There are certain truths that are self-evident. One such truth holds that all men (and women) are created equal. Another is that business people — whether they run a small company or manage a large one — need access to reliable technology. In the old days, say, the 1990s, business technology was seen purely as such — functional devices that helped entrepreneurs and executives work efficiently and effectively. But all that has changed. As the line between work and home (and indeed, the rest of our lives) becomes even more blurred, business no longer means working 9 to 5. And life is no longer relegated to the thing that happens to you in between work assignments. Technology, for better or worse — and we’re betting that it’s for the better — makes it easier to live and work seamlessly. Read on to find out how on-the-go executives and entrepreneurs harness the power of their favorite tech tools to work — and live — better.
FEELIN’ HOT (SPOT)
Theodore L. Parrish
Co-portfolio manager, Henssler Equity Fund
Tech tools: Wireless network, Nokia 6800, XM radio
Theodore Parrish has several favorite tech tools — and he makes ample use of them all. Whether it’s his wireless home network with a wireless keyboard and mouse, his Nokia 6800 cell phone, or XM satellite radio, Parrish’s favorites help keep him one step ahead. In fact, the Atlanta resident brags that his home is a “hot spot” for friends and family members who want to log on while visiting him, and he boasts, “I can be upstairs on my laptop and print to my printer in the basement, or I can work on the deck in the sun or outside in the yard. If I’m cooking, I can actually pull up a recipe in the kitchen.”
Parrish, 31, initially set up his home network in 2002 but admits that he eventually called on his company’s IT staff to do it the right way. The network has since grown to include his Toshiba Satellite laptop, two Pentium 4 desktops, an HP LaserJet 1200 series printer, Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse, a 19-inch flat-panel monitor and a Webcam. But Parrish and his friends aren’t the only ones making use of this smart setup. His 14-year-old daughter also logs on to do research for her science projects and to check out the latest in entertainment.
Surprisingly, with so many tools at home, Parrish’s favorite is one he uses away from home: XM radio. “It’s awesome,” he enthuses. I live out in the ‘burbs and typically the stations don’t pick up early in the morning. I want to listen to the news to see what’s going on in the financial markets before I get into work.”
ADDICTED TO TECH
Donnovan Andrews
President, Performance Bridge Advertising
Tech tool: Handspring Treo 600
The Handspring Treo 600 is all Donnovan Andrews needs to manage his “information dependent” lifestyle. The president of New York-based Performance Bridge Advertising, Andrews was so impressed with the device that he outfitted half his staff with them. The small firm is an online advertising, interactive marketing agency whose 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
“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
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 years working for the British government as vice consul and media strategist. “I really guard and value the way that I keep those names. They’re important in getting the right story and the right person.”
The Psion comes in handy in other ways. It keeps Hopkinson “very organized” and helps him manage contacts, send e-mail, produce strategy reports, and even speed dial his international clients quickly and effortlessly. The device runs on two double-A batteries — it includes a small backup battery as well — and allows for infrared data transfer. And Hopkinson, a former journalist, makes full use of the QWERTY keyboard at around 40 words per minute.
But what does Hopkinson like best about the 3mx? “It’s very easy to fit into my jacket pocket,” he says.
DO TECH JUNKIES DREAMOF ELECTRIC SHEEP?
Nina Foxx
Author/Writer
Tech tools: Brother Knitting Machine, Wireless Home Network
To call author Nina Foxx a techno junkie would be an understatement. Her Austin, Texas-based home is a technology editor’s dream — from the wireless network to the latest flat-panel monitors, from the computerized knitting machines (knitting is her favorite hobby) to the voice-activated car and navigation system — if it’s the latest and greatest, Foxx has likely had her hands on it (or will soon).
Foxx, who formerly worked at Dell where she ran the usability department and wrote three product usability patents, says she has trouble choosing just one favorite thing. For her home office she relies on voice-recognition software because “you can speak much faster than you can type — at least I can. I use it with e-mail or for documents.” Her wireless home network lets her and the rest of her family connect from anywhere. And in the summer when she has an intern working with her, Foxx, the thirty-something author of three novels and co-author of a book on publishing, has no trouble connecting the newcomer to the network and its attached devices.
But despite
all the office tools that help keep the successful author organized, able to meet publishers’ deadlines, and stay on track while on book tours, one of her favorite devices is her Brother knitting machine. “I can design a sweater for my daughter on the PC and then send the information [wirelessly] to the machine. It will automatically do the patterning and the stitching, and overnight I get a garment that looks like I bought it in the store,” she says.