When a revolutionary new gadget comes out, many technology enthusiasts are going to be standing in line to purchase one, just because they want to be the first ones to get their hands on it. However, as an entrepreneur, you understand that there are more important criteria when it comes to investing in new technology, the primary one being how it can help your business.
Google Glass is an exciting new piece of technology that seems entertaining at first until you start to realize how your business may benefit from the early version and what it may be capable of doing in the future. That is why we are going to break down a number of ways that Google Glass could help you right away, and might help you in the near future.
It can help you improve your office workflow
Google Glass may change the way that you receive and send out information. This has the potential of radically improving your office workflow. How many minutes of the day do you waste looking for information? You can eliminate the need to search with Google Glass. The reason behind it is the already existing Google Now, software that is going to learn about you when you actively wear your Google Glass. This real-time context-based notification system for iOS and Android devices is going to ensure that the information is there when you need it.
It will also help people send texts and emails faster. Those using the early versions of Google Glass admit that they find themselves dictating many of their texts instead of having to type it out like the rest of us. While the longer messages are still prone to misinterpretation, Google Glass has a robust voice recognition system for shorter text messages and emails.
Rethink virtual meetings
Better virtual meetings may drastically change the way that small businesses communicate with clients and vendors. The current virtual meeting software does not allow the user to get up and walk around, it does not allow them to look up information on the fly, and Google Glass also makes it straightforward to record conversations right away. It may even be possible for someone to walk into an empty conference room, put on their Google Glass, and see each virtual participant presented as a video projection. Talk about futuristic!
It may completely change transactions
In a previous post, we have discussed the way that mobile payments are changing transactions. However, with Google Glass we may be able to multiply those changes by 10. Playground – a Toronto-based creative agency – provides us with an amazing, yet not implausible video (shown below) that completely revolutionizes how customers pay for goods and go through the checkout process.
It is growing fast
Because Google Glass is still relatively new, you can expect a number of different third-party workflow enhancements soon. One of the more exciting ones is the Evernote app that will integrate directly into Evernote’s standalone image editor. Evernote is a core productivity tool for most businesses, almost every platform supports it and you can integrate Evernote into almost every service or productivity app. Just imagine how easy it may be to use Glass’s built-in 5-megapixel camera to keep track of to-do-lists or notes and expenses when you can important them into Evernote.
Other long-term benefits
These are long-term benefits that business owners will not benefit from right away, but they are certainly interesting to think about:
- Quality checks – Consider that workers may have Google Glass that records non-stop, this may make it easy for management to find out where mistakes are made and what they may need to do in order to avoid these mistakes in the future.
- Safety checks – When it comes to Google Glass in the workplace, this may prove to be a critical application. Places such as restaurants and construction sites have strict hygiene and safety regulations. It is possible to utilize the footage from Google Glass for audit purposes if necessary.
- Efficiency checks – It is important for employees to be as efficient as possible. You may be able to determine that what is currently taking six steps to do is also possible in three.
The changes with wearable technology
While it is important to remember that Google Glass is going to have a number of different benefits, it is going to test the workplace as all new technologies do. It is up to you to define what Google Glass means for your business and your employees. When it comes to wearable technology, it is important to establish some decorum. It is going to be important to establish what places are considered public and which are considered private. Another important factor to keep in mind is that you want to safeguard personal information.
Remember that when mobile phones became popular, very few people were aware of their web capabilities. Sure, the option to take phone calls on the go was impressive, but that was the concept where most people remained. Today, our smartphones are an integral part of how businesses communicate with one another and complete transactions. If we look at how Google Glass’ current functions can impact small businesses, it would appear that it will be a transformational change from business as usual.
