Tablets and Ultrabooks for SMBs

BANGALORE, INDIA: With SMBs turning tech-savvy, fast advancing technology is instantly embraced by them. Of late, small business owners are combining technology with mobility and portability. This will not only ensure good business for SMBs but will also serve as potential client attracting tools.

Vijay, who owns a garment manufacturing unit in Bangalore, says: “I use both the Samsung Galaxy Note and the iPad for my work. This has surely led to reduction in manual efforts and has also contributed to growth sufficiently as all the applications coupled with high-end support enables me to complete work early and ensure the best client reachability.”

Since tablet computers provide the best and top-notch office support, SMB/SME users can potentially boost their office efficiency as well as profits.

Guruprasad, a computer service provider based in Bangalore, says: “I own an HP All-In-One computer through which I communicate with my clients and resolve their queries through e-mail and chat."

Srinivas Iyengar, a small hotel owner, says: “I use a laptop and a hand-held billing device which help me generate bills for customers. With this, the process of manual billing is eliminated which in turn saves a lot of time.”

In order to enable small business owners to make an informed choice while purchasing tablet computers, we give below a list of tablet computers through which SMBs/SMEs can obtain maximum productivity/profits.

Samsung Galaxy Note: Perhaps the best alternative for both a smartphone/tablet computer, the Samsung Galaxy Note offers the best performance in both these respects. As it is an “ultra-portable” tablet, small business owners needn't have to compromise on its portability. As described earlier, the Galaxy Note can also be thought of as a portable super-computer that makes your small business computing much easier and efficient.

Best suited for: Taking notes, jotting down business schedules, show off SMB products to clients, video presentations, send across product snapshots to clients.

HP Topuchpad: Another office-friendly tablet computer, the HP Touchpad enables SMB/SME/entrepreneurs to effectively edit, store and share Word documents with the help of the pre-loaded Quickoffice HD application. The HP Touchpad also enables users to communicate effectively with clients.

Best suited for: Multi-tasking, sync emails from social networking platforms, customize/organize business and personal messages exclusively, group SMB specific activities.

Asus A36S:Perhaps the most talked about gadget in the small business/ entrepreneurship sector, the Asus A36S is an affordable Ultrabook and at the same time a heavy-duty graphics supporter as well. This device enables you to conduct presentations and at the same time allows these presentations to become more life-like and thus ensures top-notch client reach. This might just be the choice for entrepreneurs who are on the lookout for affordable yet “feature-filled business laptops”.

Best suited for: Billing, invoicing, maintenance of client database, communication, product showcase.

iPad 2 and subsequent versions:The tablet that can be thought of as the “multi-segment gadget”, the iPad 2 can also be used by small business users and entrepreneurs. The iPad 2 is expected to cater to small bsuiness users relying on Microsoft Word and related applications for their varying business needs.

Apart from this, the iPad 2 also supports a lot of advanced business applications which make the life of SMB owners easy and intuitive. Even the Cloud environment supported by the iPad 2 and subsequent versions finds maximum usage. This factor is also one of the reasons that small segment owners can consider switching over to the iPad and its successors.

Best suited for: Communication with existing/potential clients.