10 Apple Watch Business Apps That Keep Pros Productive

Stay Productive

Apps were the secret to the iPhone's success and could likewise make or break how well the Apple Watch does after the initial excitement over its launch this Friday dies down.

Right now, there are more questions than answers on exactly how many Apple Watch apps will be available at launch. We also don't know if any app developers are working on monetizing apps with wrist-based mobile ads -- let's hope not.

According to the latest estimates, preorders for the Apple Watch have surpassed 2.3 million, reported KGI Securities. Among the first wave of third-party apps, there likely will be plenty that add little value to their iPhone companion apps.

But we managed to find 10 business-friendly apps, beyond Apple's own Apple Watch apps, that could help employees be more productive.

Evernote Brings Dictation To The Wrist

Evernote is bringing its note-taking and archiving platform to the Apple Watch. With the app, users will be able to dictate a note, view recent notes, set reminders and check items off a to-do list.

Evernote said when developing the app it strove to only surface timely and contextually driven content on the Apple Watch. "We tapped our augmented intelligence (AI) team to create an algorithm that surfaces only the top five notes that are most useful to you in that exact moment, based on your location, meetings in your calendar, and how often you access certain notes," wrote Evernote in a blog.

Microsoft On The Apple Watch: PowerPoint Helper

Microsoft Office makes it to the Apple Watch with a handy feature that turns the watch into a navigation tool for PowerPoint presentations. With the PowerPoint app for Apple Watch, Microsoft wrote in its iOS app descriptions, users can "start [a] slide show and easily navigate to the next and previous slides" as well as "at a glance, see the elapsed time, the current slide number and total number of slides."

Apple Watch Delivers Bite-Sized CRM With Salesforce Wave

With the Salesforce Wave app for the Apple Watch, users can have at-a-glance snapshots of business analytics. Salesforce said it uses predictive intelligence to surface just the most contextually relevant information at the right time. According to Salesforce, the Apple Watch app functions are:

Sales reps can review customer pipeline while walking into a meeting.

Field service reps can swipe to get a view of product performance and switch to their phone to update a case.

A marketer can review a campaign performance dashboard to be prepared at a moment's notice.

Busy Doctor Time Manager: Mayo Clinic Synthesis

World-renowned Mayo Clinic builds off of its iPhone app that helps doctors manage their schedules by syncing up with a daily and hourly schedule. The Mayo Clinic Synthesis app can display a daily schedule and alert health-care professionals as to whether a patient is in the lobby, an exam room, or done with an appointment, according to Apple's description of the app. The app also can display patient information, such as age, sex and weight.

According to the Mayo Clinic's app description, patients also can benefit from the watch app, receiving up-to-the-minute itinerary changes their doctor might have and viewing all upcoming appointments right from the Apple Watch.

Invoice2go: Wristwatch-Friendly App That Helps Keep Tabs On Time

With Invoice2go's Apple Watch app, users not only can keep tabs on when they arrive and depart from a job site but can send invoices and receive alerts when invoices have been paid.

Get Organized And Collaborate More Effectively With CommitTo3

This is one team-building app that helps keep projects moving in the right direction and also allows co-workers to collaborate on projects. The premise of the service and Apple Watch app is that users pick three to-do items between a group and commit to completing them by the end of the day. The app lets users track team and individual progress.

Keep Tabs On Bank Balances And Expenses With MoneyWiz

The MoneyWiz 2 Apple Watch app makes staying on top of finances as easy as checking the time. The app allows users to keep track of spending, keeps them on budget and can be used to keep tabs on multiple accounts, categories and payees.

Time To Board? American Airlines App Will Let You Know

Checking on flights by lurking around airport departure screens and constantly checking on departure updates via a smartphone gets old fast. Airlines including British Airways and American Airlines are rolling out Apple Watch apps to make flight information easier to track. American Airlines' app takes it a step further and alerts users as to when it's time to leave for the airport, allows users to check into the flight via the watch, and offers terminal and baggage claim updates as well.

Starwood Preferred Guest App Doubles As A Room Key

Starwood Hotels and Resorts is upping its app game with an Apple Watch app simply called SPG that allows users to not only check in and check out, but also use the watch to unlock their room door. Starwood, the hotelier that owns chains W Hotels, Westin, Sheraton and more, said at first the Apple Watch will be compatible only for keyless room entry for its Aloft, Element and W Hotels.

The app also allows users to get directions to the hotel, see reservation details and view their Starpoint rewards balance.

Uber Heads To Apple Watch

Of course app-based crowd-sourced taxi company Uber is making it to the Apple Watch. With the Uber app, the company has said, users will be able to request a car, track its arrival on a map and display a photo of the driver.

The app will mostly complement the full phone app, giving users quick access to key Uber app functions.