LinkedIn Unveils iPad App; One In 5 Users Logs In To The Professional Networking Site Via Mobile Device

Professional networking site LinkedIn has launched its free-to-download application for iPad (yes only now!). Although, it had various apps for other mobile devices including those for Blackberry, Nokia, iPhone and Android devices, the new app would expand the reach of the site to the upwardly mobile.

In the iPad application a feature called calendar sync has been developed by which the user can sync the iPad's calendar into the app and further use it to gather information about the people the user has to meet, as per the calendar. It is being touted as a "preparation for meeting" tool wherein you can gather certain information about the people you are supposed to meet beforehand and in real-time.

Besides this it has enhanced its news feature to bring out relevant news that the user's connections and industry peers are reading and sharing and allowing users to connect more easily and follow professional peers.

Talking about the need for an iPad app Hari V Krishnan, country manager, LinkedIn India said, "20 per cent of our traffic comes from mobile devices and seeing the popularity of the iPad, this was the logical course of action."

Talking about the new feature of calendar sync, he said that the aim was to make it like a personal assistant that can tell a person who they are supposed to meet and more.

Surely LinkedIn has a lead in the game but competition is hot on the foot with a social media integrated product like BranchOut (which itself is an app on Facebook).

According to Krishnan, "There is place for every platform, be it social networking sites like Facebook, social broadcasting sites like Twitter or the professional networks that is us. In case of BranchOut, it's built on a social network so it's not a pure professional network and there is no professional context to it. Thus, it's not really any competition to LinkedIn."