Research In Motion's Playbook tablet has received FIPS 140-2 certification - the first tablet certified for deployment within U.S. federal government agencies.

"RIM is pleased to announce that the BlackBerry PlayBook is the first tablet approved under FIPS for use within the U.S. federal government," said Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion. "This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information."

Federal Information Processing Standard 140-2 (FIPS 140-2) is used to judge the security of mobile devices, servers, routers and firewalls, for use by federal agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Apple has applied for certification for both the iPhone and the iPad.

BlackBerry PlayBook is a portable tablet that fits in one hand. It has a 7-inch high resolution display, offers true multi-tasking capabilities and a high-fidelity web experience. It also allows for secure pairing with BlackBerry smartphones via the BlackBerry Bridge app, which enables users to access their BlackBerry smartphone?s email, calendar, address book, memo pad, task list, BBM (BlackBerry Messenger).