Talking the walk

The BlackBerry is only one kind of personal digital assistant - or smartphone - but much in the way of Kleenex for tissues and Hoover for vacuums, it is already synonymous with mobile e-mail for business.

The growth in BlackBerry use has been phenomenal. In February 2004, manufacturer Research In Motion had one million subscribers. By November 2005, that figure had grown to 3.65 million. Now, there are 28.5 million users worldwide and the number of handsets sold is even more impressive at over 50 million.

Philip Hibberd, divisional business manager at Orange Corporate (UK), told PB that the finance market has been an early adopter of technology traditionally. He added that, at present, "the increasing capability of devices to connect to corporate sites and the internet is key."

He highlighted: "The device has to be able to offer strong capabilities around voice and simple data applications like e-mail. The devices coming down the track are being designed with more emphasis around data consumption."

Many brokers find that having an address book, diary and phone in one piece of kit is ideal for their needs, though some demand greater functionality. Beyond the question of the need for a PDA, in light of their increasing ability to handle data consumption, the conundrum today is surely more one of which to choose.

Ashley Rogoff, managing director at London-based Ashley Page, has had a BlackBerry for four years and finds it invaluable. "It is the item that has made my work easiest," he said. "I do a lot of travelling because we have an office in New York. I can pick up all of my e-mails, reply to them and give instructions to my staff while I'm away."

Business value

Although there is a cost implication, Rogoff believes that the cost of not being available when clients need him far outweighs the financial outlay.

Jeremy Pace, managing director at Pace Ward in Stoke-on-Trent, chose a Windows Mobile-based PDA in 2003 because the operating system allowed creation of an e-mail audit trail. He explained: "Having a PDA is like going to an internet café. Access to documents is key, even hard copies delivered to the office can be scanned and sent to me.

"My PDA is fantastic and there is no way I'd be without it now."

For Pace, adding a PDA to his working arsenal coincided with his company installing Windows Server 2003, which boasts Exchange functionality for e-mail. As the upgrade was in process already, there was no additional financial cost in making this infrastructure improvement.

Historically, there was a set-up cost. Installing a new server and software to handle mobile device synchronisation cost around £2,500 in 2005. Today, PDAs can often be synchronised to a server without an expensive and intrusive upgrade and installation process; if buying a business tariff package, the phone network in question might even undertake the process for you.

Thomas Carroll Group in Caerphilly bought such a service as a package 16 months ago. The company's network provider synchronised 35 handsets with the company's server, so there was no extra outlay besides the £35 a month subscription and call charges.

Sue Davidge, business executive at the company, finds her PDA indispensable. She commented: "It took me a bit of time to get up to speed but I wouldn't be without one because it's so useful and makes working more efficient. I would recommend anyone to give it a go and persevere."

She uses internet, e-mail and satellite navigation applications on her phone and believes such capabilities make the effort of learning how to use it worthwhile.

"I'm often on the road, so when I come in I don't have to answer a huge amount of emails. I'm still learning and there are things on it I have never used," she admitted.

Whether or not there is an initial outlay or ongoing monthly subscription, selecting the right device and operating system deserves time being spent on it.

Questions to ask yourself or your adviser include which operating system fits your needs, technology and existing systems best? Among the range to consider are Apple (iPhone), Linux-based Android (various), BlackBerryOS (BlackBerry), Symbian (Nokia) and Windows Mobile (various), all of which have their own strengths and weaknesses.

There is a staggering array of PDAs to choose from. Current market leaders include the Apple 3GS, the Blackberry Bold, the HTC Touch and the Nokia 97. Make sure you find out the level of office document compatibility your final combination of system and handset offers: will you need to read or edit Microsoft Office documents and PDFs? Seeking advice is the best way forward.

Research for Fortune Magazine last month found that BlackBerry's maker, RIM, is the fastest-growing business in the world. Yet, an American survey in May found that 38% of non-iPhone smartphone users would switch to one on next purchase. The most recent handset from Apple, the iPhone 3GS, is the one that its manufacturer believes will make inroads into the business market.

Available exclusively on network provider O2 at the moment, it offers substantial internet and e-mail functionality as well as voice-activated control and a three-megapixel camera.

Touching issues

Depending on which style of phone you prefer, you may be torn between a PDA with a qwerty keyboard or a touchscreen typing interface. The majority of BlackBerry's range - such as the Blackberry Bold - uses traditional keyboards. Last year, the firm responded to the growing popularity of Apple's iPhone by releasing the BlackBerry Storm, which carries similar touchscreen features for typing.

The iPhone 3GS touchscreen can be used in portrait or wider landscape profile and its maker claims that it is up to twice as fast at loading applications and accessing the internet as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G.

The ability of the iPhone to deliver the same push e-mail technology (provided you have a Microsoft Exchange server supporting Exchange ActiveSync) as the BlackBerry has boosted expectations for the Apple. (Push e-mail means that updates for both phone and desktop are handled immediately and in synch rather than waiting for the handset to request them, also known as pull e-mail.) Being able to provide this service means that, no matter where the phone is, e-mail, contacts and calendar items are updated in synch with the office computer.

The handset is not cheap. Business packages can be negotiated with O2 but retail prices start at £440 for the 16GB version. The headline cost of this one handset should not scare off any broker from investigating the PDA market further, however.

According to Oliver Chivers, head of business marketing at T-Mobile UK, SIM-only plans for businesses allow small firms in particular to trial mobile working. He said: "The business can specify the length of time it wants to use the SIM for [ranging from a month to a year], without upgrading handsets, giving them access to voice, text and data services at an affordable price."

Mobile operators also offer data packages tailored to suit individual business requirements. Chivers explained: "A central pool of call minutes, texts and data services such as e-mail can be purchased cost effectively based on the exact number of users. This can then be shared across the business."

Before rushing out to buy a BlackBerry, iPhone or any other type of handset, potential new users should be aware of one potential downside, as Chivers warned: "The decision to work away from the office depends not only on the nature of the company and the technology it has in place but also on employee personalities."

Rogoff, who enjoys being contactable all the time, concluded: "You are never away from work but I like to be available 24-7 and dealing with work on the move." If that style of working is not for you then perhaps a PDA is a device best avoided.