TECH WATCH

Tech savvy
Tech Companies That Target You

You can let someone else do the choosing for you with these integrated packages geared specifically to the real estate industry.

BY MIKE ANTONIAK

From time to time, I get queries from readers seeking advice on what equipment to buy. The problem: There are no pat answers when it comes to equipping yourself with the technology that’s right for you. Nor is there a perfect, one-size-fits-all product in the world of technology. What you use and what works for you is a combination of practical value tempered by personal preference.

Having said that, there are several technology vendors that have thoroughly researched your specialized needs to create tailored combinations of products and features for real estate. Here is a list of some companies’ special programs devoted to the real estate industry.*

• Cell phone/smartphone maker Nokia hopes to demonstrate how well it understands your special mobile communications needs with its Nokia Real Estate Solution Web site. The site promotes the capabilities of the Nokia 3600 and 3650 camera phones as real estate solutions when bundled with a 64MB memory card, mobile MLS service (where available), and a software mortgage calculator. New buyers can purchase the phone and add-ons as a bundle. Current owners of the phones can upgrade their equipment by purchasing the bundle alone.
  
  
• The immense popularity of Palm handhelds hasn’t gone unnoticed by palmOne. With last year’s spin-off of PalmSource as a one-stop resource for Palm users, the company addresses the particular needs of several vertical markets, including real estate. This area of the company’s Web site offers product-by-product summaries of the most popular real estate software applications for PDAs and smartphones running the Palm operating system. Sections focus on sales software and financial software. You also can follow the embedded links to learn more, purchase, or download the featured software programs.
  
  
• For several years now, LED printer maker Okidata has been offering bundled products for real estate practitioners. Its Real Estate Edition Color Printing Solutions combines the company’s printers with a subscription to a Web-based service for designing and producing popular print promotions, such as flyers, brochures, and newsletters from a library of design themes, templates, and clip art.
  
  
• With a wide range of products, Hewlett Packard, a REALTOR VIP Program partner, strives to help real estate professionals find all the answers to their technology needs in the real estate section of its small- and medium-business portal. The site includes buying guides and product information on HP equipment recommended for real estate professionals. There also are online classes for creating effective marketing materials, tips, reviews of some of the latest HP technology by industry insiders, and a free electronic newsletter for real estate practitioners.
  
  
• IBM, another REALTOR VIP Program partner, offers more general, but still practical, advice on your technology options in the small business section of its online business center. Along with links to information on the company’s range of products, this site includes a solutions profiler. With this useful tool, you can click on what you want to gain from technology and retrieve a list of articles discussing different ways to achieve goals, such as using the Web to attract and serve clients, equipping yourself with mobile technology, and protecting company data.
  
  
• If you’re interested in saving money on your tech purchases—and who isn’t—the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS’ REALTOR VIP® Program offers special member discounts on products selected just for real estate practitioners.