Evernote’s new features are for the pros — January 31, 2013

Popular note-taking service Evernote is on a mission to help you keep track of life’s nagging details.

Today, it has announced a slew of updates to its apps and services, which are designed to appeal to busy professionals. The company claims that about two-thirds of its 45 million users already use it to improve workplace productivity.

Evernote Hello, the smartphone app that helps you remember everyone you’ve ever met, will incorporate a feature that lets users scan business cards. To make it even easier to network, the app has been updated with a new technology called “Evernote Connect” that uses audio tones to share contact information between phones.

In addition, the 2.0 release will include an integration with Facebook and LinkedIn so an email address pulled from a business card or calendar entry can be enough for Evernote Hello to build a rich profile. If a contact isn’t a fan of social media, the option still exists to type in their information manually.

Remember Evernote’s acquisition of nifty handwriting app Penultimate in May? The team has been working on updating the app with better Evernote integration, search and sync features, and a fresh interface. But the biggest benefit for users is that the app will be available for free — previously it would set you back $0.99.

In an interview at the VentureBeat office, Libin (pictured above) said the grand vision for Evernote is to “make you smarter.” Evernote is more than just a digital notebook for consumers. He explained that the company is getting “more serious” about offering a “great experience in a work setting.”

Libin said the company will never mine data from users’ notes and sell it to advertisers. However, he believes that data can be analyzed to benefit consumers and make them smarter. For instance, a recent update to the Evernote food app incorporates automatic recipe detection. In your mass of notes, Evernote’s technology can recognize food items and help you make a shopping list.

“We will be adding more intelligence to the things you capture in Evernote,” said Libin.

Filed under: Big Data, Business, Cloud, Enterprise