Ask the Experts: Business Software

We asked our Experts about their favorite software used in their professional activities.

Table of ContentsAug/Sep 2006

The different packages cover a wide range of categories and applications. Some are specifically designed for business and enterprise use; others are well-adapted for such purposes. We list them here in order by those the most experts recommended.

Communications

Auto SMS Reply 1.5

http://www.bytesurge.com

I'm a consultant and my customers depend on me. Auto SMS Reply lets me turn of phone's ringer off during meetings, knowing that every phone call that comes in will receive an immediate answer via SMS, explaining why I did not answer the call. This is fundamental for raising the satisfaction level of my customers (Pocket PC Phone Editions only).

Helio Diamant

Auto SMS Reply

Documents: viewing and editing

Adobe Reader for Pocket PC

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readerforppc.html

Acrobat reader is a simple, free tool that lets you view PDF files on your Pocket PC.

Don McDougall

PlanMaker

http://www.softmaker.de

PlanMaker puts the power of a full-featured PC spreadsheet program on your Pocket PC. This one is essential if you want to use your Pocket PC to create or work on more sophisticated spreadsheets. It's in a class of its own.

Franz Haslbeck

PlanMaker is a feature-rich alternative to Excel Mobile.

TextMaker

http://www.softmaker.de

This full-featured Pocket PC word processor allows mobile workers to create documents with tables, graphs, and graphics. It's essential if you want to work with highly-formatted documents created with the desktop PC version of Word. TextMaker and PlanMaker (above) allow you to completely replace your laptop PC with your Pocket PC.

Franz Haslbeck

TextMaker puts a full-featured word processor on your Pocket PC.

Finance

BillRate

http://www.twopeaks.com/BillRate/

This Pocket PC application has the right balance between features and simplicity, has a desktop version, and allows exporting to Excel. I use it for all my client billingit's the only way I can stay up to date with recording my billable work during the day.

Andrew Scott

BillRate (landscape viewing mode).

Spb Finance

http://www.spbsoftwarehouse.com

This Pocket PC application helps me control the financial aspects of my business. With this tool, I am able to forecast the levels of all my business bank accounts for months in advance and move money from one account to the other whenever necessary.

Helio Diamant