Gist.

Smartphones are no longer a luxury item afforded only to the wealthiest members of society. Instead, they’re practically a requirement for business owners who travel or need to be productive on the go.

To be sure you’re getting the most out of your mobile environment, check out the following mobile apps:

Evernote (free)

When it comes to on-the-go note taking, there’s simply no alternative better than Evernote, which allows you to record text notes, capture voice messages or take and store pictures to help you remember those brilliant ideas that occur while you’re away from your computer. Best of all, the app offers a desktop version and internet-based browsing, which means that you can access and edit your notes wherever you are and whenever you need to.

TripIt (free for basic app; $69/year for premium features)

If you’re a business professional on the go, TripIt gives you all the tools you need to manage hotel reservations, flight arrangements and other pertinent details in one master travel itinerary. Using the app is as simple as creating a TripIt account and sending your travel plans to the program, though you’ll need to upgrade to the premium program to take advantage of flight alerts and other perks.

Dropbox (free)

Like Evernote, files stored in Dropbox can be accessed and synced from any computer, making it a great solution for mobile professionals who need to manage files from multiple locations. The app is free to install, and the “Basic” version of the program gives you 2GB of storage for free (more space is available through the company’s Premium offerings at affordable monthly subscription rates as well).

iTerminal (free, plus transaction costs)

If you need to collect payments on the go from your smartphone, iTerminal is a “must have”. There are some fees associated with the app, but in exchange, you’ll be able to process credit card charges on the go over Wifi and 3G networks, as well as confirm immediately whether a charge has been approved or declined.

Quickoffice ($9.99)

As far as mobile office suites go, Quickoffice can’t be beat. The premium version of this app gives you the ability to edit both Microsoft Office Suite documents and Google Documents on the road – a functionality that’s missing from many other mobile document management apps, and which will pay for itself after the app allows you to catch and correct a single mistake while on the way to a major client presentation.

Analytics ($5.99)

Although every business manager should be able to access website traffic stats and analytics on the go, Google’s Analytics program doesn’t make mobile integration easy. Instead, look into the third-party Analytics app to manage this information from a mobile environment. Once installed, all you need to do is enter your Google Analytics log in credentials and you’ll have access to all the data you need to make website decisions and recommendations on the fly.

Uber (free)

If you’re in one of the nation’s biggest cities (currently, the app only serves New York City, San Fransico, Chicago, Seattle, Boston and Washington DC), Uber provides an attractive alternative to the frustrating process of hailing a cab. Simply text your location to the service and you’ll be immediately connected with one of the service’s sedan drivers in the area. Payment is handled through the app, making the entire process a relaxing and refreshing process compared to standard taxi services.

BlackBerry Travel (free)

Another great travel app to consider is the free Blackberry Travel app, which allows you to book flights, schedule hotel and car reservations and manage other travel needs from within one streamlined app. The app even features automatic integration with emailed travel itineraries – grabbing them and importing them into the app without any effort on your part.

BlackBerry Traffic (free)

While you’re out and about, rely on the Blackberry Traffic app to help get you to your destination safely through the use of turn-by-turn directions, alternate route mapping and hands-free integration with your vehicle’s sound system. It’s a great alternative to expensive external GPS systems when you’re out on client calls in new neighborhoods.

LinkedIn (free)

These days, if you aren’t on LinkedIn, you don’t exist in the business world, which makes participation on this social network a must. Use the LinkedIn app in place of exchanging business cards, keeping you more organized and eliminating the chances of losing touch with a valuable new contact after misplacing a physical business card.

Cardmunch (free)

Of course, eliminating physical business cards altogether is a pipe dream, so if you do continue to receive them, use the Cardmunch app to take the effort out of converting business card information to LInkedIn contacts. Using the Cardmunch app, simply take a picture of each card you receive and it will be automatically transcribed into LinkedIn, where you’ll be able to manage your relationship information and see any shared contacts right away.

Dragon Dictation (free)

Capture thoughts and ideas on the go with the Dragon Dictation app. Part of the Dragon Naturally Speaking software suite, Dragon Dictation is by far the most powerful dictation app on the market, although you’ll need to train it to understand you in noisy situations if you plan to use it while traveling. However, once the initial set up is complete, you’ll find that being able to speak and transcribe notes and longer messages will save you loads of time over manually typing content into your smartphone.

Tungle (free)

Any business owner who’s ever struggled through the back-and-forth email nightmare that is trying to find a time to meet with a colleague knows what a difference a collaborative scheduling app like Tungle can make. Use the app to share your availability with anyone, then suggest a few potential meeting times and allow your contact to schedule the meeting himself – saving both of you time and energy when setting up future appointments.

Remember the Milk (free for basic version; $25/year for premium subscription)

When managing your to do list, you need a solution that works wherever you are. Remember the Milk is up to the task, allowing you to track and edit to do items on the go, in any internet browser or from the desktop of your computer. Upgrade to the premium version of the app for automatic syncing of any tasks created from your smartphone.

Last Pass ($12/year)

Using a password management program – like the Last Pass system – is a good idea from both a security and productivity standpoint. Not only will you save time over looking up every password you need to use, filling passwords automatically lets you make use of more complex, secure passwords. You’ll need to upgrade to the premium version of the program to use it on your smartphone, but doing so is a lifesaver that’ll let you call up any password you’ve created automatically while on the go.

Waze Travel (free)

Unlike all the other navigation apps out there – which passively report recommended routes and nothing else – the Waze app takes travel to the next level by combining existing maps with real-time condition reporting from other drivers. This social integration allows Waze users to avoid accidents, speed traps and other hazards as they occur.

Do you have any other app recommendations for the mobile workstyle programs you simply can’t live without? Share them in the comments below!