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"With the recent acquisition of Instagram by Facebook, hedging bets on what may be the next application to be acquired for $1 billion is all the rage among geeks. Although most developers are putting emphasis on consumer-facing apps, the app sector with the ability to generate income from acquisition is likely in the business-to-business space. \nSocial business tools are going to become more popular as tablets and smartphones become the norm at companies and the consumerization of IT is adapted at a rapid pace. And there\u2019s no question the market will be huge, what with mobile application downloads approaching 48 billion by 2015. But what business apps are leading the way? Here are four examples of mobile business applications to watch.\n1. BoardVantage \nBoardVantage is a collaboration app for boards of directors at large companies. It is programmed with extensive security policies and allows a board meeting to take place entirely on an iPad, which stores all related important information in an IT-secure application. The app is a must for CIOs who want to transform their company so that instead of the C-suite using laptops, they are all armed with iPads. Although it\u2019s free to download, it requires a subscription to use. \n2. IBM bCase\nIBM\u2019s bCase for IBM Business Partners helps businesses create amazing sales presentations on an iPad. Ed Abrams, vice president of marketing for IBM Midmarket, says the app is highly dynamic and can pull in content from a wide variety of sources, allowing for a much more vibrant experience than you get from, say, Microsoft PowerPoint. It\u2019s free to download, but requires a password issued by IBM.\n3. The Merck Manual \nThe 100-year-old manual\u2019s content has been transferred from book to iPad in both a home and professional edition. The app can be accessed anywhere via wi-fi and allows doctors to find symptom information for patients and email a relevant link to either the patient or a patient\u2019s specialist. Robert S. Porter MD, an editor of the app, said, \u201CThe Manual has always been highly regarded for its clarity and focus on delivering just the right amount of information. This app for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch now provides that information in a convenient form that will make it even more valuable for healthcare professionals on the go.\u201D \n4. Cisco WebEx \nThis application allows anyone to join a web conference from an iPad or iPhone. Any number of people can attend these meetings, but a WebEx host account is needed to schedule or host a meeting. The app also allows one to attend a meeting from anywhere in the world and present PowerPoint presentations. It makes the possibility of conferencing from anywhere very simple.\nImage courtesy of iStockphoto, franckreporter"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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