Google Glass: For business or consumers?

Developers have expressed delight at the possibilities of Google Glass, but what business implications could there be when the headset goes on sale?

At an event in New York City yesterday, developers and Google were brought together to discuss the prototype. While the wearable technology has been advertized to consumers as a way to record video, shoot images and check your social media accounts completely hands-free, many operators have been on the road pitching the product to companies.

Speaking to Quartz, the team says that some of the "most enthusiastic" responses to Glass have come from manufacturers, teachers, medical companies, and hospitals -- which suggests that companies may be interested in buying the device in order to develop applications for their employees to use.

For example, if employers are wearing Glass, inventories can be automatically recorded, making sure that stock doesn't run out and is not stolen -- reducing compliance costs. In addition, surgeons could record their operations to either ask colleagues for advice or for legal purposes, and financial companies could use the headset to keep track of stock fluctuations.

Boston-based Fidelity Investments has already developed an app which monitors financial markets.

While Google Glass is still in the early stages and isn't due for commercial release until later this year, the technology does have the potential to cater for business-specific purposes. At the moment, only roughly 10,000 people have access to the headset -- but this hasn't stopped firms from considering how the headset could improve future operations, whether to keep check on employee activity or give staff access to a tool which makes them more efficient at work.

Via: Quartz

Image credit: Google

This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com