Switchfast Blog: The Future of IT
Saving Time and Money with Mobile Apps
Tuesday, May 04, 2010 by Bryan Anderson
Whether you were a believer or not, the iPad has officially surpassed the 1 million units mark
and it continues to grow. It's been discussed whether or not this "magical" device
will actually crack the enterprise industry, but its presence in
the consumer market has already spurned interest from small and
large companies regarding ways to utilize this growing piece of
technology.
According to the latest reports, the "App Store now contains
more than 200,000 apps, meaning it's grown by 15,000 from early
April." While these numbers may sound immense, the truly astounding
number is this: 12 million apps have been downloaded from the App
Store.
Apps are nothing new to the mobile industry - certainly Apple's
signature App Store has helped to define the mobile-purchasing
arena, but Google and Nokia have launched their own mobile OS with
an accompanying application store.
With access already at your fingertips, apps make your personal
life easier. Why not the same with your professional one?
Here are some Apps that will (or have proven) to save you time,
money, or stress when it comes to running your small business in a
hectic mobile-enterprise environment:
Pixetell - According to their website, Pixetell "accelerates business communication
50-200% by enabling you to quickly add voice, screen recordings and
video to email and electronic documents." There tagline sums it up
in "say it, show it, send it." In an article from CNN.com, a case study shows how one landscaping company
was able to "reduce mistakes in the field by 75%, slashed driving
time in half, cut overhead by about 6% and keep the company's $4
million in annual sales steady despite the economic downturn." This
low-cost multimedia conferencing app will only require $720 a
year.
wCharge - Ever needed to accept credit card
payments but didn't have the technology for it? This mobile application "enables remote processing
of Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover credit card
payments." The app costs between $5 and $9 dollars (depending on
where you buy it) and requires a business or merchant PayPal
account in order claim a secure transaction.
Sprite Backup - If your business requires a
significant amount of mobile phone usage, then you know that any
disaster or accident can take your phone - and all the information
you've accumulated with it. This app "backs up all mobile contacts,
SMS, applications and settings, to name a few, and backs up to a
PC, FTP site and storage cards." Compatible with Windows Mobile
only, this will cost you $29.95.
Shoeboxed - Another small business frustration
is keeping an accurate running tab of receipts and expenses. This
app allows you to take pictures of receipts with your mobile phone,
add notes, and store both in a secure location. The data is then
extracted to your iPhone "where you can submit expenses right there
or do it later online." This app is available for Free on the iPhone.
Whether it's saving money, influencing people, helping make the
most out of a meeting, or entering spreadsheets on the go, there are
numerous apps that facilitate a business-technology culture.
Until Next Time -
Matthew Hymel
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support &
Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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