmed that the US government defense will be the main user of the Boeing phone, which we’d like to shorten as the “Bo Pho”. No? Oh well, we’ll stick with the long form then.
Did you know that secure and encrypted mobile communication devices, like the one that Boeing is developing, can fetch up to $20,000 a piece? No wonder this makes perfect business sense. Boeing secure infrastructure group leader Brian Palma said that, “We are going to drive down towards a lower price point, but not mass-market price point.”
The phone is expected to cater to the needs of those from the defense and intelligence sectors, while still remaining usable in the commercial world. Essentially, users of the phone get the best of both worlds. It will offer a safe and secure way to communicate for those delicate and highly sensitive matters, but still come with the ability to use popular apps.
Going back, Krone said that the company may not end up using the “the Boeing phone” moniker. But one thing is for sure, he is very optimist with what Boeing can achieve. In fact, he already envisions how the next generation of the phone would be – thinner and smaller.
Do you think the Boeing phone will soar to the sky? Or will it fail to take off at all?
