Feb 12
6
Reshaping the Way We Work? There’s an App for That. Part 3
By Scott Ginnett, Director, Digital Collaboration & Social Media, Ricoh Americas Corporation
Leveraging Tablets for Your Business
In our first two installments of this blog post, we took a look at some of the reasons behind the recent trend toward tablet computers and compared several of the tablet choices currently in the marketplace.
With all that being said, the real question when it comes to tablets is: How can your business leverage this new technology for greater productivity and enhanced customer experience?
As we pointed out in part one of this blog, one of the key benefits of tablets is that they allow for wireless connectivity from any location through WiFi, 3G or 4G networks. This offers today’s growing mobile workforce agile and cost-effective access to network resources while away from the office. Whether giving a presentation, accessing a website or just checking email, tablets have a convenient functionality that supports business users on the go.
As you probably know, there are endless apps out there promising to help you get the most out of your tablet. Many of these are directed at personal use, but there are also quite a few that can help customize your tablet for business use. We thought it might be helpful to identify several well-received iPad apps you might want to consider. Similar apps are available for Android tablets and some of the others:
- Minimal Folio. This app allows you to upload images, PDFs and video. It arranges the content for you in columns and makes it possible for you to present your portfolio in a seamless, sleek presentation by swiping images from left to right.
- Chimpadeedoo. If you use MailChimp for email marketing, this app is for you. It lets you collect email addresses when you are not online and automatically pushes those addresses to your MailChimp list.
- Dropbox. This cloud storage utility lets you upload documents and keep them in sync no matter what device or computer you are using. Files can be shared via email and you can authorize access for others in the event you want to share particular files. There are 2 GB of free storage with several upgrade options.
- Cisco WebEx. Cisco offers this iPad client for its WebEx teleconferencing software. It works with GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar. Video is fluid over a WiFi connection and also works with 3G and 4G at a lower resolution.
- LogMeIn Ignition. Need to access your work or home computer from your iPad? This app will help you do it, giving you full control over your remote computer, and access to its applications, from you tablet. You can also transfer and save files between your computers and iPad.
Of course, these are just a few of the many apps that can help turn you tablet into a powerful tool to support your business, enhancing your productivity and allowing you one more way to interact with your customers and improve their experience. Identifying which apps are right for you will depend on your goals and how you choose to use your device.
With all of their advantages, it appears that tablets are here to stay. The challenge is to make sure your organization is leveraging the capabilities of this innovative technology to improve your business.
So are you using tablets in your business? We’d be interested to learn how tablets are helping you achieve your goals. And if you are using any of the apps mentioned above, let us know what you think of them! Leave us a comment below.
