Google's Android Wear's secret sauce: The cloud
Google on Tuesday outlined its developer preview for Android Wear with an aim to power smartwatches and other wearable devices. But the real secret sauce of Android Wear may be the ability to bridge multiple screens via its cloud infrastructure.
Google smartwatches
In a blog post, Android chief Sundar Pichai outlined Android Wear. The move was telegraphed at SXSW and CNET had reported the effort months before.
The positives for Android Wear are the following:
- An ecosystem that includes the likes of Intel, Samsung, Fossil, HTC, Motorola and LG to name a few. We'll put aside the fact that only Fossil knows how to make a fashionable watch at the moment.
- Health monitoring applications.
- A familiar Google Now approach to accessing information and voice requests started by "OK Google."
- A series of watches to launch this year.
- Google's approach revolves more around information delivery across multiple screens.
Sure, there are challenges, but Android Wear can work because Google isn't taken its eye off the core mission---to organize and deliver information.
Pichai noted:
Here’s to getting the most out of the many screens you use every day—whether in your car, in your pocket or, very soon, on your wrist.
In other words, Google's secret sauce to Android Wear is the same as it ever was---cloud computing and data delivery. Android Wear is almost a side show---just another screen accessing Google's services---but the search giant is likely to do fairly well.
Why?
Google will be able to connect your smartphone, tablet, PC and TV via Android. In that context, wearables are just part of the equation---another venue for Google Now.