When 80 percent of employees say mobile technology is critical for getting their job done, but the same number say they haven't asked their IT department for the apps they need because they don't think they'd get what they need, that's a sure sign of trouble.
When Patrick Benson joined Ovation Brands back in September 2013, he was given a tall order: modernize an array of legacy IT systems that could no longer keep up with the restaurant-chain conglomerate's business processes.
Man, it's a great time to be a note-taker.
Sometimes, staying productive is all about the little efficiencies, whether it's the ability to dictate a quick note into my phone or using its camera in lieu of my big, bulky scanner. This week, I've found a few apps that take care of these tasks and more.
Apple's Monday keynote at its Worldwide Developers Conference was jam-packed with information about the company's new operating systems and development tools. As such, it's no surprise that a slide entitled "iOS 8 features we didn't have time to talk about" made only a lightning-brief appearance. But we picked through that slide to find some of the intriguing new features you may not have realized were coming to iOS 8 this fall.
It's hard to overstate the impact of the Microsoft Office for iPad. The arrival of the dominant productivity suite on the dominant tablet promises to change how iPads are viewed in the enterprise. Office for iPad may also crush competitive apps, shut out Cloud storage providers and limit MDM vendors.
'Thoughtful' was the watchword yesterday for Tami Reller, Microsoft's chief of marketing, when she was asked how the company plans to extend its lucrative Office franchise to mobile platforms other than Windows
It's no surprise that the App Store has gotten a wee bit crowded over the last few years. With millions of iOS devices activated every year, and tens of thousands of app developers itching to make software for those devices, there's new and cool stuff (along with new and not-so-cool stuff) arriving on the Store every day. Trying to keep up with it all is a fool's errand, as we at Macworld know all too well.
You'd think smartphones and tablets would kill printing, but they haven't yet. Some documents are just easier to read on paper than on a small screen. And in the increasingly BYOD working world, you have employees and clients walking in with their mobile devices and wanting to print.
The Yahoos of the world may be eliminating telecommuting, but the fact is, working from home is easier than ever. I work from home myself, so I'm clearly biased, but many companies find that home-based workers are more productive than their office-based brethren. Here are the Mac apps and Web-based tools I use to make working from home work.
The problem with Microsoft's approach to Office for the iPhone is that a diverse range of alternative iOS apps and suites already exists. Apple and other developers have had years to create and refine products that deliver compatibility with Office file types.
Google had a lot to say during Wednesday's Google I/O keynote--so would you, if you had three-and-a-half hours to fill. And while new features in voice-powered search functionality, Google Maps, and other pronouncements from the search giant were certainly eye-catching, just how much of what was said at this week's developer conference should make iOS device owners sit up and take notice?
Google did its best to court developers at this year's I/O conference with a much-needed integrated developer environment, API for better games and the ability to more easily translate apps. Their allegiance will become increasingly important as smartphone and tablet hardware sees fewer dramatic improvements.
Despite competition from no lesser a giant than Apple, Amazon's Kindle for iOS app is still the best e-reading option in the App Store.
Smartphone vendors will rely on upgrades such as full-HD screens and more powerful yet more frugal processors to entice customers to buy new phones in 2013.
