SMB Tech Roll-up: Android Gets Google Docs App, SMBs Using Small Vendors for ERP

By David Roe (@druadh20) Apr 28, 2011

This week, there was some interesting news in the mobile space, with Google finally offering a new Docs app for Android, Sony enters the tablet wars, SMBs are looking to smaller vendors for their ERP deployments, there’s further confirmation that SMBs are taking to social media, while eFileCabinet has integrated with Intuit’s Quickbooks.

Google Docs For Android

From Google this week and for SMBs — although not exclusively for them — is the new Docs app for Android. With it, users of Android phones will be able to filter and search for content across any Google account, and then send to editing for docs on mobile devices. The app also allows users to share items with contacts on the user’s phone, from within the app.

However, it’s not just editing that’s available. Leaving aside the ability to open docs from Gmail, it comes with many other Google Docs features including creating, editing, uploading and sharing documents, as well as a one-touch widget for creating new documents, or taking and uploading photos.

In fact, the photo app goes a lot further than that. Using the app and the phone’s camera, users can turn photos with text into editable Google documents using OCR, which also captures unformatted text in English, although handwriting or some fonts are still not a runner.

The Google Docs app is currently available in English and works on Android 2.1+ phones. If you want to know more, check out the blog post.

Sony Enters Tablet Market

But Google hasn’t been the only one busy in the mobile space this week. If you missed it earlier on, Sony (news, site) is throwing its weight into the tablet war, all set to battle Apple and others this fall with a new pair of sleek home tablet devices.

During the week, Sony unveiled its forthcoming Android 3.0-powered tablet devices that it hopes will divert some of the piles of cash currently going to Apple in its direction. The Sony S1 is a 9.4-inch standard tablet with a sleek, tapered, design, while the S2 offers something a little different in a clamshell design with two 5.5-inch screens.

On the S2, the lower screen can be a virtual keyboard, gaming controls or app functions. While the specs (and pricing) haven't been unveiled at this point, it will need to match or beat whatever the likes of Apple, as well as the other Android device makers, are offering at the time, to stand any chance in a cutthroat market. Interested in more?

SMBs Looking to Small ERP Vendors

SMBs businesses seeking an affordable and effective enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution are wise to consider offerings from Tier III vendors (small vendors), according to the 2011 Guide to ERP Systems and Vendors report from Panorama Consulting Group.

In addition to having the shortest average implementation duration (12 months) and the lowest average project cost (US$ 1.1 million), Tier III vendors also had the shortest payback time, with 76% percent of their paybacks clocking in at less than three years.