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Is the average American workplace ready for wearable technology?

BWild | November 26, 2014

According to the results of a recent survey, this environment is not yet prepared to take on wearables.

The ISACA global IT association has now released the results of recent research that it conducted with regards to the use of wearable technology by North American workplaces and has determined that they are not yet ready for this tech.

While headlines are continuously filled with new tech releases in this category, the workplace isn’t set to take it on.

Wearable technology is now already available in the form of smartwatches, smart glasses, smart jewelry, smart clothing, and a vast range of other devices, with virtually every large tech player having an offering on the shelf, ready to launch, or in the works. In some other countries, certain forms of these wearables have already become quite commonplace in the workplace. A recent study in India by Kronos showed that 82 percent of workers were either already using the devices or would feel comfortable doing so.

However, as wearable technology continues to flood the consumer market, the N.A. workplace isn’t ready yet.

Wearable Technology and business The concern is that if these wearables do actually become as popular as their manufacturers would hope, then they will be added to the workplace environment whether or not businesses are actually ready to deal with them. As has been the case with increasingly commonplace BYOD (bring your own device) programs and policies, it has been suggested that companies are going to have to start to think about what would be involved in BYOW (bring your own wearables) programs, as well.

There is a great deal to consider when it comes to the entry of wearable devices into the workplace, as there will be network and security issues causing concerns, and other issues that step above and beyond what has already been seen as workers bring smartphones and tablets to work – simply because of the nature of wearables.

That said, the ISACA international vice president, Rob Clyde, who is also the CEO of Adaptive Computing, released a statement about wearable technology, saying that “The Internet of Things is here, and following the holidays, we are likely to see a surge in wearable devices in the workplace.”

Wearable technology is presenting an opportunity for employee tracking

Lucy | August 5, 2014

As though swipe cards and security cameras weren’t enough, some say that wearables will be the next step.

As wearable technology starts to flood the tech market in virtually every shape and form, from Google Glass to Samsung Gear and Pebble, there are now predictions being released to suggest that these devices will soon be used as the next level of employee tracking.

These wearable devices will give employers the chance to track workers in an effort to improve worker productivity.

At the same time, it is very likely that this will be quite a controversial use for wearable technology, as this will make some workers feel that this level of tracking will cut into their personal privacy. That said, it cannot be denied that it does present employers with an opportunity to gain a better understanding of how things are done and how they can be improved so that the job will be completed with greater efficiency.

Wearable technology could allow data to be collected in order to give employees the ability to work smarter.

wearable technology - employee tracking According to a workplace management company called Kronos, it is already creating products for retailers and manufacturers that have communication and tracking capabilities and that will be available for use before the close of 2014. When combined with this type of solution, wearables could come with the potential for considerable productivity and safety benefits, according to the Kronos vice president of global product management, Bill Bartow.

He provided the example that nurses could wear a sensor on their clothing that detects the individual’s heart rate. This would allow them to become more aware of their physical state so that long shifts would lead to a lower level of fatigue. Another example is in the case of manufacturing companies, which frequently ban the use of cell phones on the job. Instead, wristbands or smartwatches that include GPS or geolocation technology could be worn by the employees in order to remind them to return back to the job when they have over-extended their smoke breaks, said Bartow.

He went on to explain that with this type of wearable technology, “The manager could know their location and communicate with them through that device through an alert or a notification and say: ‘We need you immediately.’” In this, it seems that the tech will likely be far more popular among the employers than the employees.