Technology has come along in leaps and bounds in recent years and, today, affects many aspects of our lives. The most notable releases have undoubtedly been the Smartphone and the Tablet, which enable us to stay connected better than ever before, whether by phone, email, social networking or even face-to-face video chat. What’s more, these devices also have access to over 750,000 apps on both the Android and Apple markets, giving you a vast array of tools at the touch of a button. Understandably, such a daunting figure can often make it extremely difficult to choose the right app for your needs, particularly if you’re always on the move. However, these 5 apps below have proven to be ideal for corporate travellers:
WorldMate:
This app is an absolute must-have, as it enables you to organise your whole trip in one place. Think of it like having a personal assistant in your pocket; you can book flights, cars, hotels and events, and the app automatically builds an itinerary which includes mapping and directions for all locations. All of this information can then be shared via email or social networking sites, so you can keep your family and colleagues up to date. Best of all – it’s free!
Price: Free
Available on: (Android Market and Apple Store)
TripLingo:
If you’re lucky enough to be heading somewhere exotic, this could be the perfect app for you. Business Insider considered TripLingo to be “One of the most groundbreaking inventions of 2011”, and it was voted “2012 Business Travel Innovation of the Year” by Fast Company. Containing a 10,000 word dictionary, more than 1,200 phrases per language, and the ability to not only translate your own voice but talk to a live translator, this fantastic app helps you to overcome the language barrier when travelling. It also comes with some culture notes and local etiquette so you can avoid any potentially embarrassing “faux pas”.
Price: Standard version free (various language packages cost extra)
Available on: (Apple Store)
Quickoffice Pro:
For those who need to work on the move, this app enables you to create, edit, print and share documents from both Microsoft Office and iWork. It also allows you to upload and store the files on various cloud storage services including Dropbox, Evernote and Google Drive. It’s good on mobile devices but even better on tablets due to its crisp display and ease of use. Although it is a little on the expensive side, at around £11, this app is well worth the investment.
Price: £11.03
Available on: (Android Market and Apple Store)
Dropbox:
This handy app utilises cloud storage to let you bring all your photos, documents and videos with you – anywhere in the world. Upon initial sign up (which is free) you are given 2GB of space and are able to earn a further 3GB by completing a series of tasks. You can also purchase more space if needed, but many find that 5GB is sufficient since it is capable of holding 2000 photos, 90 hours of music or an enormous amount of documents and files. Another great aspect of a service like Dropbox is that it enables you to share a link to a specific file instead of having to upload large attachments to emails. All in all, an indispensable product for any business traveller.
Price: Free
Available on: (Android Market and Apple Store)
Expensify:
Expenses: the bane of many corporate travellers’ lives. Having to retain piles upon piles of receipts is the last thing any regular business traveller wants to do, but Expensify eliminates all that stress and worry. With total expense automation, you can capture every billable outlay and keep track of your daily spending and overall trip cost. The app then puts all this information into one concise PDF document which can be easily shared or emailed. Alternatively, if you want to have your expenses reimbursed on-the-go you can pay a small fee of £2.50 per month to have them approved by the Expensify team, who will pay up to the value of £5,000 per calendar month. However, this option obviously depends upon your company’s policies.
Price: Free
Available on: (Android Market and Apple Store)
