Is IT Ready to Support Employees' Wearable Tech?
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Fashion Statement
21% of survey respondents already own a wearable device, and 70% said these technologies should be permitted at work. -
Budget Item
46% said their company should fund the purchase of wearable tech. -
Performance Expectations
About three-quarters said wearable tech should increase their efficiency and productivity at work, and 72% said it should help improve customer service. -
Workers Want Their Company to Buy
Smart watches: 72%, Fitness bands: 63%, Smart glasses: 51% -
Supplemental Purchase
76% of survey respondents said they do not view their wearable device as a replacement for existing tech. -
Finite Value
One-third of respondents who purchased a wearable device a year ago said they use it infrequently or not at all. -
Compromised Position
82% are worried that wearable tech could invade their privacy, and 86% are concerned that it could make them more vulnerable to security breaches. -
Isolated Concern
About 70% said wearable devices could make them too dependent on technology and/or hurt their ability to relate to other people. -
Irrelevance Factor
About one-half of respondents said they fear it could make their job unnecessary and/or "turn us into robots." -
An Honest Perspective
One-third of the people surveyed believe that wearable tech will simply "make everyone look ridiculous."
Are you prepared to provide more enterprise investment—and IT support—to boost wearable technology adoption among employees? That day may be coming soon, as many professionals feel their companies should pay for wearable gadgets such as smart watches and smart glasses, according to a recent survey from PwC. Why? Because survey respondents said these products should make them more productive and efficient, while providing a better level of customer service. There are, however, significant reservations among employees about wearable technology, especially with regard to privacy and security. And tech departments must ensure that the user experience is consistent as they switch from more traditional computing devices to wearable ones, especially when it comes to information management. "Inconsistency of data remains one of the top challenges for wearable technologies today," says Mike Pegler, principal of PwC US technology practice. "For wearables to be effective across both primary and secondary devices, there needs to be an established frequency of measurement. Enterprises must forge partnerships and develop IT and platform alliances to deliver seamless experiences on both the front end and back end of wearable implementations." More than 1,000 people took part in the research.