Android Apps For SMBs

Android, the Google-backed smartphone operating system, is emerging as a worthy competitor for the iPhone, with dozens of clever business applications now available. InformationWeek picks the the 12 best for SMBs.

"Users are flocking the the Android platform, making it a legitimate competitor to the dominant iPhone. But Android isn't just for smartphones. There's a variety of hardware configurations and versions of the Android operating system that allow you to select the combination that's right for you and your business. But the platform alone isn't enough. Making the Android platform perform under real business conditions requires selecting and installing the right apps on the device of your choice. The 12 Android apps selected here rank among the leading business enabling apps now available for Android smartphones. You can install them now direct from the Android Market.

The flexibility of the Android platform that allows you to select the right device for your needs, means that not all these apps run on every version of hardware and OS. That said, with the explosive growth of the Android platform developers are introducing new apps all the time and rolling out new versions and updates of existing apps. So it pays to check compatibility before you buy and keep an eye out for new versions of the apps you want."