Jiff: Employees ready for wearables – but employers need to overcome reticence

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A new piece of research from enterprise health platform provider Jiff argues that employees are ready for wearable devices in the workplace.

The report, which collates data from 14 large employers spanning almost two years of continuous data collection and almost 250,000 employees, shows that 31% were already offering wearable devices for tracking physical activity to their employees, with the number expected to go up to 54% by 2018. To put this in perspective, more employers surveyed...

By James Bourne, 24 November 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Enterprise, Workplace.

Wearables are secure enough for the enterprise – but only with the right policies in place

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It’s no longer a matter of “if” but “when” for mass adoption of wearables in the enterprise. Whilst they haven’t been mass adopted by consumers, they have a huge opportunity in the enterprise, and the number of organisations already integrating wearable technology into their networks has nearly doubled since 2014 – increasing from 13% to 24%.

Although smartwatches have similar capabilities to...

By Paul Jarrett, 15 November 2016, 1 comment. Categories: Data & Analytics, Enterprise, Security, Workplace.

Two examples of how enterprise wearables are starting to make their mark

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ABI Research has argued in its latest note that wearables in the manufacturing and field services verticals represent one quarter of devices shipped to end users in 2016, while video collaboration software developer Pristine says that more than half of its customers have moved from pilot programs to full-scale production deployments with its smart glasses range.

The forecast from ABI Research notes that shipments of enterprise wearable will increase threefold to top 35 million units in...

By Wearable Tech, 24 October 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Enterprise, Eyewear, Workplace.

Adopting fitness trackers in businesses saves $1,000 per employee

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Fitness trackers have the ability to save $1000 per employee based on the results of a study conducted by Springbuk. 

The study aimed to calculate the actual return investment of equipping staff with fitness trackers as part of their health and wellness programs, the findings offer a glimpse into how the wearables can not only improve the health of employees...

By Ryan Daws, 19 October 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Enterprise, Health Monitoring, Health & Wellness, Research, Workplace.

This company has just been named the enterprise wearable device of the year

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US-based Vuzix-owned next generation M300 Smart Glasses has been awarded the Enterprise Wearable Device of the Year by Compass Intelligence, a market analytics and consulting firm that specializes in metrics-driven market intelligence, advisory, marketing support, and insights for the mobile, IoT, and high-tech industries.

The Vuzix M300 is designed to address customer feedback from more than two years of productive use of the earlier M100 Smart Glasses. Its advanced ergonomic design and...

By Wearable Tech, 13 October 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Enterprise, Workplace.

Enterprise wearable scanner shipments to hit almost 22 million by 2021

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Wearable devices were pictured predominantly as fitness trackers by many among us; but now these gadgets have moved out of the gym and entered into offices in the form of wearable scanners. The adoption of these gadgets has seen a tremendous growth all these years and is expected to soar more in the future.

A recently published report titled ‘Enterprise Wearable Scanner and Reader Technologies’, from ABI Research illustrates the rapid expansion of the worldwide wearable...

By Wearable Tech, 27 September 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Enterprise, IoT, Workplace.

How augmented reality and wearables can ‘re-skill’ the workforce

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Headlines shouting “Brexit” have dominated the news of late and many analysts have characterized the vote as an “angry outcry” by working class citizens who’ve lost ground financially due to globalisation.

While that interpretation is debatable, it seems indisputable that globalisation has displaced a significant number of workers in many first-world countries. Workers in third-world countries have aspirations to skilled jobs, but may lack access to...

By Dr. Fridolin Wild, 13 July 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Ecosystems, Enterprise, Virtual Reality, Workplace.

Adoption of smart glasses technology in the enterprise steadily building

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A survey conducted by the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA), in collaboration with Vital Enterprises, has revealed that adoption of smart glasses could benefit enterprise environments.

Where enterprises in the aerospace, automotive, life sciences and manufacturing sectors are the earliest adopters of the smart glasses technology, the survey shows that adoption of the technology is steadily building.

42% of the enterprises surveyed stated that they will adopt the...

By Wearable Tech, 23 June 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Enterprise, Eyewear, Virtual Reality, Workplace.

Why insurers are moving towards wearable tech and big data

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Quadrant Information Services, a technology supplier to property and casualty carriers, has argued that the insurance industry is being transformed by big data analysis and miniaturised data collection devices with the phenomenon impacting both health insurance and auto insurance.

A recent study by research group Strategy Meets Action revealed that though only three percent of health insurers are currently using wearable devices to help set individual rates, approximately 22% of health...

By Wearable Tech, 08 June 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Case Studies, Data & Analytics, Workplace.

Field force 2.0: The rise of the connected worker

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At this very moment, I am sitting here in an aeroplane suffering from technical issues which are leaving the maintenance crew scratching their heads. I can’t help but think, if there were an easy way for the maintenance staff to have quick access to troubleshooting documents, notes, or the ability to quickly call an expert, I may have already taken off on my flight home.

Today more than ever, our field service professionals are tasked with understanding, diagnosing, and repairing,...

