client roster includesAmerican Express and SciFi Channel.
Andrews, 30, says the Treo gives him an added level of connectivity. “I do pretty much everything with it. I pull e-mail from pop accounts, I sync it with Outlook. I use it to text message with friends and stay in touch with people in between meetings,” he adds. In fact, Andrews says the added functionality gained by switching from another handheld device to the Treo has made a world of difference to his business.
“Part of our success in being able to win clients and accounts is that we [can be] in constant touch with our clients,” he says. At one point, Andrews says there was a “major issue” with a client contract and he was traveling in Minnesota. Typically, the issue would have meant a red-eye back to New York to resolve the problem or, at best, a lengthy phone conference. But Andrews and his partner were able to communicate via the Treo to solve the problem. “It’s essential for my company,” he adds.
CARD-CARRYING EXEC
Brenda Boyd Raney
Executive Director of Corporate Communications, Verizon Wireless
Tech tool: Sierra Wireless Aircard 555
What does it take to make Brenda Boyd Raney happy? A simple card. No, not the paper kind. Nor the virtual one. She means her Sierra Wireless Aircard 555. “I won’t leave home without it. That is one gadget you’d have to cut off my hands to get back. The card allows me to be more productive when I need to be and I don’t waste time.” When she’s on the road, whether it’s traveling for business or family, Boyd Raney stays connected to the office. With data speeds from 40Kbps to 60Kbps, the $199.99 card lets her check and reply to e-mail (about 100 a day) and communicate with vendors, colleagues, and media contacts, often without them realizing she’s not at her desk.
“Anything I can do at my office, I can do mobile,” she says. Boyd Raney even managed to get work done when she was called for jury duty. “You’re sitting there with not much to do, waiting for them to call your number,” she says. “Rather than losing a day of work, I kept working. Very few of the people I talked to that day could tell that I wasn’t in my office.” Although she was able to work while waiting to be called, Boyd Raney emphasizes that it’s probably not a good idea to work while you’re in a jury box.
THE RIGHT CONTACT
Mark I. Hopkinson
CEO, NewsMark Public Relations
Tech tool: Psion 3mx Palmtop
For Mark Hopkinson, having access to the right information quickly is key to his company’s success. And to get the information he needs, whether it’s a phone number for a media contact or information on an industry expert, the Boca Raton, Florida-based public relations specialist relies on his trusty Psion 3mx Palmtop computer. “It serves me in a huge way as a mobile database,” says Hopkinson, 47, who mines the huge resource of contacts he amassed when he spent 17