LinkedIn intros mobile app specifically for professional 'Contacts'

LinkedIn is keeping itself busy with another product release, this time improving upon some of its existing resources with newer ones it obtained through the acquisition of Connected.

Enter LinkedIn Contacts, described by LinkedIn software engineer Sachin Rekhi in a blog post as a "smarter way" for fostering professional relationships.

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Contacts is a rather straightforward product as it combines all of a user's address books, emails, and calendars on their mobile devices to be stored in a single place.

From there, the app offers notifications and alerts about job changes, birthdays, and details about past conversations to keep the user updated about another contact.

With the launch of Contacts is also tapping into a new trend that is growing among social networks and other consumer-focused businesses, which is the mobile-first trend. We've already seen some features broken out into standalone apps from the likes of Facebook and Evernote.

LinkedIn reps highlighted that Contacts marks the "first time" that the Mountain View, Calif.-based company has launched a mobile app alongside the desktop version.

However, it's not quite available yet. Supported only on the iPhone initially, LinkedIn has started a wait list for eager beavers that want to try out Contacts on their smartphones now.

For a closer look at LinkedIn Contacts, flip through the slideshow below: