TECHNOLOGY Business apps
THERE’S AN app
FOR THAT
Still can't work out which apps offer the greatest benefits? Clement Huang selects ten of the best for business travellers, covering everything from expenses to video editing
R
emember the good old days when carrying huge IBM laptops on business trips was the height
of sophistication? It’s almost laughable now, but it’s impossible to reminisce about the past without recalling these heavy, bulky machines on which we delivered important client presentations, organised our lives and stored our contacts. Fast forward 20 years and these one-
for-all dinosaurs have been replaced by pocket-sized devices and the diverse world of apps – or application software. Mobile technology has advanced to a stage where devices are not only becoming lighter and smaller, but developers are also creating programmes that are simplified without compromising usability and productivity. We can trace the roots of this phenomenon back to the humble Apple
48 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2015
Newton, which is generally considered to be the first mobile system that offered the earliest and most basic idea of what apps could do. The “personal digital assistant” (PDA) – a term coined by then Apple chief executive John Sculley, was pre-loaded with a number of “applications” such as Notes, Names, and Dates, to help personal data organisation and management – not too dissimilar to Apple’s existing Notes, Contacts, and Calendar apps on iOS. But the “mobile application culture” truly blossomed when Steve Jobs introduced the App Store in 2008. This now boasts more than 1.3 million apps, with downloads totalling over 75 billion, and is just one of many app stores that now exist, such as Google Play (formerly known as the Android market) or BlackBerry World. Tablet sales are also through the roof
as more and more users deviate towards working on the move. In fact, Microsoft’s Windows 8 operating system (OS) was built on the very foundation of creating a user interface (UI) that targeted tablet users. For example, the removal of the popular “Start” menu, in favour of a grid-based apps selection system, was specifically designed to improve support for touchscreen devices. Today, apps are a fundamental part of business, and 99 per cent of Fortune 500 companies have adopted them into their practices. From personal organisers to educational tools or marketing platforms, new apps are constantly being developed to help streamline a number of everyday tasks. Business Traveller Asia-Pacific
recommends the following ten apps to help you accomplish more with less.
Visit
www.businesstraveller.asia
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