By AJ Bubb, 16 May 2016, 1 comment. Categories: Workplace.

Hyundai is building an Iron Man suit

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Whilst most superheroes have some form of unrealistic power, Iron Man uses advanced technology which could be possible one day. That day has just become a Hulk-sized step closer after Hyundai has announced its work on a suit which it likens to my favourite comic book hero. 

Hyundai isn't the first to work on an exoskeleton, many companies have built...

By Ryan Daws, 13 May 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Fitness, Workplace.

Wearables to be primary source of security breaches, say IT professionals

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Spiceworks has released a study which argues a majority of IT professionals (53%) hold wearables are the foremost source of security breaches among IoT devices connected to their network.

Companies connecting wearables to their network have seen a nearly 100% increase, rising from 13% to 24% since Spiceworks released its 2014 IoT report. Video equipment (50%), physical security (46%) and appliances (45%) are the other sources liable to attack.

Only around 33% of organisations are busy...

By Wearable Tech, 29 April 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Privacy, Security, Workplace.

Centrify survey reveals how unsecured wearables are moving into the enterprise

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More than two thirds (69%) of wearable device owners say they do not use login credentials, while over half (56%) say they use their devices to access business apps, according to new data released by Centrify.

The study, which polled 100 attendees at the RSA Conference, found that while a major cause of concern remains the fact that though wearable owners do not use login credentials and get ready access to corporate data, 42% of respondents say that identity theft is their foremost...

By Wearable Tech, 03 March 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Privacy, Security, Workplace.

Why wearable tech promises to deliver big opportunities for business

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While initial focus has been on the use of wearable devices by individuals in their personal lives, there's likely to be a much larger opportunity for businesses.

According to a recent report from research firm MarketsandMarkets, the overall wearable technology market is forecast to grow to $31.3 billion (£21.6bn) by 2020. Although this market is primarily driven by consumers, the wearable...

By Ricky Cooper, 10 February 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Workplace.

Microsoft will reinvigorate the smart glasses market

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A new study by market research specialists Juniper Research points towards over 12 million consumer smart glasses shipping in 2020, with the market reinvigorated from 2017 by Microsoft's impressive HoloLens wearable. 

HoloLens uses Augmented Reality (AR) to manipulate the world around the wearer. In demonstrations, we've seen the HoloLens being used for lifestyle reasons,...

By Ryan Daws, 02 February 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Eyewear, Research, Virtual Reality, Workplace.

Enterprise applications to drive growth for augmented reality and wearable devices

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Though augmented reality (AR) and wearable devices have caused a stir in consumer technology, a new report from Beecham Research argues that enterprise applications will be the major driver of growth in these segments.

Manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and retail have been identified as some of the most dynamic markets, where AR offers novel, hands-free interaction along with more control and access to information.

The report details market activity and consolidation and lists recent...

By Wearable Tech, 21 January 2016, 0 comments. Categories: Applications, Virtual Reality, Workplace.

Honeywell and Intel develop prototype wearable to improve industrial workplace safety

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Honeywell and Intel have developed a prototype wearable showcased at Intel's Internet of Things (IoT) Insights Day which aims to boost industrial workplace safety and productivity.

Known as the Honeywell Connected Worker solution, the product features a Mobile Hub that collects data from a number of sensors on a worker to determine toxic gas exposure, breathing, heart rate, posture and motion.

Honeywell Industrial Safety President Carl Johnson said: “This collaboration...

By Wearable Tech, 04 November 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Workplace.

How increasing wearable use in the workplace raises IT concerns

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A survey by IT software company Ipswitch, polling 288 American IT professionals, provides insight on challenges and the extent of wearable penetration.

Consumer adoption of wearables is on the rise and the nature of the technology and associated benefits necessitates use throughout the day, leading to concerns for IT professionals at the workplace. Close to 53% of the respondents reported employees with wearables utilising the company Wi-Fi.

As a result, 36% spoke of decreased network...

By Wearable Tech, 15 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Smartwatches, Workplace.

How wearables in the workplace create new security risks

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Imagine you are the chief security officer for a large enterprise organisation and you suddenly find a small TV crew working its way through your offices, panning a video camera back and forth, recording who knows what: product schedules on white boards, financial reports lying about on desks, an org chart pinned to a wall, customer data displayed on screens—all sorts of confidential information. There would be an audio track, as well, recording hallway conversations...

By Paula Skokowski, 08 October 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Privacy, Regulation, Security, Workplace.

Law firm examines risks and rewards with deploying wearable tech

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With the very real prospect of smartwatches and smart eyewear entering the workplace in the coming years, the potential productivity gains need to be taken with a pinch of salt in terms of protecting corporate data.

That much is self-evident; but Kate Bischoff, attorney at Zelle Hofmann Voelbel & Mason LLP, argues that wearables “require mindful adoption” from employers and that the risks, in a legal context are “real.”

By James Bourne, 28 September 2015, 0 comments. Categories: Devices, Enterprise, Privacy, Security, Workplace.