Tag: wearable technology trends

If these mobile gadgets ware going to be as popular as predicted, they will soon be in the workplace.

Wearable technology is moving ahead with leaps and bounds as smartwatches and other types of devices that can be worn on the body make their way onto the market shelves and are being scooped up by consumers.

It won’t take long before workplaces will need to come up with policies to manage their use.

Whether in the form of smartwatches, wristbands, pendants, belt clips, or even glasses, wearable technology is starting to become popular and the industry is predicting that it will be mainstream sooner rather than later. At a time in which businesses are only just starting to be able to come up with the right kinds of policies to safely implement bring your own device (BYOD) programs, a whole new form of mobile tech is now making its way into the space.

Wearable technology is different because it isn’t always clear what it is or when it’s on.

Now that Google has announced its Android Wear operating system for wearables, it is likely that the number of manufacturers will start to jump into the mix and base their gadgets on this OS. These devices will be piled on top of the large number that are already in existence, including Google Glass, Samsung Gear , Pebble, and others, as well as a range of different types of jewelry such as rings and pendants, and fitness bands that also come in a spectrum of shapes and brands.

Depending on the wearable technology, the gadget could provide biometrics, internet access, or smartphone access, among other features. While workplaces will need to keep additional distractions in mind to keep employees focused on their tasks, this will be more challenging than it is with smartphones because it is difficult to recognize some forms of wearables and it is exceptionally hard to know when they are active. This means that it is possible that texts could be sent, recordings could be made, or the net could be surfed without any outward signs that it is occurring.

Next, there is also an issue of security. Mobile security is already a major concern for companies with a BYOD program, and many find it to be a considerable challenge to enforce the policies when they do have them. Connected wearables adds an entirely new layer of tech and of risk that needs to be considered and protected.

Has the industry made such a tremendous amount of noise that consumers lost interest before it caught on?

In the mobile tech industry, marketing needs to be conducted extremely carefully in order to make sure that consumers will gain interest and retain it enough to make a purchase and tell all of their friends – wearable technology is no exception to this rule.

When it comes to these mobile devices, brands and advertisers have stopped at no expense to spread the word.

However, as of yet, these wearable technology devices – which tend to be rather on the pricy side – still have yet to catch on with the majority of consumers. While it has generated some interest as individuals read up on the latest developments in the market, the number who do actually make a purchase of one of these gadgets is not as big as it was predicted to be. While some analysts believe that it is still too early in the evolution of the devices to tell for certain what the future will bring, others wonder if the hype was so great in this area that it died off before getting started.

This has left wearable technology makers wondering if they are looking to the future or not.

From smartwatches to augmented reality glasses, there is no shortage of different options available for the consumer to choose. However, as this flood of options has been tremendously hyped and the choices have raced their way forward even before many consumers could even tell what they are, many wonder if the flame on that torch was burnt out before most people could even become aware of the existence of most of the products.

According to the trends that have been seen over the last year, and that were renewed a few weeks ago in Barcelona at the 2014 Mobile World Congress (MWC), it looks as though this year is going to be an exceptionally critical one in the arena of wearable technology. Though Google Glass and Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatches have seen disappointing sales, so far, the marketing has been pushing forward to boost enthusiasm. Now, all the analysts can do is watch to see whether or not 2014 truly proves to be the year of the wearable tech.