The PlayBook tablet was designed with security in mind, according to RIM, and though the company hasn't revealed exactly how future versions of the PlayBook will secure corporate data--more on this subject coming up--the initial, Wi-Fi only version won't store any corporate data on the device at all. Instead, the PlayBook will access corporate resources by tethering to a BlackBerry Enterprise Server (BES)-connected BlackBerry smartphone.

In other words, the Wi-Fi only BlackBerry PlayBook will need to connect to a corporate BlackBerry smartphone for secure access to enterprise mail, calendar, tasks, etc. And while corporate data will be accessible via a smartphone-connected PlayBook, no enterprise data is ever stored on the tablet, making it an ideal option, at least from a security perspective--no sensitive data on-device means no data leaks if that device is lost, stolen or hacked.

However, the need for a BlackBerry smartphone is a clear disadvantage for organizations that don't already use RIM handhelds, and this fact will no doubt lead some companies to opt for the iPad 2 or another tablet over RIM's offering.

Organizations that already have BES should feel relatively secure in deploying PlayBooks, since no additional security measures are necessary and no sensitive information is every stored on the PlayBook

The iPad 2, on the other hand, connects to Microsoft's Exchange infrastructure for most of its corporate security features, as a BlackBerry smartphone would to BES. And a variety of third-party mobile device management (MDM) offerings from companies like BoxTone and Zenprise are available to add additional iPad/iOS-related security features.