BlackBerry creates a storm on Capitol Hill

Getting Congress to agree on anything is a difficult task. Even getting Representatives and Senators from the same party to pass a stimulus package in the midst of the worst recession in decades is a chore. But when it comes to the BlackBerry Storm, they seem to agree. The first touchscreen BlackBerry was recently made available to members of Congress who were asking for a touchscreen device to use. The phone passed through the perfunctory tests that the CAO performed on the unit, but it seems that the Storm is not working for our elected officials in Washington. For example, Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) had trouble sending emails on the Storm and did not like the touchscreen, according to his communications staff director. Jeff Ventura, spokesman of the House chief administrative officer, said that many who tried the Storm on the Hill have returned it. He said, “The Storm device is not ideal for certain users and has presented some valid functional challenges.”  He went on to add that in the future, it is best to know the limitations of a device in a work intensive atmosphere like the one on the Hill before ordering another touchscreen phone. Brian Walsh, the communications director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said a number of members tried to use the Storm but only one or two still use it.To try to remedy the situation, a workshop has been started for Storm users, teaching them how to use the many functions on the device. Verizon's D.C. spokesman, Sherri Cunnigham, responded by pointing out that the BlackBerry Storm remains one of the carrier's top selling models.

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source: Politico