10 Great Android Apps For Collaboration

The menu of available mobile devices seems to grow longer by the day, thanks in large part to an increasing number of Android phones and tablets. But what makes those devices true business tools? The apps, of course. Take tablets: Apple's iPad may have led the way, but now a new wave of Android devices using the Honeycomb version of the operating system, such as the Motorola Xoom or Samsung Galaxy Tab, are giving businesses more choice in their mobile arsenal. The tablet is clearly finding its way into the enterprise, whether on a corporate purchase order or as a personal device brought into the office. No matter its origin, the range of productive--and hopefully profitable--uses for both tablets and phones is rapidly expanding, as business-ready applications continue to roll out and mature. That's perhaps most evident in the collaboration world. The inherent mobility and diversity of Android-based devices make them weapons for efficient, effective collaboration--provided they're armed with the right apps.

These 10 apps help Android-based devices become just that: weapons for enterprise collaboration. They cover a variety of business functions including productivity, mobile analytics, video conferencing, file sharing, project management, social collaboration, and more. These apps foster collaboration across teams and companies--not just for the sake of it, but to produce bottom-line results. Sometimes collaboration extends beyond the organization--the same apps become tools for connecting with partners, investors, customers, prospects, and other business-critical groups.

The occasional catch with Android apps is whether they're strictly for smartphones or if they're optimized for Honeycomb-based tablets, too. Where applicable, we've called attention to that in the descriptions. No doubt the evolutionary cycle of these devices--and the apps that power them--is still in its early stage, and their enterprise power is poised for growth. But these apps prove that Android--tablet or phone--can mean business today.