There’s an app for that

One of the most innovative features of the current generation of mobile devices is the ability for the public to create and publish applications. This allows for an ever-evolving and improving catalog of apps for an infinite variety of subject matter.

And whether it’s for an enterprise mobile device, their office-use tablet, or their own smartphone, greenhouse growers can find plenty of apps that can make their work day run more efficiently. The following list of apps is just a small sample of what can be found on the iPhone or Android platforms.

Horticulture Industry-specific
Dirr’s Tree and Shrub Finder (Timber Press, $14.99, Apple) – Based on the masterwork by Michael A. Durr, the famed horticulture professor at the University of Georgia, this app features entries for 9,400 woody plants and searchable by 72 criteria.

GIE Media Horticulture News (GIE Media Inc., Free, Apple) – This app features breaking news from the horticulture industry, plus articles and multimedia featured in GIE Media’s five magazines: Greenhouse Management, Golf Course Industry, Garden Center, Lawn & Landscape, and Nursery Management.
Agriculture Regulations (Tekk Innovations LLC, $29.99, Apple) – The entire text of Title 7 CFR, Agriculture, on an Apple device.

Spray Lite (EZi App, Free for Lite version, Apple) – This app replaces the manual spray log, stores chemical details, and features real-time reporting.

PGR Calculator (OHP Inc., Free, Apple) – PGR Calculator allows the user to calculate and apply Plant Growth Regulants in the field.

Quick Scan Pro (iHandy Inc., 99 cents, Apple, Android) – 2D and QR codes are quickly integrating into the horticulture industry. Use this scanning app to test and verify your company’s codes before they leave the greenhouse, or use it to scan codes in advertisements in trade magazines.

Business Management
Sage SalesLogix Mobile (Sage, Free, Apple, Android, BlackBerry) – CRM can now follow you away from your computer. The Sage SalesLogix Mobile app is free with SalesLogix versions 7.5.3 and higher. View customer accounts, log emails, and manage meetings while on business trips or at tradeshows.

RSS Route Sell (xkzero, Apple, rugged PC tablet) – Designed for Sage ERP MAS 500, this app provides a comprehensive solutions for distributors that pick, load and deliver products directly to customers in company vehicles.

BizXpenseTracker (Silverware Software, $5.99, Apple) – Record all expenses, from mileage tracking to taking pictures of receipts, for tax reporting purposes. Publish professional-looking reports in PDF format.

Adobe Reader (Adobe Systems Inc., Free, Apple, Android) – PDFs are ubiquitous in the business world. Download this app to view, annotate, and electronically sign PDFs.

GoToMeeting (Citrix Online, Free, Apple, Android) – Attend webinars on the road with Citrx Online’s GoToMeeting app.

Skype (Skype Software, Free, Apple, Android) – Voice and video call to other smartphones with this app or to PCs and Macs over 3G or Wi-Fi without using your phone’s plan minutes. Or, call directly to phones with Skype’s low-cost rate plan. Great for calling internationally.

Utility and Fun
Flashlight (iHandy Inc., Free, Apple) – Never worry about forgetting to grab a flashlight in an early morning or late night trip into the greenhouse. Flashlight produces a brilliant light for any short-term usage. Also features a compass, 10 strobe frequencies, and an SOS signal. (Free flashlights for Android are also available.)

Weatherbug (Earth Networks Inc., Free, Apple, Android) – Provides real-time severe weather alerts with data from the National Weather Service.

Netflix (Netflix, Inc., Free, Apple, Android) – Watch movies and television shows while on the road without having to pack DVDs. This app is free with a Netflix subscription.

Plants vs. Zombies (PopCap, $2.99, Apple, Android) – Everyone needs a little distraction now and then. Why not stay in a horticulture frame of mind from this 30-time award winning app, where you use plants to stave off a zombie invasion.

Practical Software Solutions is a Sage Authorized Partner. For more information, contact Greg Lafferty at 704-721-6800 ext. 3019 or glafferty@practicalsoftwaresolutions.com.