Recently there’s been a lot of chatter on the subject of remote working. Just last month Yahoo! CEO, Marissa Mayer sparked a firestorm of conversation around whether businesses should allow employees to work remotely. Since then, Best Buy has announced its elimination of its flexible work program, while others insist their employees are more productive when working from home.
This week’s Friday Five is dedicated to those businesses that see the value of telecommuting. Here are five killer apps to help you and your remote workers get the most out of the workday.
1) Evernote for Business: For those concerned that telecommuting means less collaboration, Evernote Business is the perfect solution. Whether in the office, at home or attending an event, this handy app allows for easy collaboration between team members. The app is designed to help employees capture information and share easily and quickly no matter where they are.
Cost: $10 per user per month
Available On: iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Mobile, Mac or PC
Features Include:
- Collaboration in the office or on the go
- Business notebooks and libraries
- Business-wide search capabilities
- Audio recording
- File uploads
Learn more ways you can run your business using Evernote here.
2) Skype: Many offices see the value in face-to-face interactions. And as a result, they fear remote working. Skype allows anyone to run face-to-face conference calls from almost anywhere in the world. This can be done via a desktop, tablet or smartphone. In addition to video chat capabilities, Skype also has instant messaging, document sharing and calling features. (Check out a few alternatives to Skype.)
Cost: Free
Available On: Windows phone, iPhone, Android, Desktop, tablets and more!
Features:
- Calling
- Video
- Messaging
- Sharing
3) Tripit: Many people do a lot of business-related travel. When traveling, one can get overwhelmed by the amount of juggling that goes along with business trips. Tripit is the perfect app for those of us who travel often and can’t stop working while they’re running around the country or even the world. The app has a ton of cool features! It links with the calendar of your choice (iCal, Google, Outlook), allows you to check in for your flight, access local weather and maps, book a business dinner and much more. If you’re traveling as a team, the app allows you to share information, keeping everyone in the know.
Cost: Free
Available On: iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows Phone 7
Features:
- Organize trip details into one master online itinerary
- Automatically include maps, directions and weather in the master itinerary
- Book restaurants, theatre tickets, activities and more right from within the online itinerary
- Safely access travel plans online, share them, check in for flights or print an itinerary
Here are five additional apps to better help you manage all your business travel needs.
4) iMeet: This cloud-based video conferencing app is yet another option for holding important face-to-face meetings while not actually being in an office. iMeet is similar to Skype, but more fancy with lots of bells and whistles. Screen sharing, meeting notes and HD video are just a few of the reasons why this app is so popular with remote workers.
Cost: Free trial and starting at $19 a month
Available On: Desktop, iPhone, iPad
Features:
- HD video
- Mobile meetings
- Screen and file sharing
- Meeting notes
- Chat
5) RingCentral: We had to include our very own app in today’s list. RingCentral’s app is hugely popular with our customers who work remotely. The ability to make calls without using minutes and when no WiFi is available makes running a business out of the office seamless. With the app, you can manage your phone system directly from your iPhone, iPad or Android phone and take your business calls, voice messages, SMSs and faxes – anywhere.
Cost: Free with any RingCentral plan
Available On: iPhone and Android
Features:
- Make VoIP calls without using minutes from your wireless plan.
- Place calls with RingOut if WiFi isn’t available.
- Present a professional image by showing your RingCentral main number as your caller ID.
- Stay connected with instant alerts when you have new messages or missed calls.
- Manage your calls – get the ones you want, avoid the ones you don’t.
What apps do you use when working remotely?
Originally published Mar 07, 2013, updated Dec 30, 2022