Salesforce Mobile: Salesforce.com meets the iPad

The CRN Test Centre looked at Salesforce.com's Salesforce Mobile app on the iPad to get an idea of how the application leverages the unique form factor, keyboard and feel of the device. The bad news was that, like most other apps that were first built for the iPhone as a platform, Salesforce.com hadn't yet updated its mobile app to take full advantage of the larger, 9.7-inch touch screen that's now available on the iPad. Instead, Salesforce Mobile's iPhone app works on the iPad platform but with reduced resolution and without being able to take advantage of the iPad keyboard configuration (it still uses an iPhone keypad configuration).

Starting out by setting up a Web-based Salesforce.com CRM Sales evaluation account, we populated our account with some sample data. We then downloaded Salesforce Mobile to the iPad via Apple's iTunes App Store, where we were disappointed to see it had not yet been custom-designed for the iPad. Still, we set the app to appear at two-times iPhone size - a standard iPad setting for iPhone apps - and found its appearance to be fine.

Between the Salesforce.com Web service and Salesforce Mobile on the iPad, we were able to sync customer and account data--and other information such as tasks and contacts--between the platforms. Even with the iPhone look and feel, the iPad version of Salesforce Mobile is a terrific way for employees to manage sales information and messaging on the go; unlike other apps, Salesforce Mobile is still free for download to iPhone or iPad platforms.

Unlike its use on laptops or desktops, Salesforce Mobile's use on the iPad provides for a truly great mobile business experience. The iPad is easier to take out during a sales call or conference room  meeting than a laptop, and there is also no aggravation or awkwardness of needing to "plug in" during meetings toward the end of a busy day - given the iPad's monster battery life.

The bottom line: Though Salesforce.com didn't launch a unique iPad application when the Apple device launched, the work it put into making its iPhone app great, easy and powerful to use does translate into the iPad form factor. On iPad, Salesforce.com is easy to use, effective and much easier during sales call scenarios than a notebook. It's worth a look and it's a solution we have no problem recommending.