Features You Should Expect from Mobile Board Meeting Apps

Over the past two decades, technology has transformed the way business is done. Around the boardroom table, video conferencing, online messaging, and document sharing are commonplace, allowing boards to govern from anywhere. Now, board meeting mobile applications  are cementing the transformation by unifying the above solutions within a single platform, while supporting transparent, secure communication and data management. 

One of the most significant benefits of mobile board meeting apps is their accessibility. From their smartphone or tablet, board members can communicate with one another, review documents and board materials, vote on decisions, and even attend board meetings. 

Board meeting applications give board members immediate access to necessary materials and communication. These apps allow easy decision making and board governance, especially during time-sensitive situations. 

Your board meeting app should make governing easier and more intuitive. This article explores what you should expect from a mobile board meeting application so you can make the right choice for your board. 

Why Are Virtual Board Meeting Applications So Important?

Mobile board meeting apps are quickly becoming an essential tool for productive and efficient boards of directors, especially as companies embrace a BYOD (bring your own device) trend for board meetings. Under this policy, directors are more likely to access board meeting documents from a range of devices from various locations. 

With board members using personal laptops and cell phones, they have the ability to access work materials from anywhere — including from home or while traveling. The result is an on-demand, 24-hour work cycle.

Leading board meeting iOS apps make it possible to boost board member engagement and collaboration while providing users with a rich experience, stringent security, unparalleled speed, and easy mobile boardroom collaboration. 

The best board meeting apps make it easy to:

1. Upload files to the cloud and access board meetings from any device.

2. Annotate and leave notes on board materials.

3. Access board meeting agendas, sign documents, and complete board tasks.

4. Collaborate within the board portal platform outside of meetings.

What Makes a Good Board Meeting App?

The right board meeting app can streamline decision making and improve collaboration among a board of directors. But an app that is unsecure or difficult to use can cause more headaches than it is worth. 

When choosing a board app, look for the following: 

A Rich User Experience

Board meeting apps should streamline and improve corporate governance, rather than complicate and convolute the process for directors, committee members, and shareholders. 

Mobile board meeting applications should always contain the following: 

• Full-featured apps for every device, including all web browsers, iPhones, iPads, Android phones, and tablets.

• Identical experiences across all devices in the application, that always function on the newest released software update.

• Instant changes updated across all platforms and devices.

• Ability to easily build electronic board books and create board meetings that sync with your calendar and the calendars of other board members.

• Full functionality within one software, including access to agendas, meeting minutes, board books, electronic voting and surveys, live discussions, eSignatures, and company news or announcements

Stringent Security

BYOD policies and remote meetings increase the risk of security threats for any business and its board of directors. Industry-leading security features within your board app are a necessity. Directors will be storing sensitive data and documents within the meeting app, and they need to be able to trust it. 

Board meeting application security should always include:

• Closed API infrastructure to keep documents and data secure from third-parties

• Data stored on secure cloud-based servers with redundantly managed firewalls

• SSAE-18 certifications

• Remote wiping capabilities if a device is lost, stolen, or compromised

• Purging options for documents, data, and discussions

• Personalizations for each user’s experience and access with three levels of security permissions

• Encrypted eSignature technology with legal audit trails

Simplicity & Speed

Modern board meeting apps provide the simplicity and speed needed to help boards of directors in everyday governance duties. 

In order to simplify board governance, board meeting apps should:

• Allow for access to board documents and annotations offline, when an internet connection is unavailable

• Accommodate real-time annotations that sync across all devices

• Provide simple set-up instead of complicated installation

• Update with stress-free maintenance and enhancements

• Include easy and flexible ballot and voting creation

• Feature exportable reports 

Easy Collaboration

For effective governance, boards of directors need to be able to coordinate with each other, share documents, and vote. The best board meeting app supports collaboration with the following features and abilities:

• Private messaging and live discussions

• Allow polling for availability and suggested dates and times when scheduling board meetings

• Board meeting minutes collaboration with version history and ability to purge comments

• Ability to share annotations and notes with other members

• Straightforward access to all board reference materials, committee folders, and other documents and resources

Boardroom Engagement

Mobile board meeting applications should ultimately foster a community of boardroom engagement. When used the right way, board portal apps can create an intuitive and easy experience to help all boards govern securely so that directors can focus on the task at hand. 

In order to ensure our board portal app continues to meet our client’s needs, we regularly seek feedback, then create new features that support board governance in today’s business climate.