BlackBerry 'terminal software issues' tax senators
BlackBerry phones issued to senators have not achieved a tick of approval, with one senator raising her problems with the mobile devices in the Senate Estimates.
Blackberry Curve 8520 (Credit: Vodafone)
"I have had issues since the introduction of the BlackBerrys which have been put down to terminal software issues that cannot be resolved," said Kroger in the Senate Estimates on Monday.
"It disengages itself in the car with a hands-free kit," she said. "I have also had issues with not being able to sync the calendars from the laptop to the BlackBerry and so on. I would have had at least six consultations with different people about it who have not been able to resolve it."
"Problems such as those you have just described are certainly not unheard of," responded David Kenny, Department for Parliamentary Services (DSP) secretary. His department provides parliament with support services, including IT.
"I am aware of people having had problems synchronising and having had different sorts of problems with car kits and reliability."
A spokesperson from Kroger's office, Brad Rowswell, told ZDNet.com.au that Kroger used a HTC Touch prior to the BlackBerry. The HTC phone was standard issue for all senators and MPs, Rowswell said.
Despite the issues Kroger had voiced in estimates, of the HTC and the Blackberry, she preferred the latter, according to Rowswell. "Her preference is the BlackBerry," he said. "She has not considered alternatives as all mobile phones are supplied by the Department of Finance and are standard across all members and senators."
Senator Ludlam, on the other hand, expressed a great deal of dissatisfaction with his BlackBerry, and wanted to change to an iPhone, according to his spokesperson Fernando de Freitas.
Currently, senators and MPs can only use phones approved and supplied by the Department of Finance and Deregulation. The list allowed phones running Windows Mobile and BlackBerrys.
"He would prefer to choose and use his own [mobile phone]," de Freitas told ZDNet.com.au.
However, Kenny defended the BlackBerrys in Senate Estimates.
"The BlackBerry is now what everybody should have. All our information is that it is not just a much more reliable product but much more satisfactory, in that people find it a much better thing to use," said Kenny.