In an earlier blog entry, I noted that I had, to my surprise, found the iPad quite useful for business purposes. In this entry, I want to highlight selected apps I find particularly useful in a business setting. As a preliminary note, you should understand my use case, to better understand whether the apps I find useful would also match your needs.
Our firm has stayed on the cutting edge of technology, in order to make our employees more efficient and productive, and more importantly to better serve our clients. So, our firm, to the largest extent possible, attempts to achieve a paperless environment. Every piece of mail that comes into our office is scanned into our system. Those scans are then run through an optical character recognition (OCR) program, and saved in our file system. We use a cloud-based file server, which replicates all files on each of our employee’s computers. So, all employees have immediate and continual access to all necessary documents. This is the background into which I introduced the iPad.
Dropbox
Dropbox is the cloud-based file-storage, access, and collaboration system our firm utitlizes. Although I used Dropbox before the iPad, its use has become more important with the iPad. Because the file management and transfer system on the iPad is (in my view) inhibited by Apple’s over-reliance on iTunes for those purposes, Dropbox is the main method by which I can transfer files to my iPad. In addition, there are several applications that take advantage of Dropbox. Using the iPad Dropbox app, I can access literally any file I need on my iPad. Dropbox is free for up to 2GB of storage, and has paid options for more storage. For example, 100GB of storage is $20 per month. The Dropbox iPad app is free in the iTunes store.
GoodReader
GoodReader is a file reader that allows a user to view, annotate, and save many file formats (including the essential Adobe PDF format and Word format). However, this app shines in its integration with Dropbox. GoodReader can automatically link to your Dropbox account, and keep files synced between Dropbox and your iPad. So, any changes you make to a file using GoodReader can be synced back to Dropbox, so the modified document can be accessed using any device linked to Dropbox.
Where GoodReader also adds a level of productivity is meetings. So long as you have a WiFi connection (or 3G connection, if your iPad is 3G capable), you can access meeting agendas and backup documents using GoodReader and Dropbox, so you never need to carry a pile of paperwork with you. In fact, if your meeting will be in a location without a WiFi or 3G connection, you can pre-download the documents to your iPad, and carry only your iPad. With GoodReader’s annotation functions, you can event take notes at the meeting directly onto the applicable section of the meeting agenda.
GoodReader is a $4.99 app in the iTunes store.
Evernote
Evernote is another app that existed prior to the iPad. But the iPad enhances the functionality of Evernote. Using Evernote, you can save virtually any document and access it anywhere. Although that functionality is similar to Dropbox, Dropbox is better utilized for Word and PDF document sharing and collaboration. Evernote can be used, for example, to take notes at a meeting, or to access a document that you would not ordinarily save in a file server setting, such as a receipt. If the note is taken on the iPad, it automatically syncs to the Evernote server, and is accessible on any device. Evernote is free for up to 60MB of document uploads a month, with limited file formats supported. For $5 per month, you receive 1GB of upload space per month, with virtually unlimited file format support.
I use Dropbox, Evernote, and GoodReader in conjunction, and I have found that these three apps have greatly enhanced the business case for the iPad. I am sure there are more apps out there that enhance the business case for the iPad. I would love to hear about them in the comments. For more information about me, click here.
