It's natural to think of Sprint's HTC EVO smartphone as a consumer device. With its large 4.3-inch touch-screen, fast 4G connectivity and a kickstand back that props up the phone like a monitor, the phone seems built for browsing the Internet and watching videos.But carrier Sprint Nextel says the handset is equally useful as a business device and that companies and small businesses have been snapping up units.
It turns out that the features prized by early adopter consumers are also handy for business users. EVO's two cameras--one front-facing, the other in the back--enable video conference calls. The phone's mobile hotspot feature, which can connect up to eight wi-fi enabled devices to Sprint's network, is attractive to businesspeople who travel with laptops.
To handle corporate email, EVO has built-in support for Microsoft's Exchange ActiveSync server. There's also the speed factor. Sprint says 4G is up to 10 times quicker than 3G.
Specialized software may increase EVO's utility to workers. Sprint has been forging deals that will bring educational and scientific software to its high-end phones. A just-announced partnership with Blackboard Inc. will connect users of Sprint's BlackBerry and Android phones (including EVO) to the popular e-learning software.
Another initiative will enable doctors to share medical images and records on Sprint phones while preserving patient privacy. The trick is that the images and information are stored "in the cloud" on remote servers, not on the device. This application, which was developed with Calgary Scientific, wish to be popular on EVO because its fast processor and 4G technology support will speed up the sending and receiving of detailed medical images.
In the past, such apps were mostly used on laptops or desktop computers. Sprint is essentially promoting EVO as a substitute for these larger computing devices, even in professional settings. A lot of people don't want to use laptops for work; they want to be highly mobile thus EVO can be used as a utility device.
