The arrival of wearables, from glasses to smart clothing, will bring great opportunities to the industrial and corporate setting – but they will come with challenges, so companies need to come to the party prepared!
Wearables are already creating a real buzz in the consumer arena, and they are about to break through into enterprise. It is clear that wearable technology is the next big thing in the world of technology. Market research company Gartner has predicted that the global wearable computing market could be worth £6.5 billion by 2016.
With so many companies adopting Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) policies, it is inevitable that wearables will make their way into the workplace, out in the field and onto factory floors fast. Why? Because they promise the killer application – hands free – that will increase productivity and have the potential to drive revenue by showing very real quantifiable results.
But, and there is a very big ‘but’. With these golden opportunities come challenges. To be part of the wearable revolution companies need to have improved regulation and control in place both in terms of network bandwidth and security. Unfortunately companies seem to have hidden under the stairs when it comes to wearable technology. A recent Freedom of Information Act request by Ipswitch has revealed that 85 percent of UK government departments have no plan in place for wearable technology entering the network. Additionally, the survey discovered that the networks of most government departments would not be able to cope with an onslaught of devices.
Many wearable devices currently need to be paired with an existing device, such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop, rather than replacing it. This results in a host of additional devices on the network, overloading it and slowing network performance. Many companies will need to look at expanding or upgrading their network to provide the bandwidth for all these new devices.
Secondly, wearable devices pose security risks that could lead to potentially huge data leaks of a company’s critical data. Google Glass, for example, enables the wearer to record everything they can see. Many smart watches have cameras. Sensitive data can very quickly be recorded, uploaded to the cloud, outside the company’s secure network. This is a major threat to businesses, especially those dealing with very sensitive information, such as law firms.
A properly managed and carefully and regularly monitored network is key to prevent network bandwidth issues and protect the company from security risks, data leaks, hacking and viruses. It is vital businesses put in a wearables policy and best practice so staff are clear on where wearables fit into the company agenda – and at the same time provide both the necessary systems and training. IT departments need to be ready now – wearables are set to become a standard business tool.
Businesses must realise that workers can and will provide their own technology to solve a problem and get the job done if the IT department can’t or won’t deliver an intuitive, easy to use solution. IT departments have been warned. They know the wearable wave is coming, and they need to prepare now so that the business can reap the potentially enormous benefits wearables offer.
