Chris Smith is a pioneer in applying "coaching" principles to technology planning for small & medium-sized enterprises. He is the founder and owner of TeknoCoach™, a company which is committed to helping small businesses "make Technology their #1 employee".
If you haven't already been hooked by the "Smartphone" revolution, you may be looking for the right entry point. The first thing to consider is what benefits might be realized by moving into one of these devices.
1. Remote access to my calendar- Probably the #1 benefit immediately realized by a new Smartphone user is remote access to his/her calendar. If you're like most busy professionals and/or business owners, you do a pretty solid job of keeping your calendar on a PC (or you have an admin or office manager that keeps it for you). The problem is you're constantly having to use the line, "Let me check my calendar when I get back in the office" as you're visiting with your clients, suppliers, and partners. With the snazzy wireless syncing options available on most Smartphones, you'll have an up-to-date calendar in-hand whenever you need it.
2. Checking email on the road- For some Smartphone users, this capability is absolutely invaluable. Not only are you accessible via the phone, but you also can communicate via email from wherever you are without having to haul out your laptop and find a "hot spot". Others don't use this capability for a variety of reasons (e.g., keys are too small to type with, the screen's too small for reading that much text, or difficulty with attachments).
3. "Whiz-bang" mobile applications- There are tons of little niche applications that are very handy to have with you on-demand (e.g., customized cost calculators, quick-reference manuals, or mini-invoice builders).
If any or all of these benefits sound profitable, your next question is likely, "Which device should I get?" After all, there's lots of choices. Some are much cheaper than others. Some are much more popular than others. What's the difference and what are some of the major benefits of each device?
Check out an expanded version of this article (including some fairly extensive comparison tables).
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