When you talk about acquiring a business phone, you might simply be thinking of another cheap mobile phone or an alternative unit to your personal line. While both instances may be true, you are possibly-shortchanging yourself of new technology that can help you and your own company.
What you need to get is a smartphone. It isn’t just a way to instantly connect with people through the internet, but a great platform for mobile business applications. Your work may get easier or you may get even more done when you’re able to manage your time and tasks better through technology.
Essentially, the main reason for getting a smartphone is: the apps. It’s really the only way it lets you do so much in one handy package. But you must also be ready to deal with a wealth of available options that can distract just as much as focus you.
To help you make sure that you’re getting the right apps that can turn your business phone into a multitask machine; here are some good things to get for your iPhone or android phone right off the bat:
1. Note-taking app
You might think that taking notes is an unwieldy and cumbersome matter with a smartphone but you may be mistaken. With the best apps of this kind, you don’t actually have to write or type anything in. You can consolidate media to fit in groups that concern a single meeting or relevant topic. You can record voice, sound or video, or even take a photo of other people’s notes or the whiteboard. Some apps even let you scribble on your pictures. There are great free apps like Evernote that let you do all the functions mentioned above and more.
2. Business VoIP app
Making and receiving calls does not stop with your mobile network carrier. You can actually make use of VoIP services on your smartphone. Apps like the one from RingCEntral lets you manage your VoIP phone services directly from your iPhone or Android device. You can set up accounts and manage your IP PBX through the app.
3. File sharing app
When you use a file sharing app on your company phone, you can upload and download office files wherever you are or view documents that need updating. This may be very useful during ongoing projects. Apps like these are Dropbox, SugarSync and SkyDrive.
4. Document scanning app
Smartphones are so powerful that they’re actually portable scanners with the right app. You can scan certain documents and send them directly through your email using your phone. Some apps have great flexibility when saving the scanned document, which may let you send it through your business VoIP app. Great document scanning apps are JotNot and Genius Scan.