US Census Bureau turns to Apple devices to improve accuracy, reduce costs

The U.S. Census Bureau is to use 'hundreds of thousands' of Apple iOS devices in next year's census, the tech giant said on Wednesday.

Speaking on Apple's financial earnings call, CFO Luca Maestri revealed that the company's iOS devices will be used by the U.S. Census Bureau via partner company CDW. The intention is to deploy the devices for next year's census and improve how data is collected and managed.

"The US Census Bureau is making fundamental changes to the design and implementation of next year's census," he said, "with a goal of producing quality results, reducing costs by leveraging the mobility, user experience and privacy of iOS."

"Hundreds of thousands of Apple devices would be deployed this fiscal year to support an innovative new model for the collection and management of census data," he continued. "We are proud that our products will play an important role in driving quality to this critical initiative while safeguarding the privacy and security of this data."

Maestri also said that the devices will be provided via Apple Financial Services, the company's enterprise financing platform, and partner company CDW.

"[This will] minimize the cost to the public by taking advantage of the uniquely strong residual value of Apple devices," he concluded.

Exactly when and how the Census Bureau intends to deploy the devices, and whether the hardware will be purchased, remains unknown. Apple or the government agency will likely detail the initiative in more detail as the 2020 census approaches.