Blackberry Applications Useful in the Courier Industry

Since graduating from college this past December and tumbling heals over head into the business world I have found my Blackberry has been a blessing more than a few times! I have begun to depend on my smart phone in a number of different situations and even when I don’t have the solution right at my fingertips I can find a way to get it! That is why it amazes me when I try to discuss the blackberry apps with my co-workers in the courier industry and many look at me with a blank face. “Apps?” They ask. Of course I am referring to applications, which can be found by visiting the Blackberry App World. There are roughly 100,000 applications available for the Blackberry and many have the ability to boost productivity in the courier world. Instead of sending anyone unfamiliar with the apps available to blackberry into a world in which 100,000 exist I thought I would provide the top 5 blackberry applications I find beneficial to those in the courier service industry.

1. “amAze” This application is one of many that are free to download and use. While many can’t fathom the idea of spending the money on a GPS Navigation system or even a monthly fee for GPS on their cell phone the truth of the matter is that everyone at some point in time will be lost. Those in the courier industry are known for the amount they spend traveling and someone who runs a Chicago Courier Service is not going to have the slightest idea of how to navigate through Los Angeles. Enter amAze; it is free, simple and quick. Not to mention it has features such as local search and built-in weather. And as an extra perk, a library of speed traps posted by other users.

2. “WorldMate Live” Another free application! After this winter it is safe to say that no one in any part of the country is immune to being affected by the snow. Sitting in a small airport in Des Moines, IA and every flight is cancelled into the next week? You will sigh with relief when you remember that you downloaded WorldMate Live. Available hotel rooms, flight tracking, itineraries, currency converting and the weather where you are heading or on a bad day..where you are staying, are all available in this application!

3. “Blurts Pro” The pro version will cost you $5.99 but there is a “Blurts” with less features that is free! This is one of my personal favorites and allows all of those Bluetooth users to put them to use while sitting in front of their computer. When a notification comes to your phone you won’t even have to take your eyes from the computer screen; instead the Bluetooth relays the information to your computer where you will have the opportunity to reply to SMS Texts from your computer, be notified of a new e-mail and also have the ability to answer or ignore incoming phone calls all with a few clicks of the mouse!

4. “Visual Voicemail” Free. Someone running a New York Courier Service probably receives several voicemails per hour and many of them are important and must be saved only to find later that that same voicemail has to be listened to again before moving on to the new one. Visual Voicemail allows you to scroll through voicemail messages much the way a person would scroll through text messages. The caller or number is identified and it makes it easy to pick and choose between the voicemails that need to be saved and those that can be deleted; plus it allows access to a specific voicemail in a hurry!

5. “Pandora” Free! While this one may not increase productivity per say it can provide you with an escape during an especially long tough day at work or a long flight. Pandora radio allows you to type in a favorite song or artist and it will create a station that plays only music that is similar to that song or artist. It can play through your blackberry speakers or you can just plug a regular pair of headphones into your blackberry to transform it into an MP3 player of sorts. I especially love this application because it gives me the opportunity to discover new artists and songs.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Blackberry applications that can make your life productive, easier and a little bit fun!