The NHL gets it. In its recent All Star game, the hockey league decided to put wearable technologies to good use: tracking player movements and compiling a lot of real-time data. In addition to placing chips in each puck, the NHL agreed to allow Sportvision to insert similar technologies in players' jerseys. Those tracking devices were linked to 10 infrared cameras strategically placed around the arena, giving broadcasters — and the league — access to a tremendous amount of information.
The commentators knew the exact location of each player and every puck on the rink at any point in time during the game, plus the speed at which they were travelling. For those who’ve ever watched hockey live, that’s a noteworthy accomplishment. It could revolutionize the viewing experience by giving fans real-time access to statistics such as the time of puck possession for each player. Combined with advanced video technologies (think GoPro), the sport could take on more of a live-action video game effect, inspiring new followers and boosting television ratings.
From the NHL’s perspective, the technology is expected to help teams attract a greater audience which would also lead to much larger television contracts in the future. While that aspect might not seem exciting to those who don’t follow hockey, this high-profile experiment should be of great interest to those in the channel.
A Real Business Case?
While interesting and sometimes intriguing, wearable technologies have a perception problem in the IT space. Many of the most popular applications have been more consumer-oriented, with special emphasis on their recreational use, but the term is used rather ambiguously. Wearable technologies include almost anything a person can attach to his or her body; from the calculator watches introduced back in the early ’80s to the FitBit Tracker, Google Glass and a host of similar devices offered today.
Sure, they’re fun to play around with and collect some interesting data, but is there a real commercial use for these 21st century tools? Though interesting experiments pop up from time to time, as in the NHL All-Star Game, that question still hasn’t been answered emphatically for many solution providers. The channel remains in the very early adoption stage with wearable technologies as well as its rather complementary cohort, the Internet of Things (IoT). The combined solution opportunities could get quite interesting.
Big Names Can Peak Curiosity and Demand
While few have incorporated wearables into their portfolios so far, it may have more to do more with the technologies limited exposure. That factor may change significantly in 2015 with a number of innovations in variety of areas, such as:
Headware While Google Glass drew a fair amount of curiosity, many critics complained it was somewhat awkward and limited in its uses. Expect more useful features in version 2.0, which industry insiders claim will come sometime later this year. LG recently announced a virtual reality connector for its smart phones and Epson introduced its own Android-based glasses in 2014. While the average person might still not wear any of these on the street, uses within the corporate environment are sure to increase in 2015. Imagine drive-through workers using them to track and fill orders, or how they could assist help desk personnel in their daily operations. How about the training aspects, allowing new hires to walk through various tasks as their more experienced counterparts would. With the right features, the solution options should increase exponentially.
Smart Watches With Motorola, LG, Samsung, Apple and many more manufacturers fueling this segment, the business applications are ramping up quickly. The smaller form factor is attractive, but their current capabilities are similar if not less than a typical smartphone. That may work well in situations where employees can’t or prefer not to carry larger devices.
Lumbar Belts More function than form, some offer back support for those required to perform repetitive lifting in their jobs as well as tracking and activity information gathering capabilities. These devices could have many applications for warehouse and delivery companies, from health and fitness monitoring to workplace redesign testing.
Small-Form Geo Cameras Does your client place its employees in high risk situations with little or no supervision? How about utility line workers, police, fire or window washers? These location-enabled cameras can be attached to lapels, hard hats or other equipment to record their actions and limit liability. They allow dispatchers and managers to quickly identify problems and send help right away when an emergency occurs.
Of course, those are just a few of the growing list of wearable technology options available today. For early adopting IT firms and their business customers, it’s a good time to start exploring the potential uses for these devices, as well as the valued solutions that they could spawn.
Wearable technologies are sure to boost the bottom lines of a number of organizations in 2015, so why shouldn’t your company be on that list? For those looking to assess the market potential for innovations like these, CompTIA offers a number of research studies such as the recently released 2015 IT Industry Outlook. Premier members can access additional resources like the new Quick Start Guide to Business Agility (free to Premier Members), which provides step-by-step directions IT firms can use to add new technologies, shift business models or simply expand future opportunities.
Even if wearable technologies aren’t the right fit for your business, there’s no better time to explore the best options for you and your customers. With increased competition and the continued commoditization of many tech offerings, those who don’t invest and plan for the future may not be around to enjoy it.
Brian Sherman is principal consultant at Tech Success Communications, an IT channel business development and marketing firm. He served previously as chief editor at Business Solutions magazine and senior director of industry alliances with Autotask. Contact Brian at Bsherman@techsuccesscommunications.com
