Getting A Company Cell Phone

What should you look for in a company cell phone? Keep reading to get the skinny on what features you'll probably need, what you should consider when choosing a data/voice plan, and more.

What Kind of Mobile Phone Should I Get?

The kind of mobile phone you should get really depends on the business you are in.

Company Cell Phone Style: Flashy or Subdued?

If you happen to be a fashion consultant, interior decorator, or any other "artsy" occupation, you may better impress your clients by having a snazzier-looking cell phone to go with your snazzier-looking outfit.

If you're in the kind of business where being conservative is key, where you typically arrive to work in a shirt, tie, and blazer, then you should avoid bright colours (the pink versions of the Motorola RAZR come to mind).

As far as which form factor you should opt for, this depends on a number of things, including what you'll be using the phone for and your own personal preferences.

Useful Features to Consider for Business Phones

Cell phones do much more than simply connect you to voice calls. Here is a list of a few features that you may want to include in your next company phone, providing you with optimum productivity.

• Camera: If your phone has a camera, there's a good chance that it is also capable of sending multimedia messages (also known as MMS). For example, if you are a real estate agent, wouldn't it be great to take a picture of a particular property and immediately send it to one of your clients? With a cell phone camera, you can.

• Mobile Email: More and more, people are relying on email as a primary form of communication, especially with business partners and colleagues who work a great distance away. Just because you're away from the office doesn't mean you can't be connected. Ideally, you probably want a phone that can synch with Microsoft Outlook or whatever you use for email at your work PC, as well as having what is called "push email", which allows you to receive your messages in real-time, rather than having to manually check for new emails.

• QWERTY keyboard: If you are going to be using your phone a great deal for email and text messages, you may want to look for a phone with a QWERTY (or similar) keyboard. These handsets are typically bulkier and heavier, but offer more functionality.

• Push To Talk: Want to instantly connect with your entire team, instead of calling each member one by one? Service providers like Nextel in the United States and Bell Mobility in Canada offer cell phones that have "push to talk" (PTT). This is essentially a real-time walkie-talkie service that works over a cellular network.

• PIM Applications: Tired of lugging around a PDA and a cell phone? Why not combine the two and get something like a PalmOne Treo or Blackberry? These and other smartphones can offer exceptional personal information management solutions, helping you organize your schedule, maintain your contact information, and update your to-do lists.

• Bluetooth: If your work calls for you to drive fairly regularly (to visit clients in other municipalities, etc.), having a phone with Bluetooth wireless connectivity is a definite plus. This way, you can make use of a Bluetooth headset and keep both hands on the wheel. Drive safe.

A Good Data Plan is a Must

If you're only going to use your cell phone for voice calls, this isn't going to be too much of a concern, but many business professionals these days use their mobile handsets for so much more.

As such, if you're going to be reading emails, accessing mobile internet, sending multimedia messages, and the like, you absolutely should consider a beefy data plan. Bear in mind how much your company is willing to pay, because it isn't out of the ordinary for data plans to run upwards to $100/month (or more), in addition to the usual voice plan.