First it was the internet, then it was the Personal Computer, but who could fathom that smartphones with their multitudinous mobile applications would turn out to be your best business friend today? Why; over the past few years your phone (with multiple apps) has literally metamorphosed from an over-active personal toy into a hyper-productive business tool.  You track your time through apps, you share work docs through apps, you access your CRM through apps and heaven knows what else. In short, mobile apps have revolutionized your business like never before. However, here is a bit of stats to show you how mobile apps have now reached the limits of our lonely planet.

• More than a billion of the world’s 4+ billion mobile phones are smartphones
• Mobile internet usage has already overtaken desktop internet usage
• While Apple boasts the largest share of smartphones (47%), this is followed by Android, with Windows and Blackberry keeping the trail.
• Even though apps are developed differently for Android, Apple, Windows and Blackberry phones, these, however, can be created on a single framework, if required.

Now that you have acquired adequate information about the life history of mobile apps, it may be worthwhile getting into the nitty-gritty of how it can solve most of your business problems.

You can Create a One-man Virtual Office

Yes, it’s true. Irrespective of wherever you are located, you can create a one-man Virtual Office if you have the right apps for your mobile device. What’s more, your workdays become more productive, thanks to the easy access to information via the app. Your virtual office space may consist of access to your Project Management app, Client Relationship Management app and other miscellaneous application for time tracking, document sharing, Invoicing, Expenses, etc. May be you need a last minute check up to see everything is working ship shape.

Gear up Customer Relationship

While customer relationship management (CRM) software has been around for quite sometime, there is a growing trend towards utilizing mobile apps for customer management, too.  Here are a few popular apps that may come to your help right away.

Resco Mobile CRM

is used by a large number of corporate clients, AutoZone, being one of the biggest. It is reputed for its cutting-edge technology while at the same time offering an easy-to-use interface. It has a bar code scanner to streamline operations. There is also photo and signature capturing for order taking. Apart from all these, some of its features include tailored charts and lists on dashboard, GPS tracking as also send/reply/forward/track mails.

Oracle CRM on Demand Connected Mobile Sales

As an extension of Oracle’s CRM software, it proves quite effective for various types of businesses.  The goal of this app is to provide a rich user experience while maximizing customer management efficiency. An interesting feature is that employees have a choice of easy-to-use interfaces for a highly customized experience.It offers real-time customer management so team members can be in the loop at all times. It integrates with on-device calendar and contact applications on iPhones.

Cost-effective Marketing

Letting know of a new product, services or events, as we are aware of, is an expensive process. However, companies are currently developing apps that are geared for a targeted audience with sponsorship of their corporate funders. These in turn obtain advertising opportunities for reinforcing their brand as well as gain product exposure to highly relevant user groups. In the process, your purpose is solved – you get adequate exposure at minimum cost!

Device Specific Applications and The Inside Story

Device specific apps no doubt help us a lot. But these are no longer needed to be tied to pricy hardware. For instance, instead of purchasing too many bar code scanners to track inventory, an app may be built utilizing mobile cameras to scan inventory straightaway. However, there is a note of caution, which the reader may pay attention to. True, there are many mobile devices and platforms available today. The list is constantly growing and so is the platform support. There are hundreds of models available today, with multiple hardware and software combinations. But the selection has to be done carefully. The target devices will impact the mobile BI (Business Intelligence) design itself because the design for a smartphone will be different as compared to that for a tablet. The screen size, processor, memory, etc. all will vary. The mobile BI program must account for lack of device standardization from the providers by constantly testing devices for the mobile BI apps. For example, a smartphone is a good candidate for operational mobile BI. However, for analytic and what-if analysis, tablets are the best option. Hence, the selection or availability of the device plays a big role in the implementation. And in any case, the end justifies the process.