Your Business On The Go

There was a time not so long ago when the ultimate sign of achievement was the corner office. However, today’s successful entrepreneur or businessperson is just as likely to be sealing the major deal on the street corner – thanks to smart phones and mobile business applications.

According to a recent poll conducted by ABI Research, Australian consumers are increasingly turning to mobile devices in order to research and purchase goods over the internet. The report claims that such sales using smart phones and other mobile devices could reach an amazing $119 billion the word over by 2015. Much of this growth is being fuelled by businesses that are leveraging the power of mobile business apps to connect not only with clients, but also directly to consumers. There is a growing number of major companies in Australia offering iPhone apps for retail purchases, including pizza chain Domino's, which, according to the ABI Report, recorded $2 million in sales through its app in only 12 weeks. With the introduction of the Droid, giving consumers more smart phone operating systems to choose from – a wider range of users can now access such mobile transactions.

According to Troy Lyon, operations manager for the Telstra Business Centre, there is definitely an upward trend of businesses on the Sunshine Coast using mobile business apps,“particularly as designers realise the market for business applications that can be downloaded to a smart phone. Smartphones are now becoming very simple to use and the functionality and productivity that can be achieved is sensational.” He continues, “At Telstra we offer complete wireless office solutions from receiving calls and emails to your mobile, right through to integration of mobile services with fixed services, so your mobile becomes an extension of your fixed line phone system.”Mobile-productivity software is not a new idea. The big boys in the Fortune 500 have been using such solutions for several years now. The big change is that with the introduction of the Apple iPhone, the Droid, Blackberry, LG’s Voyager etc, which offer fast processors, amazing amounts of storage and positioning technology all in an affordable package, almost any size business can now access this kind of technology.

So just what kinds of apps are we talking about? Are there must-have mobile business apps? “There are so many and they can be very business specific,” Troy says. “GPS mapping capability is generally useful. ABN lookup is useful for anyone requiring signed contracts. I use postcode search quite often and the business card scanners can quickly help you obtain a very valuable address book in your Smartphone.”Service providers understand that we are entering into a new era of mobile business operations becoming essential for business of all sizes, and for them that means new markets. "We definitely see ourselves getting into more managed services for our business clients," says Mike Willsey, director of enterprise segmentation for Verizon Wireless. "It's not about just plain connectivity anymore."  But, of course, even a powerful smartphone is only as good as the network it is on.

For business applications, reliability is essential. Dead-zones and dropped calls are just not acceptable where business applications are concerned. Troy says Telstra is up for the challenge. “Telstra has invested significantly in regional areas and the NextG network and the investment made has provided great speed and coverage on the Sunshine Coast for Telstra customers. Services are designed to integrate with each other offering a seamless transition from one business application to another. This speed and coverage has allowed for a business to have confidence in conducting mobile business in real time and gain productivity while out on the road.” Which phone is the smartest?

With many more choices of smartphones available now, is there any one that is better for your business? “Each of them has their own advantages,” Troy says. “What is important is the other systems and services needed to make them effective within a particular business environment, and whether that particular smartphone’s operating system will allow interaction. Above all, they are all becoming easier to use, so it almost comes down to personal choice.” The bottom line is that any smartphone will help you organise the day-to-day operations of your business, always have contacts handy, keep track of appointments, reach your customers, and conduct business, anywhere any time – which all adds up to more efficiency and greater profits.

By Steve Goodman

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