Business
Productivity
There are simple ways that help a work environment feel more cohesive, and smartphones are a good way to do so. One app that is promoting productivity and efficiency on a global scale is Slack. It's been listed as one of the top most innovative companies in 2017 (Fast Company, 2017). One of it's key features is sharing files to your co-workers. So, if a person happens to not be around their workspace, one could access and possible view the file (if viewable) on their smartphone.
Another application, that is also mentioned in the education tab, that promotes productivity is Google Drive (or the whole series). You are able to work on projects from the luxury of your home, on the bus, or while you’re walking your dog (though I don’t recommend!). You have access to almost all of the Microsoft Office applications the the tip of your fingers with Google Drive. One of the best functions in Google Drive is the ability to share a document with others and work on a project concurrently. A lot of my projects at Towson consist of me working on powerpoints with a group, and our go-to application is Google Slides.
Market
Since Apple has changed the way phones can be used, many other digital technology companies have started to develop their own smartphone devices to be distributed. Smartphone technology, itself, has improved drastically within the last decade. A lot of people currently own a smartphone. According to the Pew Research Center, 77% of the people in the US own a smartphone (Pew Research Center, 2018). Due to the capabilties of smartphones, there has been high demand in the market for developers to create apps that adhere to everyone's personal needs, contributing to economic growth. Along with creating a new market which helped the ecomnomy grow across several nations, this new market created new jobs for developers and new fields of study in academia.