How smart phones can improve your company's efficiency

Having a smart phone can really help improve your business communication and efficiency.The latest thing in communication technology and cell phones is the smart phone.The smart phone combines sexy styling with a number of incredible features that cuts down on your need for all of those other tech gadgets. Instead, a smart phone gives you everything you want with fantastic prices, head-turning and attention-grabbing styling, and easy to use interfaces, and smart phones aren't just for those high powered executives on Wall Street.Due to a number of different factors that make smart phones great, the sales of smart phones are expected to double from 74 million in 2006 to 122 million in 2007, according to the research firm Gartner.Gartner also says that by 2010, about half a billion people will have a smart phone.So what does make a smart phone so great that half a billion people are heading to the stores to pick one up?

According to Ken Dulaney, who is an analyst who specializes in wireless communication, "What is driving the smart-phone is really an increased demand for data, especially wireless e-mail."More and more, people want to be able to communicate any time, and any where.The incredible wireless capabilities of the new smart phones unchain people from their computers, and allow them to take their communication everywhere they go.Essentially, a smart phone is a very, very small computer that you can take with you everywhere that you go.Smart phones can let you call people, text people, email people, and surf the web-all for a low monthly fee, beginning around $29.99 a month.

The most famous example of a smart phone is Apple's new iPhone.The iPhone works as a computer that can let you surf the Internet and lets you send email, along with working as an iPod so that you can listen to your music and even watch movies.But the iPhone is not the only smart phone that is out there.You can get a smart phone for less money, though the iPhone has blown most of its competitors out of the water with its sleek styling and easy to use interface.

There are a number of other smart phones out there that you can choose from.Some of the most popular ones are the RIM BlackBerry Pearl, which has recently been released by Cingular Wireless.Cingular Wireless/AT&T has also released the Palm Treo 680, the Cingular 3125, and the Samsung BlackJack.According to Cingular/AT&T, the release of these new smart phones has quadrupled the company's profit margin and has added 2.4 million customers.The majority of people don't use their smart phones to actually work while they're on the road (or in the subway).Instead, smart phones are becoming more and more popular among people who just want to be able to email their friends and their family.80% of BlackBerry Pearl owners are using their smart phone for fun and their personal life, which is why they are upgrading from regular cell phones to a smart phone that lets them email their family and friends.If simple texting isn't enough for you, then a smart phone will really be the way for you to go.

While the iPhone is notable for its rather hefty price tag, and many smart phones are around $500, more and more companies are cutting the costs to something that is much more consumer friendly-around $150 to $200.And, even better, service packages' prices are being cut.You can get a text-messaging package for $10 a month and if you want an Internet package that lets you surf the web and email your friends, you can get it for around $30 a month.$30 a month for the ability to check your stock prices, check out your teams' scores, e-mail your significant other to arrange for a dinner date, and find a restaurant to take your significant other on that dinner date is a price that many consumers are more than happy to pay.And you can even use your smart phone to organize your business contacts, if you would like to.Here are some of the most popular smart phones available now, which some of their features and their ratings:

T-Mobile Sidekick II

• rated very good


• features: VGA camera with flash; speakerphone; keyboard; e-mail and IM; 32 MB RAM


• cons: no corporate e-mail access; no Bluetooth

T-Mobile SDA

• rated excellent


• features: great screen; good battery life; 1.3-megapixel camera; Bluetooth, Wi-Fi; Edge support


• cons: small keypad and navigation controls

RIM BlackBerry 7130e

• rated very good


• features: great display; speakerphone; Bluetooth; compatible with Microsoft Exchange and LotusNotes; can receive PDFs and can access corporate e-mail accounts


• cons: no IM