1. Do I need a smartphone for business?
Image by Clarita
How would you answer these questions:
- Do you work away from the office?
- Do you have a schedule out of the office that changes week-to-week?
- Are you in sales or any form of time-sensitive client support?
If you answer yes to these, then you need a Smartphone.
2. So I need one. Which one?
To answer that question, take a look at the following from TopTenReviews.com:
* Productivity/ Lifestyle Tools — Smartphones act as life management devices and include organizing features like calendars and task lists. Most sync with home computers allowing for document viewing and editing. They also include practical tools like calculators, map applications and GPS. Third-party apps are becoming a key component of a smartphone, allowing the user to customize their phones to support their lifestyles.
* Voice/Text Features — Smartphones for business should include all typical cell phone features including speakerphone, three-way calling, voice dialing, call waiting, etc.
* Internet Features — Most smartphones can access the internet and display full webpages. Top ranked phones will connect via Wi-Fi and 3G for faster browsing speeds.
* Multimedia Features — The best business cell phones have at least a 2 megapixel camera with zoom features and the ability to play and record audio and video.
* Technical Specifications — The most practical smartphones are compact, include good input and display options, and enough battery life to last through a full day’s work, and beyond.
Based on these features, there are at this point only two manufacturers to seriously consider for business use: RIM (BlackBerry) and Apple (iPhone). A number of other manufacturers are making better and better smartphones (Motorola, Palm, HTC, Google, etc.) but new platforms can take years to develop the software (productivity applications, other apps, security software, and synchronizing software for your computer), that you need to really get the most out of your phone.
Which one you choose between the iPhone and Blackberry, is a personal question (unless of course your company has already made that decision for you!). You will find rabid fans on both sides. The new iPhone is almost as secure as a BlackBerry for all but the most sensitive (read government etc.) environments. Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Before you even begin digging through the mass of conflicting opinions, make one check: does your preferred carrier even offer the phone you might go for. If you are loyal to a particular carrier (say Telus or Rogers in western Canada), they might not even carry the phone you end up picking. Until a couple of months ago for example, Telus did not carry the iPhone. They do now.
For me it comes down to deciding exactly which kinds of applications I would use the phone for (email, messaging, productivity, specialized apps, etc.), and determining if the phone has the software and features for that primary use.
You should actually try the phone out. Find a friend who has one and talk to them about it while you hold the phone and type on it etc. The keyboards, screens, user interfaces, etc. are all quite different, and you will find as many different opinions as to which is better, as you have friends. It really is about what works for you.
3. What can they do for me?
Think of your smart phone as a digital Swiss Army Knife
You can use smart phone for telephone calls, email, and/or texting. But it is also a powerful tool that can make your professional life easier in many other ways.
Here are some more ‘fun’ tips and tricks:
- Unload your head – Load up your phone: calendars & tasks. If you aren’t trying to remember all those details, your mind is freer to balance the big picture!
- Use your phone’s unique ring-tones or signals for different events. Want your phone to remain silent unless a key client or family member phones? You can set your phone to do this.
- Want to get a discrete signal that your meeting hour is almost up? Set your phone’s clock or timer to vibrate at a certain time.
- Want to remember where you parked your car at the airport? Take a snapshot of the area with your phone’s camera.
- Record voice memos when you don’t have the time to write a note
- Calculate tips or bill splits at lunch.
- On some smart phones you can now find an address or retrace your steps using built-in GPS. Another way to find where you parked your car!
- You can store and update shopping lists, check out movies playing in your neighbourhood, and access Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter on your phone.
4. How do I stop the madness of data creep (different calendars on my phone and computers)?
Did you know that your phone can synchronize your contacts, calendar, tasks, notes, and more, with your computer? If your phone and computer have Bluetooth built in, you don’t even have to plug anything in. Increasingly through off-site servers and Bluetooth, you have the ability to store key word processing, spreadsheet, PDF and other documents on your phone as well.
By syncing your computer with your phone, not only will you keep your contacts and calendar up to date, but you have created another form of back up!
5. I’m feeling insecure!
What are the top security concerns?
You will read a lot about maintaining the security of your data, especially contact lists and emails, on your smartphone. For many medium to large enterprises, this concern is legitimate, and there are a number of security precautions against data theft and hacking that need to be taken.
For smaller businesses, theft is a much bigger concern than getting hacked.
For anyone, large or small, identify theft is also a concern. Again here, actual theft of your phone is a bigger concern than getting hacked.
Solutions:
- If you are part of a larger organization, there are (or should be!) security protocols and precautions put in place by your IT department.
- For everyone, the best precaution against identity theft is prevention. Limit the amount of information on your phone. Storing things like passwords and PIN numbers on your phone is not a good idea.
- As well, many areas of your phone can be password protected. While passwords can be a pain to have to type in every time, if you have security concerns, they are necessary.
- If your smartphone is stolen, the best thing you can do is ‘bomb’ your own phone. This is using a remote program to access your phone and wipe all of the data from it. This is another reason to choose a phone from either Apple or RIM. Both platforms have apps that allow you to set up a way to track your phone by GPS and/or send a command to wipe the phone clean as soon as you realize it has been stolen.
- Having key areas of your phone password protected also makes accessing data tougher for thieves. This is important as you may not realize your phone is missing for some time, and some phones take longer to erase remotely than others.
- For most of us, having our phone hacked is a remote possibility. If that is a concern for you however, the most vulnerable areas of your phone are, or will be, your Bluetooth & WiFi connections, incoming email & sms messages, and apps your install on your phone.
- Limit the amount of sensitive data on your phone
- Turn off your Bluetooth and WiFi when you are not using them
- Download apps only from trusted sources
- Work with your IT department to make sure your phone has the latest security patches installed, and that all the security features are turned on.
Information Sources
http://cell-phones.toptenreviews.com/smartphones/ [excellent overview]
http://www.smartphonetoday.com/ [important global resource]
http://resources.bnet.com/topic/smartphone.html [bnet is a great business resource]
http://na.blackberry.com/eng/ [tech porn]
http://www.apple.com/iphone/ [more tech porn]
http://smartphones.about.com/updated.htm [about.com is an excellent general info resource]
