Can you run your company out of your pocket? Perhaps not entirely, but there are many functions today that can be performed using an iPhone, BlackBerry, or other mobile handheld device. The
Smartphone has been called the “Swiss Army knife of the digital age.” A flick of the finger turns it into a Web browser, a telephone, a camera, a music or video player , an e-mail and messaging machine, and for some, a gateway into corporate systems. New software applications for social networking and sales force management (CRM) make these devices even more versatile business tools.
The BlackBerry has been the favored m obile handheld for business because it was optimized for email and messaging, with strong security and tools for accessing internal corporate systems. Now that’s changing. Companies large and small are starting to deploy Apple’s iPhone to conduct more of their work. For some, these handhelds have become necessities.
Doylestown Hospital, a community medical center near Philadelphia, has a mobile workforce of 360 independent physicians treating thousands of patients. The physicians use the iPhone 3G to stay connected around the clock to hospital staff, colleagues, and patient information. Doylestown doctors use iPhone features such as e-mail, calendar, and contacts from Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync. The iPhone allows them to receive time-sensitive e-mail alerts from the hospital. Voice communication is important as well, and the iPhone allows the doctors to be on call wherever they are.
Sources:
Laudon, K.C. & Laudon, J.P. (2012),
Management
Information
Systems
MANAGING THE DIGITAL FIRM, p10. Questions:
1. According to the text, what are the business benefits of the Smartphone?
2. Find other examples that show the usefulness of the Smartphone to business managers.
Page 1 of 4
Answers:
1- The business can benefits from the smartphone according to the Doylestown
Hospital experience by many