The business world has always been the pushers when it comes to new technology. Traditionally, new gadgets and electronics are released at the company level first, before the technology and production process matures that they become affordable at the consumer level.
Without corporate applications, therefore, the first room-sized VAC-1 computers wouldn’t have turned into today’s slim-factor desktops and paper-thin laptops. And without the business need to keep in touch on the go, the cellular phone might have remained the stuff of James Bond gadgets.
This makes it essential to keep on top of the trends in technological development, and how they might be useful for your business. When something is taking the market by storm, it’s usually because it offers concrete applications and benefits for the companies with the guts (and capital) to try them. And if those companies happen to be your competitors, you can’t risk being left behind.
Here are three current technological tools that might prove useful for your business.
Mobile data plans
It used to be that only your laptop was capable of accessing the Internet. The cellphone was strictly used for calling, or to play the occasional game of Snake or Tetris while waiting at the airport terminal.
No more. Today, smart phones are capable of holding themselves up when it comes to Internet surfing, just as well as the laptop. In case you aren’t carrying a notebook with you, and there’s no WiFi signal in the vicinity, there’s always the mobile data plan.
By signing up for a wireless plan, you can access your email archive and stay updated on the Internet anywhere there’s a carrier signal. There are also new plans that let you use the same connection for your laptop or tablet, providing an all-in-one connection for all your business electronics.
Blackberry messaging
Instant messaging is a good way to keep in touch with the office, but only when you’re in a Wi-Fi spot or have your laptop open in front of you.
RIM offers a free messaging service for its Blackberry smartphones. This acts like a free chat service that doesn’t need any Wi-Fi hotspot or mobile data plan… essentially the high-tech, long-distance version of a walkie talkie.
Blackberry phones are also optimized for chatting and composing business emails, as they come with a QWERTY keypad, unlike traditional mobile phone keypads and the onscreen keyboards of touchscreen phones.
Business apps
Finally, another use for those smart phones are the countless business apps being offered on the market. No matter what industry you are in, there’s sure to be an app that will help you manage your business, whether it’s a stock market ticker or currency trade feed. Such apps are available on Apple’s Appstore, the Android Market, and the online stores of all other mobile OS makers.
