Virtual Office companies such as 8×8 Inc. have been offering the communications benefits of a real office space, without the cost of having an actual office, to small and medium businesses since the mid 1990’s.

Since then, as technology has progressed, and the presence of devices such as cell phones and portable computers has become more and more common, companies that offer Virtual Office services have had to advance as well.

With such a large percentage of entrepreneurs taking advantage of Smartphone technologies, it was only a matter of time before Virtual Office service providers would develop apps for the most popular platforms. If you have Virtual Office service from 8×8 Inc. there are apps for both iPhone and Android devices.

8×8 Virtual Office Mobile can be found in both the iPhone AppStore and the Android Market. This free app for both platforms allows you to use your Smartphone to make and receive calls through your 8×8 Virtual Office account, as though you were at the office. When you receive calls to your extension using this innovative app, both your mobile and your regular office phone will ring, so you will never miss a business call again. Making calls with the 8×8 Virtual Office app will show your office phone number on caller ID, although you are using a mobile device.

You won’t use up your cell plan minutes or incur roaming charges when you use the 8×8 Virtual Office app, as they are simply charged to your Virtual Office account. You also get to use convenient features such as call transfers, 3-way calling, hold with background music, and the ability to check your extension voicemail from your Apple or Android mobile device.

If you do operate your business through a Virtual Office, there are multiple other mobile apps that you may find useful to help you manage your business and productivity, even when you are away from your home office.

Skype
If your business is more than a sole proprietorship, chances are you’ll want to take advantage of instant messaging type chat to efficiently communicate with your co-workers. Skype has apps for both iPhone and Android devices, and is great for getting in contact with all of your co-workers conveniently, and on both of the most popular mobile platforms.

Dropbox
DropBox allows you to file sync, share files, and store files online, up to 2 gigs for free. The DropBox app is available on iPhone, Android, and Blackberry. This is a very efficient and cost effective way to access your important files on the go, or pass files among your co-workers, and edit files while away from your computer. Say goodbye to passing edited files through email and potentially forgetting which document is the correct one.

Springpad
It is often difficult to stay on task, and remember all the tasks you need to complete when working from home with Virtual Office, as opposed to in a conventional office. There’s an app for that. Springpad is a free app for Android and iPhone, which allows you to quickly save anything you’d like to remember. You can use it to jot down notes, create task lists, and save any ideas or information you care to remember. Springpad will automatically categorize the information that you save, and enhance it with useful relevant links.

Working from a Virtual Office is very cost effective for small businesses, and can be very successful for the right workforce. With so many apps available for popular smart phones, it has never been simpler to be productive and successful, even away from your home office.

About: The post is shared by George Martin. George is a technical writer, instructional designer, editor and marketing communication writer. Visit his site to know more about serviced offices Melbourne and serviced offices Sydney.