In 2021 it is very possible to conduct business on your smartphone, and if you are frequently on the go, travelling to different places for work, it may even be the primary way.
The reason this is now possible is not just because of the advancements in mobile technology, but also with the rise of cloud-based applications. TechQuarters, for example, can attest to the power of cloud-technology. “We provide IT support London based companies need” says TechQuarters. “A lot of our customers receive primarily remote IT support from us, and that is down to the prevalence of cloud-based tech!”
So, what applications are crucial for doing business with your smartphone? Here are some key categories to consider when looking for apps:
Communication Platform
First and foremost, if you’re going to be conducting business with your phone, you need to be able to communicate very clearly. There are a lot of options for communication platforms on your phone. The two leading products for this are: Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
Teams is Microsoft’s official collaboration platform. It integrates with nearly every Microsoft application, and contains chat, call and video call functions. It has a calendar for meetings, webinars, and live events. It also has a files section where you can add cloud storage such as OneDrive, Google Drive, and DropBox.
Slack is Microsoft Teams’ primary competitor. Developed by American company Slack Technologies, it offers chat rooms (known as channels), private groups, direct messaging, and calling. It integrates with cloud storage including DropBox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
It should be noted that Microsoft Teams is only available with Microsoft accounts, whereas Slack accounts can be setup with any email.
Email Client
Of course, when conducting business you will need access to your emails. We know that some of you may have been with the same email client for years – but you’ll be glad to know that most established email providers have a mobile application. But if you aren’t already sure, here are the top picks for email applications:
Outlook – Formerly Hotmail, Microsoft Outlook is a very popular email provider. One of the best things about Outlook is it integrates with Microsoft Office apps.
Gmail – Perhaps the most popular email client on the planet, Gmail is known for its user-friendly interface and strong feature set.
ProtonMail – If security and privacy are your highest priority, we recommend ProtonMail. This email provider is based in Switzerland, and uses end-to-end encryption, meaning not even they can view users personal emails.
Storage
Another important application to have on your phone when conducting business is a storage solution. Ideally, cloud-based storage is the way to go, as your phones internal storage will quickly fill up and slow down the device. In terms of cloud storage, you have a lot of different options, but the most popular solutions for business are as follows:
OneDrive – Another Microsoft application we would highly recommend for business. The free version offers 5GB of storage, whereas with Microsoft’s Business Basics license, which includes OneDrive and Office 365 pricing starts at £3.80 per user/month, which will give you 1TB of storage.
Google Drive – Google’s cloud storage offers 15GB of storage for free – this is the most out of any cloud service’s free plans. You can then either pay for more storage – starting at £15.99/year for 100GB. Or you can opt for a Google Workspace license, with their most popular plan being £8.28 per user/month, which gives you 2TB of storage (among other plan features.)
Dropbox – One of the earliest, and most well-known cloud-storage services, Dropbox offers 2GB for free plans. It also has individual plans for professionals, starting at £16.58/month for a sizeable 3TB of storage. Or you could opt for a team plan, starting at a 5TB per user/month.
Business Services
We’ve mentioned a few recurring companies in our previous sections, therefore we also need to mention the licenses and services that give you all the applications you need to conduct business. So far, all the categories we’ve listed offer applications that stand alone, but which can also be used in conjunction with paid business plans. In our opinion, there are 2 main services that you should consider: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.
Google Workspace – Formerly known as G Suite, Google Workspace is a collection of tools for email, productivity, and collaboration. Google Workspace includes the email client Gmail, and the cloud-storage service Google Drive, which integrates with Google Calendar; on top of this you also get Google Docs, Sheets and Slides (analogous with Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.) You also get Google’s survey application, Forms; and you can built webpages and whole websites with Google Sites. Google Chat is a direct competitor of Slack and Microsoft Teams, and has some great functionality. These are just a few of the products you get with Google Workspace – it is designed to give you all the capabilities to conduct business using cloud-based applications on your computer, and on your phone.
Microsoft 365 – This is the name of Microsoft’s collection of applications that are available in a range of plans, starting with the Business Basics License (£3.80/user/month). It includes the Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive, and OneNote), you also get Microsoft Teams, and OneDrive’s older sibling, SharePoint. SharePoint is cloud-based storage for your whole organisation and is aimed at collaboration and file management. You also get Microsoft Exchange – which integrates the Outlook email client with the Exchange mail server. If you are based in London, you may consider getting your Microsoft 365 licensing from a company such as TechQuarters, who provide managed IT services London offices benefited from for years. They can offer Microsoft 365 licensing at preferential rates because they are a Microsoft Gold Partner.
