Box CEO Aaron Levie says these mobile startups are the ones to watch

Box CEO and co-founder, Aaron Levie knows a thing or two about cloud computing and designing enterprise applications for mobile.

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When we gave him a mic at this year’s MobileBeat to discuss these topics, he advised the audience to go mobile or go home. “Mobile must be first when you’re building an enterprise company,” said Levie (pictured) on stage with VentureBeat‘s Jolie O’Dell.

I caught up with the entrepreneur for a one-on-one chat to find out more about the mobile apps that are shaking up the enterprise.

When asked about his top picks, Levie said there are two main classifications to consider. There are apps that make some kind of digital process available on mobile. Base, a mobile version of a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, is one example.

Then “there are the startups that are taking a traditionally analog or paper process and are using mobile technology to make it digital.” His personal favorites in this category include PlanGrid, which is making blue prints viewable on mobile devices, and DrChrono, an iPad app for doctors that is paving the way for doctors to access patients’  health records online. (Disclosure: Box recently made a small investment in PlanGrid.)

The value proposition for these cloud-based services is that information can be updated in real-time. Using the example of PlanGrid, he explained that there is no longer a need for a whole new set of blue prints to be printed and distributed every time there’s a minor edit. It’s a more eco-friendly and cost-effective alternative than the status quo.

In the interview, Levie also mentioned several promising enterprise companies, including Domo and Roambi, both business intelligence apps for mobile. He added that he would be keeping tabs on the apps that aim to bring the benefits of mobile to the education space, such as Inkling and Kno.

Image via Michael O’Donnell