Powell notes: ‘Since then, I have gone through a number of phases and now have two. I moved to a Sharp Zaurus, which is effectively a Linux computer in your pocket, a few years ago as my main one.’
Software staples such as a word processor, diary and address book have been enhanced with colour screens, internet access, email, qwerty keypads, scroll wheels, touch screens and much more.
Powell says: ‘I’ve got a wireless network card, a gig of RAM, all my contacts, my diary, a word processor, a phone, music and project planning all on there. Then I also have a Nokia E61, which I use as my phone and for email. It has direct access to your Outlook inbox and has a PDF reader so you can view attachments.
‘I transfer data by infra-red between the Nokia and my Zaurus. It is totally seamless and is permanently synchronised with my inbox, so if I read an email on my computer I can later see on the Nokia that it’s been read.’
Powell celebrates the fact that his PDAs have changed his working habits but admits they have affected his appearance too: ‘I have a little shoulder bag and sets of batteries for each device – that’s my mobile office. I’m much less reliant on my desktop PC and can be productive during the cracks in the day, such as when I’m on the train.’
Gary Miller-Cheevers, founder of Elephant Loans & Mortgages, is such a fan he’s given BlackBerry PDAs to all his senior sales staff. ‘We deal in secured loans, some in difficult circumstances,’ he explains. ‘BlackBerrys have built-in email encryption so you can send crucial emails with sales leads in a word document.
‘If someone goes onto our website and requests a call-back, our system sends out a message to all our sales managers. So, someone could be called back in ten minutes by a salesman who has all their relevant info. We’re ahead of the game as we get more business because customers like to be responded to quickly.’
Miller-Cheevers believes that PDAs have changed the way a modern business operates: ‘The key thing for us is to have security and privacy on email. BlackBerrys are encrypted, so instead of me sitting here behind a desk, I can be out doing whatever I do best – like motivating sales managers – with the BlackBerry as my mobile office. It makes for a very efficient business.’
A potential problem – or advantage, depending on your viewpoint – is that you have no downtime. Miller-Cheevers says: ‘I take [my BlackBerry] on holiday and so do our top sales people. They earn over £100,000 a year and at that level you expect to be working all the time. But, even though my wife despairs, when I go on holiday I’ll answer emails between seven and nine in the morning and then at night between six and eight. It’s great not having to find a business centre.’
