Google Glass Sees Second Life Through Enterprise Edition
Google’s wearable face technology is seeing the light – through factory and industrial work.
In a Wired feature, the polarizing Google Glass is described as being given a second life through factory use and everyday task management. The Enterprise Edition of Glass is the version being used at these new workplaces—and no, the employees aren’t using Glass to check Twitter or browse Yelp for cute little cafés near their company. Glass is being used as a tool, just like a hammer and nail.
Many thought Google had given up on Glass for good, relegated to the back corner of a warehouse in California and doomed to hear the echoes of tech writers’ insults forever. Business Insider even ran an article last year about what it was like to be the “rare breed” that still used Glass.
Companies have been testing the new Enterprise Edition of Glass and loving what they see. Volkswagen, Boeing and GE were early adopters of the new edition and have reported increases in productivity and quality since adopting the once-lambasted wearable tech. Pilot projects that introduced Glass to workers are changing into plans for broad use.
Major upgrades for the Enterprise Edition include a better camera (now eight megapixels compared to the original five), a longer battery life, faster wifi and a light that indicates when you are recording video. The actual design has been tweaked too, so now the electronics of Glass can be attached to safety goggles and even prescription eyewear. Essentially these are all improvements driven by widespread use in the industrial sector.
Companies began buying up Glass technology and installing custom software to enable employees to work more efficiently. Google noticed and began to see if there was a possibility for the old tech to be rebooted. As of today you can officially check out the new Enterprise Edition online and take a look at the new functionalities.
Wearable tech may not be a fashion statement or an everyday accessory like a smartphone, but they will be in use. A recent report by Forrester Research predicts that by 2025 nearly 14.4 million workers will use smart glasses technology.
