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Samsung wearables find a home in business

Consumers are driving enterprise adoption of wearable smart devices, with Samsung's newest solutions inspiring innovation across verticals.


Johannesburg, 22 Nov 2016
Paulo Ferreira, Director: Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa.
Paulo Ferreira, Director: Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa.

Wearable uptake is set to surge in the enterprise environment, as consumers drive uptake and businesses find new uses for them in the workplace, says Paulo Ferreira, Director: Enterprise Mobility at Samsung South Africa.

"Wearables are a relatively new category that piggybacked off the success of the smartphone and tablet. They have a lot of consumer appeal and are starting to make inroads into the enterprise space. As with the smartphone and the tablet, wearables were initially directed at consumers, and with the natural progression of technology, the devices became smarter and more appropriate for enterprise use," he says.

Ferreira predicts that enterprise adoption of wearable devices will follow the same curve taken by smartphones and tablets in the past - only faster. "Smartphones and tablets paved the way for wearables by increasing acceptance of smart mobile devices in the enterprise," he says.

Ferreira notes: "The typical consumer globally has three connected devices on them at any given time today. By 2020, the expectation is that this will rise to seven connected devices on them at any point in time. In addition to the laptop, tablet and phone, these devices will likely include wearables such as smart watches, connected clothing, and accessories such as smart glasses. Once consumers use them regularly, they will continue using them in the work environment. Enterprise adoption is the logical next step."

Samsung customers are starting to embrace wearables such as the Gear smart watch, Gear 360 camera and Gear VR headset, says Ferreira. "Businesses are quickly finding applications for these devices in their own verticals. For example, the 360 camera and its companion device, the VR headset, allow estate agents to give prospective clients 360-degree virtual reality tours of property for sale, without the cost and complexity of hiring a professional production crew. Events managers are starting to stream live 360-degree footage of events to allow viewers to immerse themselves in the experience."

Samsung's Gear smart watches are already in use for communicating with staff who need to keep their hands free, or who must discreetly receive instructions while dealing with customers. Their NFC functionality is now being harnessed for stock tracking and secure access control. "And because enterprise applications are inherent in the companion device - the smartphone - the smart watch lends enterprise attributes from the smartphone. For example, you can accept or decline appointments, manage your calendar and check your mailbox on your wrist; and even launch predefined prompts and replies to respond instantly, even if you're in a meeting."

The field is wide open for innovation in the wearables space - both to improve productivity and to boost business, says Ferreira. "With each new category of product we launch, we always introduce our own software developer toolkits, which allow developers to integrate into our hardware and develop innovative smart applications. For example, a Samsung-BMW partnership allows customers equipped with a Gear smart watch and a dedicated companion app to lock and unlock the car, start the vehicle, and book a valet service off their wrist. This is just one example of innovation using the potential of wearables to enhance business."

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