The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration today released Inadequate Aircard and BlackBerry Assignment and Monitoring Processes Result in Millions of Dollars in Unnecessary Access Fees (2013-10-010):

In
Fiscal Year 2011, the IRS had approximately 35,000 active aircards and more
than 4,400 BlackBerrys assigned to employees, providing them with mobile
Internet and e-mail access.  TIGTA found that cost savings can be achieved if the
IRS ensures that only those employees with a valid business need are assigned
an aircard and/or BlackBerry and provides more effective oversight and
monitoring of these devices.  Improved policies and procedures can result in
savings of $5.9 million over five years. …

Processes
for assigning and monitoring the use of aircards and BlackBerrys are not adequate
to ensure that employees have a business need for the devices.  Assignment of
these devices is generally based on job series classifications without
adequately ensuring a business need exists.

In
addition, the IRS paid approximately $1.1 million
during Fiscal Year 2011 for 13,878 aircards and 754 BlackBerrys that were
not used for periods of three months to one year.  For example, TIGTA
identified 45 aircards and 68 BlackBerrys that were not used at all for the
entire 12 months of the fiscal year. 

Finally,
2,560 employees may have been assigned an
aircard or BlackBerry without required management approval.  These devices cost
the IRS more than $950,000 in Fiscal Year 2011, or about $4.8 million over
five years.