ReadWriteWeb

When Apple's iPad launched in April, it was marketed primarily as a consumer device for reading, playing games and viewing media. But as the tablet computer's popularity has grown, so too has its usefulness in other arenas, including business.

One of the many business needs met by the 900-app strong "Business" category in the App Store is the ability to attend online meetings. The device is particularly well-suited to attending meetings on the go, with its large screen for viewing the presentation and microphone and speakers for VoIP-based discussions.

Online meeting service provider Dimdim launched a new product for small and medium-sized businesses yesterday, going up against players like WebEx and GoToMeeting.

The new offering, called Dimdim Business, boasts the ability to host Web-based meetings with as many as thousands of participants, multiple rooms and hassle-free, no-plugin-necessary access for meeting participants.

In a world where emails, phone calls, texts, and Tweets constantly bombard us, it is getting harder and harder to manage the firehose of data and information being thrust our way. For young companies to succeed this environment, it is imparitive they become organized and efficient lest they fall behind and quickly become overwhelmed.

While there is no shortage of online solutions, it can be hard to know which one is the right tool for the job, so here's a list of five web applications to help kick-start your company and keep it organized without breaking the bank.

Uh-oh, it's budget time and pennies are tight. Lets see what can we cut? The Expresso machine or the Starbucks expense account? Howls of protest and a sure-fire productivity killer. What about our Webex/GoToMeeting bills? No, way we need that for sales. What if we switch to Dimdim, a freemium, open source-based alternative? And right there we have a nice, simple, "no duh" value proposition and one that will be popular in a recession. But, does the software work?