Mobile Apps for The BYOD Business

Mobile applications are being developed for just about everything. Mobile users have come to rely heavily on mobile apps, both in and out of the workplace. Job creation has increased significantly for application developers, giving way to large demands for programmers. Beyond application developers, new businesses such as cell phone repair companies and mobile case manufacturers have found a strong foothold in this emerging market. Among the thousands of apps in the market, there are some that stand out from the rest.
Experts Exchange:

This list wouldn't be complete without the Experts Exchange mobile app. Ask questions, get answers, and collaborate with experts from your desk, at home, or in a server room. Invaluable resource at your fingertips, stay current in your industry with fresh content and continual education.
 
Pocketcloud:  
 
Remote access to a networked computer either at home or at the office, with elegant controls and design. Perfect for those situations when you’re not at the office and you absolutely need a file from a faraway computer. It connects to your computer remotely through either VPN (Virtual Private Network) or RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol). PocketCloud has a built-in soft keyboard that interacts with the host computer remotely. Works with Windows, Linux, and Apple. 
Square: 
 
Square card readers turn your tablets and smartphones into portable cash registers. With very competitive rates, Square can help launch mom and pop small businesses into the stratosphere by not only giving them a cheap way to accept credit and debit cards, but by giving them the ability to accept them anywhere. Additionally, Square’s popularity has given rise to many business apps that are able to sync with Square. 
Google Drive:  
 
This is a great option for large and small businesses adopting a BYOD strategy. With  support for just about every mobile device, Google Drive allows your team to remotely access, edit, and share data and files: all for free. They have enterprise packages for more storage and more robust features, but the baseline Drive package will work perfectly for most small businesses. The best part is that it plays nicely with both Microsoft Office and other word processors. You can save, convert, and share your office documents across just about every platform and OS. 
Divide by Enterproid: 
 
Divide solves one of the biggest and most glaring of BYOD problems: work and personal data separation. Divide can help to supercharge your small business very quickly. Whether you just want to keep your company data safe, or your employees want to have a little privacy while using their mobile devices for personal use, Divide makes sure that work and personal data stays separate and safe. Divide even supports remote data wipes of company information. 
FileMaker: 
 
FileMaker offers a powerful platform to create custom applications to meet the unique demands of your business. FileMaker allows custom integration of your database for both large and small teams, is affordable and easy to use. 
LastPass:
 
As any entrepreneur will tell you, guesswork just doesn’t fly in the cutthroat world of startup companies. LastPass will take the guesswork out of keeping your company’s multiple passwords secure and easily accessible by the right people. There are a lot of mobile password managers out there, but LastPass rises above the competition in terms of near universal compatibility. LastPass will help your employees keep their passwords secure and easily reached. 
Hotspot Shield: 
 
It's hard enough to keep your data secure on your business’s private servers, let alone keeping it safe while accessing public wireless hotspots. Hotspot Shield allows your BYOD employees to securely access public hotspots safely and securely. Hotspot Shield sets up a VPN through which your browsing and hotspot data usage can be protected from any outside threats or intrusions. Hotspot Shield offers a free service that is supported by ads as well as a premium paid version. 
LaborSync: 
 
What’s the point of having your employees adopt your BYOD initiative if they can’t get paid for their work? LaborSync is a muscular time management app that makes it so your workers can remotely clock in and out and record their hours of work across several activities. It can generate “real time” reports that include your employee’s whereabouts, time worked per job and automatic clock out capabilities. 
Mobile technology is being utilized everywhere, coaches are using mobile devices to improve athlete fitness, doctors are using telemedicine to diagnose health concerns. The implications of mobile technology are far and wide. Mobile usage does have its downsides. Among the biggest is the increase in car accidents due to mobile use while driving. Data security has also presented its own challenges, requiring businesses to develop safeguards to protect company data. With that being said, mobile applications are being used by businesses both big and small and BYOD practices are here to stay.