So have you taken the leap to the wonderful world of 3G communications yet? You know what I mean…Smart Phones. Most visible being Apple’s remarkable iPhone Truly a cool device with an industry changing user interface. While we may all aspire to have the newest and most impressive personal appliances, the simple fact is we are to justify the cost of ownership in a business context there must be a perceived value add. After all, if all one requires is basic communication there’s any number of inexpensive cell phones that will handle calls and text much les expensively. So where is the business case for a salesperson or business leader to step up to a 3G platform? The answer is simple what we’ve come to know as apps.

Drawing on lessons no doubt gleaned from the experience of iTunes Apple was foresighted enough to release Application Development Kits to the programming community at large encouraging creative programmers to develop applications providing specific solutions to iPhone users’ wishes. There are now thousands of them available. Many are purely entertainment based, highly popular with younger owners. Many are useful lifestyle tools with wide appeal, such as cooking and entertainment location directions and information. The business user, however, needs applications that address day to day productivity, and in this regard the iPhone becomes a true advantage for mobile salespeople and executives. The ability to connect to corporate systems in a VPN-like environment, find a sales call in an unfamiliar local, generate sales reports and manage prospects and quotes is where the real power of these apps lie. We’re here now, and things will only get better.

Knowing that many companies work on an Oracle backbone, Apple has accepted a number of useful applications that can connect to an in house corporate network and retrieve Oracle database information and display it in ways that assist a user in daily activities. Sales force automation and customer tracking are just two of these. More generic apps addressing scheduling, account management, CRM and mobile billing round out a rich offering for the mobile user. Apple’s slick email and contact management capabilities round out these offerings, and with web browsing capabilities you’re getting close to a netbook that you can hold in the palm of your hand. GPS is useful as well, but my guess is that as factory installed navigation systems become more ubiquitous this app will have somewhat limited relevance.

I shouldn’t discount the entertainment options too much, though. As a rep on the road some time ago, I had a fair amount of downtime in the evenings where I just didn’t feel like being constantly “at work.” More and more major newspapers and media outlets are now reconfiguring from old web formats to iPhone compatibility. The user interface on the iPhone is, face it, a joy once you get used to it. These apps are a bonus that shouldn’t be ignored.

Personal productivity is a growing draw as well. CIBC is pushing hard on its iPhone interface and other banks will no doubt try to raise the bar. When you spend large amounts of time away from home base you need to be able to manage your personal affairs efficiently on your own time.  Likewise, more business apps are emerging allowing a manger to handle approvals for budgeting and HR issues on the road, reducing the time required to be in an office or other fixed location. Face it folks, while we’ve been talking about telecommuting for a long time it’s really been in its infancy until now. Companies are increasingly evaluating the economics of large fixed offices with empty desks (belonging to the mobile sales force) and will push to downsize facilities for greater efficiencies. It’s these apps and technologies that will make this truly possible.

The future of the mobile workforce is here, and Apple is a leading propagator of the technology required. And they make products that are fun to use with very simple learning curves. Pay attention.

And we haven’t even started to talk about 4G…