As indespensible as your cell phone is to your business, just think how much more convenient it would be to have that technology right on your wrist, all the time. Smart watches will make keeping up and staying in touch easier than ever before.
As we progress through the digital age, various modes of technology play an increasingly vital
role in our everyday lives and our places of business. One of the more recent moves forward has come with the increasing popularity of wearable devices. Moving forward into into evermore integrated modes of technology, one ought to consider the potential benefits these devices may provide in the workplace.
Task Management.
The ability of staying within time constraints, meeting deadlines, keeping track of meetings, and all of the general aspects of maintaining a schedule will be greatly improved with the implementation of a smart watch. With everything one would need to stay on task whilst never being further than your wrist, its hard not to think of the practical usage of such a device.
Real Time Updates.
Gone are the days of missing an important email or notification and responding in a timely manner, having left your smartphone on its charger, or just simply not noticing it in your pocket. Though the desire for immediate notifications may seem paramount for emergency workers, police officers, and doctors, the value of such devices and their benefits can easily be appreciated within a small business or workplace. With all of the notifications you need at your wrist, you will never have to miss a potential opportunity for advancement or collaboration.
Marketing. The value and importance of these devices are not just for those wearing them, but also to those who may be located within their immediate area. The potential to integrate the GPS capabilities of a potential customers smart watch, with real time notifications, can greatly improve foot traffic to some brick and mortar storefront businesses. With the ability to alert any passersby of a promotion, sale, or special, in realtime, the implications of widespread use are of great importance to small business owners.
Travel. With a wide array of potential applications and their uses, traveling may become less of an arduous endeavor. Imagine having access to your airport boarding pass, turn by turn navigation, updates and notifications, as well as the potential to use as a means for payments, all securely wrapped around your wrist. With this in mind, it is clear that the use of a smart watch may greatly lift the burden and headache of frequent travel.
Note Taking and Dictation. With a microphone enabled smart watch, note taking and dictation may become more routine and commonplace. With the ability to easily and effortlessly keep track of vital information within a meeting or conference call, the implications on productivity and retention of information make the use of a smart watch a viable consideration for increasing productivity. With ease of use and its inherently accessible concept, smart watches may provide a streamlined and seamless layer of integration that may set a new benchmark for productivity.
Summary
Though access to a smart watch or similar device may increase productivity and lead to better overall performance within the workplace, it is important to note the potential security concerns these devices may impose. With information easily recorded, dictated, and transferred, there may be an increase in the risk of a potential leak of sensitive information. When considering whether a new device may be a benefit to an individual or the workplace, it is important to consider how that device may impact the security of information being processed and spread throughout the workplace. It is also important to note the effect it may have on the security of the individual wearing said device. If sensitive data such as bank account information, GPS location, as well as the potential metadata that may processed at any given point, there are some considerations to be had.
Though the mainstream usage of smart watches has yet to have been seen, it still is worth consideration in the workplace and the IT work world in general when exploring new means of increasing an individual’s productivity within the workplace. With the recent release of more consumer oriented smart watches, like the LG G or the Samsung Gear, as well as the much anticipated upcoming release of the Apple Watch, the growth of the market and its mainstream use is beginning to look imminent. How we as consumers and business owners may use these devices in our day-to-day lives has yet to have been explored fully, but the possibilities these devices present may impact our lives and businesses greatly. There may even come a time when we wonder how we ever were able to function with out them.
