Some government agencies have deployed BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices to provide their own phone solutions, but Mailes wants to discover a whole of government solution for the procurement benefits and to ensure it doesn't end up with "stranded" technologies. The pilot is slated to cost "south of half a million," including gateway infrastructure, training and devices.

Devices from BlackBerry, Palm, and Windows Mobile will be trialled and the lowest-cost, highest-value platform will be determined "on balance".New generation smartphones will also be trialled, which Mailes said, as they are now competing in the push e-mail market.

"The sort of person we are looking at to equip is a mobile senior executive, with emphasis on executive staff that are mobile, and [then] we will look beyond that profile for other beneficiaries," he said.

"We're trying to avoid the executive toys thing - where they get them and don't use them."

The executives will be represented by a cross-section of departments, including police, transportation, and Treasury.