OPM to Buy iPads for Mobile Testing

The Office of Personnel Management has awarded a contract to provide 50 iPad tablets for a new mobile testing center.

VideoTape Products Inc. of Burbank, Calif., will equip OPM with the iPads at a cost of $29,375 to help implement a mobile testing center for federal employees to complete exams. It's unclear what the mobile testing concept is, but I've contacted OPM in hopes of getting to the bottom of it.

OPM said it researched a variety of tablet computers available in the marketplace and determined the iPad2 was the optimal tablet for implementing officials' mobile testing concept. The most important factors in selecting the iPad2 were its battery life, screen shape, and display and user interface.

OPM said it plans to use the tablets exclusively for testing purposes.