Many SMU students graduating this May will enter the corporate grind and along with that, they will receive their corporate tool box.

It is almost a standard now that the corporate laborer comes equipped with a smart phone strapped to his belt. In an interconnected global economy that operates at breakneck speed, to keep pace employees must stay connected via email, text message and phone at all times.

There are a few choices in smart phones for those that see the corporate lifestyle on their horizon, including the iPhone, and a range of BlackBerry phones.

Andrew Jackson, recent SMU grad and veteran of the corporate environment at JCPenny, said there are many desirable features a corporate mogul’s smart phone should have.

He said e-mail is a must and therefore easy typing ability is needed. Also, contact synchronization, fast Internet connectivity, an easy-to-use day planner application, Bluetooth capability, battery life and GPS directions. Here is how Jackson said the various phones stacked up for him and his colleagues:

iPhone

Jackson said the trendy apple product is “not ideal for typing. You are constantly stumbling over the wrong buttons on the touch screen which makes typing a lengthy e-mail frustrating.”

He said the battery life of the iPhone is very poor, needing to be recharged almost daily because of the vast number of uses the phone has. Because of this, he said the phone is not ideal for business trips should you forget your charger.

Jackson said the day planner was lacking on the iPhone because of its inability to synchronize with Outlook Express and its contacts.

One major advantage the iPhone had over its competitors in the corporate arena Jackson said was its superior Internet explorer, and Wi-Fi connectability. He said, “it is really nice to be on the real Internet, compared to the primitive version BlackBerry offers.”

BlackBerry

The model Jackson uses himself is the BlackBerry Curve model. He said that it is ideal for typing, writing emails or texting co-workers.

The Bluetooth application on the BlackBerry, Jackson said, is more user friendly than that of the iPhone, and is ideal for communication on the go.

Jackson said BlackBerry Messenger was very convenient for short conversations that you don’t want to have over e-mail and are too long for text, a service not offered by the iPhone.

The calendar application of the BlackBerry, Jackson feels, is far superior to that of the iPhone due to its ability to merge seamlessly with Microsoft Exchange and all your contacts.

Another plus for the BlackBerry noted by Jackson were the carriers each phone works with. The BlackBerry can be used with AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon, where the iPhone can only be used with AT&T.

Jackson said that even though the iPhone offers many “cool” applications he said having the weather on your phone and a restaurant finder are just not applicable with the corporate world.

According to Jackson, the best phone available for the corporate lifestyle is the BlackBerry option.

“It has everything you need and keeps you ultimately connected with the rest of your colleagues, you just have to sacrifice being trendy for practicality,” Jackson said.