What Impact Will Wearable Technology Have On The Workplace
Wearable technology is becoming more prevalent in home and work settings. With this increase in usage, companies need to consider the impact wearable will have on business operations.
How does wearable tech affect the workplace nowadays?
What are the current trends, and what types of devices are the most prevalent? What are the positives and negatives for businesses?
Let’s dive in and see.
The Cloud Makes It All Possible
It’s impossible to talk about the effects of wearable tech without first talking about the cloud. Cloud computing is an essential element of business productivity,
Cloud computing solutions have reasonable prices, providing even the smallest businesses access to software, networks and databases they would have been unable to afford earlier.
This allows them to compete with even the largest corporations. Another important detail about cloud services is that they are scalable, allowing businesses to purchase more bandwidth, storage and user capacity as the company grows.
All businesses should have a strong understanding of the cloud and familiarity with basic cloud services because they will need cloud integration for their wearable.
Without it, wearable tech is just a fun gadget.
Current Trends
As with all major technological movements, it is necessary to keep up with current trends. Doing so allows businesses to know what’s out there and make smart decisions on what to look into using at their company.
Major trends in 2019 have been an increased use of wearable tech, an increase of affordability for these devices and an increase in the amount of data these devices can store and process, among other changes.
Because many wearables are new, only now is a large trade-in and secondhand market beginning to form around these devices.
The pace of trade-ins has exploded since 2018. It will be important for businesses to ensure the devices they use are up to date to ensure the best performance, security, and features.
Wearable Tech Devices
There are plenty of devices we can classify as “wearable tech” that have come out in the last decade.
- Smartwatches are one of the most well-known, utilitarian pieces of wearable tech and their use is spreading.
- Smart rings are also emerging and growing in popularity among businesspeople because they offer a less overt way to check notifications than even smartwatches allow.
Even devices that are better suited to personal use can be beneficial to businesses, such as fitness trackers and medical wearables.
This is because more companies are investing in their employees’ health and well-being, so seeing employees use these devices is a sign that workers are taking a vested interest in their health.
Benefits For Businesses
Wearable tech offers undeniable benefits for companies that incorporate these devices into their business operations.
- They offer a better way for employees to remain in contact at all times, regardless of physical location.
- Team messaging becomes even easier and more convenient when you put wearable tech into the equation.
- Retail workers have easy access to pricing or specs without having to go back to their computer.
- Employees can reach management or tech support easier without having to leave their workstation.
- Wearable cameras help IT crews and technicians share information with other members of their crew to assist them with resolving issues.
- Some wearable can even watch for fatigue signs in drivers and alert them when it’s time to stop.
- Noice canceling headphones can help employees focus better by blocking out noise and allowing them to work uninterrupted.
Possible Negative Effects
As with all major technological changes, there is the potential for negative impacts. The biggest one is that wearables provide a new point of entry to hacking attempts.
As more and more devices become interconnected the more possibilities there are for security breaches. This is important for sensitive information, such as an individual’s private medical data or a customer’s payment information.
Another issue is the misuse of such tech: It is important to remember that although multi-tasking and constant connectivity can be a good thing, it can also cause the quality of work to suffer because people aren’t focusing their attention on their tasks.
What The Future Holds
Wearable tech will continue to impact businesses, their employees and their customers. However, it is impossible to predict with certainty what the future will hold.
We can make educated guesses, but that’s all they will ever be. Some technologies that will become indispensable are unimaginable now.
Smart businesses look at the trends and try to stay ahead of the curve.
These trends are not the same for every industry, which is why it is important for each company to see where the usage of wearable tech is going in their own industry.
For example, wearable tech will be valuable and impactful in industries like healthcare.
Wearable tech will continue to have a strong impact on the workplace, we can only surmise the full extent. Businesses should remain informed about wearable tech options to determine if putting these devices to their regular operations would be beneficial.
Whether your company uses these devices in your own operations, wearable tech will impact the business world at large.
About the Author –
Ashley Wilson is a digital nomad writing about business and tech. She has been known to reference Harry Potter quotes in casual conversation and enjoys baking homemade treats for her husband and their two felines, Lady and Gaga. You can get in touch with Ashley via Twitter.
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