RIM's PlayBook tablet approved for U.S. government use

Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet has received the green light for use in U.S. federal government agencies, the BlackBerry maker said on Thursday.

It is the first tablet computer to receive the FIPS 140-2 certification, RIM said in a statement.

This certification ... enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information, said Scott Totzke, a senior vice-president for BlackBerry security at RIM.

(Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Frank McGurty)