Wearables will work in business
Paul Hennin puts his B2B specs on to look at the latest consumer gadgets
Despite being a dedicated B2B techie, I always find the January buzz around the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas grabs my attention.
Beyond the dorky never-seen-again robotic inventions and a treasure trove of electronic gadgets (part of what I love), the show's also occasionally a useful indicator of things to come in the business world.
Bendy TVs, 3D printers, and even some of the keynotes were all in the headlines this year, not necessarily for all the right reasons. However, wearable technology was the undisputed king of CES.
It seems to me that the revolution is on its way -- but where the industry disagrees is when and how exactly it will arrive.
In the near term, the obvious beneficiary looks to be the fitness industry, with wearable tech already stealing a march with runners.
In future, wearable tech I believe has exciting prospects in medical and healthcare, as well as for retailers and other services providers to change the way they engage with and market to customers.
Wearables like Google Glass and iWatch are set to dominate the consumer segment. Mobile is no longer just about smartphones and tablets.
If we think BYOD is a challenge, what will this mean?
The last few years have seen businesses face a smart device and mobile app influx and many are still finding ways to cope with the related security, capacity and performance demands.
When consumerisation of IT starts meaning access via watches, glasses and jewellery, network availability, security and performance will need some serious oomph.
The offerings, services, and policies the industry has built around BYOD, however, stand us in good stead. We have become more focused on how to enable users to be more produtive, so this time the industry doesn't have to be caught unawares.
Take the network. Whatever wearables and connected devices win, we can count on needing data and access fast.
If there is wi-fi available for connected glasses, you're going to want to use it. The volume of data and capacity will need addressing. Gigabit wi-fi innovations are going some way towards this, but will need to be matched with ever smarter control and security approaches.
In the last three years many have learned that mobile will continue to evolve and adapt. We've already seen more rapid cultural and technical changes than in previous computing shifts.
The opportunities for businesses everywhere are exciting, in my opinion.
I've seen connected devices in retail, healthcare and manufacturing changing the way people work.
They can deliver better, more productive user experiences and add to the business bottom line. The reality when it comes to infrastructure, however, could be a little more daunting but this time, there will be fewer organisations in denial.
And there's certainly no time for it. The channel has already embraced the consumerisation of IT and the move to the mobile enterprise. It's time now, I believe, to get ready for the next wave.
Paul Hennin is marketing director at Aerohive Networks