It’s easy to slip an iPad into your travel bag, but they’re only as useful as the iPad business apps at your fingertips.
Apple’s iPads are designed to handle your email, calendar, contacts and basic notes out of the box, whether you use Microsoft Exchange, Outlook.com, Google, iCloud or any other service. This makes Apple’s tablets incredibly useful as a business tool when you’re on the road. They’re especially useful if they have built-in 3G/4G mobile broadband access. You can stay online even when you’re beyond the reach of Wi-Fi networks.
Productivity apps
To squeeze even more business benefits from your iPad, look to the productivity section of the App Store. It’s worth exploring your options to see which apps and services are the best fit for your business and specific work flows.
If you’ve outgrown the iPad’s default Notes app then it’s worth looking to advanced alternatives like Evernote or Microsoft’s OneNote. They make it easier to label your notes and keep them organised, so you can quickly find what you need. You can also take advantage of handwriting recognition, scan printed text and insert multimedia.
You’ll also find the full suite of Microsoft Office apps such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint. This allows you to work on your desktop files without needing to convert formats. It’s particularly handy if you use Office 365. It lets you keep your files in sync between devices as well as collaborate on documents with colleagues.
Storage and more
Meanwhile, Microsoft’s OneDrive cloud storage ensures all your important files are at your fingertips. It also offers the option of offline access. You can switch to flight mode and work while you’re on a plane, knowing all your changes will be automatically synced when you land and reconnect to the internet. You also know your documents are safely stored online should your iPad come to grief.
If you’re trying to carry around less paper, apps like Scanner Pro put a powerful document scanner in your bag. It has Optical Character Recognition, converting documents into searchable text and exporting them in formats such as Adobe PDF.
Regular travellers will also benefit from apps like TripIt. With TripIt, you can track your travel itinerary. Concur is another great app. It automatically processes expenses, including scanning printed receipts. Meanwhile, you can use finance apps like Xero or MYOB to send invoices, pay bills and take care of other financial matters on the go.
With an iPad and the right apps at your disposal, you can get down to business anywhere, anytime, rather than waiting until you get back to your desk.
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