US giant ditches BlackBerry for iPhone

After more than a decade supporting BlackBerry smartphones, energy giant Halliburton has announced it will be phasing out the devices in favour of the Apple iPhone.

While not a shock, the move is sure to hurt BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, whose device was once a corporate staple.

The transfer will take place over the next year; around 4500 of Halliburton’s 70,000 employees are currently equipped with BlackBerry phones.

The company says the decision was made on the back of significant research into the Apple iOS and Google Android operating systems.

Apple Insider reports that Windows Phones have been the only alternative available for executives until now; there’s no indication Halliburton considered a full-scale rollout of these devices.