Doing email, checking your calendar and accessing documents from mobile devices has become essential as more people around the world go online primarily from their phones, and as we all develop higher expectations for being productive from anywhere.

I thought it would be helpful to give a quick recap of how employees and students can use Google Apps when they're not at a computer, organized by type of device. Here we go....


Google Apps on BlackBerry smartphones

Gmail - The fastest way to use Gmail on your BlackBerry is with the installable Gmail application. To download and install Gmail for free, visit m.google.com/a from your BlackBerry web browser. Then, launch the application with the blue "M" icon () from your BlackBerry home screen or from the applications folder. If you also have a personal @gmail.com account, there's a separate free application (with a red "M" icon) so you can be signed in to both accounts at the same time.

Google Talk - There's a handy Google Talk application that lets you see who's online and instant message with contacts from your BlackBerry. To download and install Google Talk for free, visit www.blackberry.com/GoogleTalk from your BlackBerry web browser. Then, launch the application with the Google Talk icon () from your BlackBerry home screen or from the applications folder.

Google Calendar - You can sync information in Google Calendar with your BlackBerry calendar, so whether you add new appointments from your phone or from your computer, you always have access to your up-to-date schedule. To download and install Google Sync for free, visit m.google.com/sync from your BlackBerry web browser.

Google Docs - To access your documents and spreadsheets when you're not at a computer, you can sign in to Google Docs from your BlackBerry web browser. Just visit docs.google.com/a/your-domain.com, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.


Google Apps on the Apple iPhone

Gmail - To run Gmail as a fast web application, visit mail.google.com/a/your-domain.com in Safari on your iPhone, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.

Alternatively, you can connect to your Gmail account with your iPhone's Mail application, using IMAP for free. Learn more here and here about how to configure the iPhone's Mail application to do this.

Google Calendar - To run Google Calendar as a fast web application, visit calendar.google.com/a/your-domain.com in Safari on your iPhone, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.

Google Docs - To run Google Docs as a fast web application, visit docs.google.com/a/your-domain.com in Safari on your iPhone, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.


Google Apps on most other smartphones

Gmail - If your phone is Java-enabled, you can use the fast, installable Gmail application. To give it a try, download and install Gmail for free by visiting m.google.com/a from your phone's web browser. Then, launch the application with the blue "M" icon () from your phone's home screen or in the applications folder. If you also have a personal @gmail.com account, there's a separate free application (with a red "M" icon) so you can stay signed in to both accounts at the same time.

If your phone doesn't use Java, you can run Gmail as a fast web application. Visit mail.google.com/a/your-domain.com on your phone's web browser, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.

Google Calendar - To run Google Calendar as a fast web application, visit calendar.google.com/a/your-domain.com from your phone's web browser, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.

Google Docs - To access your documents and spreadsheets when you're not at a computer, you can sign in to Google Docs from your phone's web browser. Just visit docs.google.com/a/your-domain.com, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.


Google Apps on many other less powerful phones

Gmail - If your phone is Java-enabled, you can use the fast, installable Gmail application. To give it a try, download and install Gmail for free by visiting m.google.com/a from your phone's web browser. Then launch the application with the blue "M" icon () from your phone's home screen or in the applications folder. If you also have a personal @gmail.com account, there's a separate free application (with a red "M" icon) so you can stay signed in to both accounts at the same time.

If your phone doesn't use Java, you may still be able to run Gmail as a web application. Visit mail.google.com/a/your-domain.com on your phone's web browser, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.

Google Calendar - Depending on the model of your phone, you may be able to run Google Calendar as a web application. Visit calendar.google.com/a/your-domain.com from your phone's web browser, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.

Alternatively, you can check your calendar, add events and get appointment reminders with text messages. Learn more about how this works here, here and here.

Google Docs - Depending on the model of your phone, you may be able to access Google Docs from your phone's web browser. Just visit docs.google.com/a/your-domain.com, but remember to replace "your-domain.com" in this address with your actual domain name.


Note: all of these mobile web interfaces, installable applications and text messaging features are free, but carrier charges may apply.

Also, the BlackBerry, Java, Apple, Safari and iPhone product and service names are the trademarks of their respective owners.