Tag: wearable technology workplace

According to recent research, 82 percent of people from India like wearables at work.

As wearable technology such as smartwatches or augmented reality glasses start to edge their way from being a category of electronics that is in its infancy to one that is headed on a path toward mainstream use, it is becoming clear that some markets already find these devices more appealing than others.

A recent study conducted in India have found that a tremendous 82 percent have worn smart technologies in the workplace.

Among the various types of wearable technology that have been worn by adults in India are smart badges, headsets, and barcode scanning wearables. All of those have been worn for work related purposes, according to the “Wearables at Work” survey conducted by Kronos. The survey also revealed that the countries in which this type of device is taking off at the greatest rate are seeing the majority of those numbers from workplace use as opposed to personal use.

The survey predicts that wearable technology will need to be meaningful in the workplace before it is brought home.

According to the Workforce Institude director at Kronos, Joyce Maroney, it is widely believed that wearables will “take off in the workplace before the home because devices such as smart watches, intelligent ID badges, and fitness and health monitors can provide organizations with uncharted data collection points to greatly improve safety, productivity, collaboration, and overall workplace effectiveness.”

Maroney also explained that though there have been a large number of different types of wearable tech devices that have made it to the market shelves, the actual concept of devices that can be worn is not actually a new one. She pointed out that workers have had this type of tech in their safety gear, uniforms, ID badges, and headsets for many years in order to be able to improve their efficiency, productivity, and safety levels.

This survey has underscored the considerable difference in the way that wearable technology devices are perceived by people in different countries around the world. While many feel that the category is nothing new as they are familiar with wearables in older forms, others think that these devices are brand new to the marketplace.

Companies will need to prepare themselves for these devices just as they did for smartphones.

Bring your own device (BYOD) programs in companies of all sizes have become very commonplace and now the introduction of wearable technology could be changing the nature of those strategies.

Although some forms, such as smartwatches, may not change too much, others could require altogether different rules.

The first step that companies will need to take when they are looking into allowing workers to use wearable technology on the job is mobile security. This comes both in the form of adequate protection against malware, viruses, and cyber attacks, as well as in the form of privacy of the company’s information. Smartwatches likely won’t offer too much problem in that second category, but augmented reality glasses such as Google Glass or Smart Specs, for example, could allow video recording and picture taking to occur while being completely undetectable to those around the wearer.

This means that companies will need to seriously consider privacy when allowing wearable technology.

At the same time, there are some wearables that could be seen as beneficial to a workplace environment. For example, the number of fitness and activity trackers that are currently available could help to encourage employees to live healthier lifestyles and to try to come closer to achieving their 10,000 steps every day.

Healthier workers mean that there will be fewer sick days required and health insurance claims won’t need to be made as frequently. This also helps people to remain more energized and enthusiastic about their work, creating a much more positive and enjoyable atmosphere overall.

Equally, there is the struggle that could come with actually providing workers with wearables in order to try to enhance productivity. Although it may seem like a good idea to spread these gadgets throughout the workplace, keep in mind that this will add one more thing to the requirements for IT departments that are likely very inexperienced with this tech, considering how new it is to the marketplace.

Companies will need to carefully think through their strategies when it comes to allowing wearable technology to be used by their workers.