BlackBerry faces new challenge from U.S. agency

In another blow for beleaguered BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, the General Services Administration, the U.S. federal government's main procurement agency, is issuing iPhones and Android-based devices to some of its 17,000 workers.

While GSA does not impose its purchasing decisions on other parts of the government, the terms and conditions it negotiates can be used as a blueprint for other agencies. The GSA - which manages $500 billion of government assets including telecom, information technology and real estate - is also testing the use of employees' personal smartphones and tablets on their secure networks