Small businesses looking to use mobile technology to enhance their operations face a growing array of application options. For companies with limited tech capabilities, it can be difficult to determine what solutions will work best. The good news for small business is that the task just got easier, thanks to a newly revamped online Small Business Mobile Application Recommender Tool (SMART) unveiled today by AT&T*.
In addition, AT&T announced today the availability of four new mobile applications, which are focused on streamlining processes in the field for small and medium businesses and can be purchased directly from the online SMART portal (www.att.com/smart).
With a new simple user-friendly interface for non-technical business users, the enhanced SMART portal allows small business owners or administrators to easily learn about, buy and provision certified third-party mobile applications from AT&T, based on industry or line of business. By offering a series of business specific options, the portal will dynamically present solutions to help small businesses do more with mobility.
Based on input from small business users, the portal offers a list of recommended applications, information about the applications and new video demos to help customers better understand how the applications can help their business.
Mobile applications spending is rapidly growing for small businesses (less than 100 employees), increasing from $241.8 million in 2008 to a projected $616.5 million market by 2012 – a compound annual growth rate of more than 20 percent – according to market research firm Compass Intelligence.
“Employees and executives in small businesses are some of the most mobile workers on the planet, with their mobile work requirements rising each year,” said Kneko Burney, president of Compass Intelligence. “Thanks to the growing availability of affordable and easy-to-use mobile applications combined with simplified access and deployment tools, like SMART from AT&T, these on-the-go individuals can stay connected and more productive no matter where they are.”
With AT&T’s expanded portfolio of mobile applications, small businesses can also use a new “buy now” feature to help connect them quickly to the solution. Once applications have been selected, designated small business subscribers will typically receive application downloading and registration instructions directly on their mobile phones, often making it as easy as a single click.
“With the enhanced SMART tool and a growing portfolio of mobile applications to address business needs, AT&T continues to be a leading technology provider and a trusted advisor for small businesses,” said Jennifer Jackson, vice president of Small Business Field Marketing for AT&T. “Mobile applications can help businesses save time, be more effective and improve productivity, and the SMART tool will help them learn about, buy and provision certified mobile applications from AT&T.
“Our customers – especially small and medium businesses – are continually seeking new ways to help their mobile workforce be more efficient in the field. These new mobile productivity offerings from AT&T have been developed to help businesses with their everyday operations.”
The four newest mobile applications now available for purchase directly through the AT&T SMART tool include:
* AIRTIME Manager from AT&T (www.att.com/airtime) – enables professionals to track billable hours on their BlackBerry mobile device. Ideal for professional services companies such as law firms, consultants and engineers, the solution captures time associated with wireless emails, phone calls, and other billable events, enabling improved time entry directly into a company’s billing system.
* Associate from AT&T (www.att.com/dictation) – a complete mobile dictation solution, turning compatible AT&T smartphones into portable dictation devices. Users can capture, encrypt, transfer, and store verbal information in a centralized location for easy retrieval by authorized support staff. The solution is targeted at lawyers, doctors, and other providers of professional services. Associate from AT&T can replace tape and digital recorders that face breakage and delay in forwarding dictation to transcriptionists.
* Nice Office from AT&T (www.att.com/niceoffice) – a CRM solution, which allows businesses to mobilize their office; It includes a browser application that can synchronize with Microsoft® Outlook®, as well as with mobile devices. Users can wirelessly sync contacts, calendar, tasks, and notes. Nice Office from AT&T also offers real-time job updates, detailed reporting capabilities, and automatic logging and backup and recovery of mobile activities. In addition, it provides the ability to update and send forms and documents from the field via a suite of mobile office applications, including contact management, work tasks, sales opportunity management, calendar, email, and auto journals.
* ProntoForms™ from AT&T (www.att.com/prontoforms) – enables businesses to streamline their out of office business processes and workflows by turning paper forms into mobile forms. The ProntoForms solution is designed with simplicity in mind for small businesses and departments within large organizations to create forms, capture data, generate reports and manage users, all in real-time over the AT&T wireless network. With ProntoForms from AT&T, users can create a mobile form, often in minutes, including the ability to capture signatures, photos, and geo stamp information. Once data has been captured in a mobile form and submitted, data can be turned into emails, PDF reports, and or exported into back office systems.
The SMART portal also has a new user-friendly interface and continues to provide easy access to dozens of other certified mobile applications targeted at specific industries and lines of business, including construction, onsite services, and transportation, healthcare, legal, and other professional services. These additional applications, which can be purchased directly from third-party developers, include customer relationship management, sales force automation, field services, fleet management, and security and systems management.
Small businesses looking to find information about AT&T products and services can visit www.att.com/smallbusiness and specific to mobility www.wireless.att.com/businesscenter. For free business resources such as webinars, white papers, training, case studies and best practices, they can visit www.att.com/smallbusinessinsite. Additionally, real-time information can be found on the AT&T Small Business Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz) and Twitter channel (www.twitter.com/smallbizInSite).
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