Smartphones have changed the way businesses operate. The biggest challenge now is choosing the right platform, writes Julia Talevski.

If someone told you in 1999 that before the next decade was over, you'd be doing most of your written communications with your mobile phone, you probably would have looked at your handset and wondered how.

Smartphones are becoming important business tools.

Now, with 3G wireless broadband, full "qwerty" keypads, multimedia capabilities, high-resolution touch screens plus a host of security and backup features, smartphones have become a mainstay for many businesses. Not all smartphone platforms are created equal, however.

For example, BlackBerry has been well-known for its specific email and security abilities and the iPhone for its applications. Android is well-regarded for its "openness".