Google Android Productivity

When productivity matters, the system or process you have in place needs to keep pace with your demands. Fortunately, the evolution of smartphones has reached the tipping point. Android based smartphones and their integrated suite of Google apps, have proven to be a highly effective means to increasing personal productivity. Best of all, once you have a free Google account, all of these apps are free to use and enjoy. Here are a few apps I use on my Android phone.

Google Calendar

Google calendar integrates with and automatically updates the calendar on my Android phone anywhere. With the added capability to share my calendar, my business partner can view, edit and add events to my calendar. These changes are synced directly to my phone. As I am seldom in my office, having a cloud-based calendar allows me to keep track of changes in my schedules.

Gmail

The integrated email in box on Android 2.2 phones is capable of managing my business and personal emails, including my Gmail account. With Gmailâ€™s complete integration with the Android operating system, I have begun using my Gmail more often than before Android entered my life. I keep my personal email on Gmail to separate my business and personal correspondence.

Google Docs

Google Docs allows me to store files for future review as well as collaboration. Being responsive to my clients is critical in my field and having the ability to receive collaborative files sent directly to my phone has afforded me the ability to get back to clients quickly and accurately. To make Google docs even more user-friendly, I can save any document that I create in docs as several different file types. I can also share my Google docs account with clients or associates. Being able to set security rights for each folder or file assures me the confidence that the people I share my docs with can only see what I allow them to see.

Google Voice

Google Voice is by far my favourite Google App. The Google Voice app is a free download. Not only can I receive transcripts of my voice mail emailed directly to my phone, but I can also set up multiple outgoing messages. I have messages specifically for clients, my business partner, family and friends as well as unknown callers. The level of personalization is incredible and, if used creatively, can make an important client feel as if they are the most important person in the world. I also added my Google Voice number to my Verizon Friends and Family list (called â€œA Listâ€ on AT&T,) which drastically cut down my peak air time minutes. All incoming Google Voice calls are effectively free calls, and do not charge against my bank of minutes. Being able to manage and edit all my Google Voice features from my phone is a powerful productivity enhancement that I now depend on for my business.

Google Tasks

Google Tasks is part of Gmail. Though Google Tasks doesn't offer some of the advanced features of several Android productivity apps, Tasks does give me an easy place to record and check my list of daily action items. Getting Things Done (GTD) users may find Tasks a bit anemic but I love the auto-syncing function between my Google account and my Android phone. Update the list on either my PC or my phone, and the other is updated automatically.

Summary

As I have used or owned many different smartphones, I feel confident when I say that the Android OS and the myriad of Android apps provide the most powerful and effective productivity enhancing combination available. Though there are many other apps for the Android OS and other smartphones, this combination has worked wonders for me and my business.

Read Related-