IT Leaders Give Smart Watches the Time of Day

IT Leaders Give Smart Watches the Time of Day

By Karen A. Frenkel

The top five productivity drivers for company use of wearable computing and augmented reality technologies are: Improve current business processes: 48%, Gain a competitive advantage: 46%, Create new business processes: 38%, Provide levels of safety for employees: 28%, Improve or extend engagement with customers: 21%

Asked what types of wearable devices their company plans to use in the next six months, respondents answered as follows: Smart watches: 81%, Heads-up displays/smart glasses: 54%, Fitness trackers: 28%

A majority of respondents have security concerns regarding smart watches. Here are the top three: Privacy concerns for employees who are wearing devices: 50%, Theft of wearable devices for employees: 46%, Privacy concerns for customers wearing devices: 40%

Companies have not yet created policies for wearable computing and augmented reality technologies. 49% said they plan to create new management and security policies. Another 49% said they plan to manage and secure wearables the way they handle smartphone and tablet security.

IT decision-makers are in charge of wearable technology solutions. 59% of IT executives compared to 33% of executive management decide whether to purchase wearables.

“The leap from Bluetooth-enabled accessory to intelligent, Internet-connected companion means more than adding cellular and Wi-Fi radios (though these are important as well). Software and application creation, combined with a higher level operating system, must take place for wearables to deliver real business value,” the report states.

52% of respondents said they will build custom applications internally, 41% will buy off-the-shelf applications, and 39% will contract outside developers.

With the rise of IoT, smart watches may be placed on the back burner as enterprises put effort into managing sensors. But smart watches present another potential avenue for hackers to access larger pools of enterprise data, and security remains a top concern.