All posts by Paul Stradling

News

Featured Article : Macs in Business

1st June 2022 Paul Stradling

With Macs getting a huge boost in popularity over the pandemic and a new report showing Mac shipments growing almost twice as fast as the PC market as a whole in 2021, we look at why more businesses are embracing Macs, and also what challenges Macs can bring.

The Pandemic And Digital Transformation

Digital transformation in many businesses was dramatically accelerated by the need to work remotely, which has now become hybrid working. With this came a surge of device-buying. It appeared to be the case that Apple products became more popular than ever with business and individuals. For example, Apple finished 2020 with its most profitable quarter ever, and Apple’s sales of laptops and phones rose to a record-breaking £65bn in the first quarter of 2021 (revenue up 54 per cent on the same period of 2020). Although this was driven partly by the effects of having to stay at and work from home, plus a surge in demand in China, IDC reported that Macs reached 23 per cent share in US enterprises, showing that businesses are now more likely to be choosing Macs.

Other Drivers

That said, it should be noted that some of the other drivers for the growth in Mac sales last year included the launch of the Apple iPhone 12, the publicity about and the launch of the M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pro models (October 2021), and surge in demand in China at the end of 2021.

Old Perceptions and Growth

The business computer market has always been (and still is) dominated by PCs (almost half are PCs). Operating system figures confirm the gulf between PCs and macs with OS shares for desktop and laptop computers, showing Windows as the most used at 75 per cent, followed by Apple’s macOS at 15 per cent. In the smartphone world, Android leads with 72 per cent market share, and Apple’s iOS has 28 per cent.

Older perceptions of the computer market depict Apple Macs as being more suited to (and more the domain of) those in the artistic and creative world, e.g. creative professionals, graphic designers, app developers, web developers, video editors, and audio engineers. This may be because of the more intuitive OS of macs, the aesthetic appeal of the hardware, and Apple’s marketing.

Strengths For Businesses

Macs offer a number of strengths to businesses (compared to PCs). These include:

– Assisting with improved productivity and job satisfaction. For example, a Forrester report (2021) showed that employees using Macs were 20 per cent more likely to stay with their companies.

– Macs are generally thought to offer a more positive user experience than PCs due to their intuitive OS, and perhaps an enhanced feeling of security and the feeling that Macs are more of a luxury/high-end tool (feeling more valued by the company by being given Macs to use).

– Despite having a reputation for being much more expensive, Macs have a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) when taking into account factors like increased productivity, fewer support calls, and greater job satisfaction.

– The build quality of Macs is high, and they are reliable and durable. This can save repair and business disruption costs.

– Macs are seamlessly compatible with other Apple devices used by employees, e.g. Apple phones. This can help with productivity and minimise disruptions and problems.

– Macs tend to be more secure than PCs because the macOS is based on Unix, which is challenging to exploit, given Apple has full control over the hardware and software. This means that Apple can very quickly implement new security features and patches. Better security is especially important to businesses today and can help with compliance and protect against costly and potentially disastrous breaches.

Challenges

Macs, however, also have challenges that businesses need to consider. These include:

– A degree of uncertainty about when security updates will be released, thereby making it more difficult to plan. Also, responsibility for when security updates are installed is in the hands of the user (rather than the admin) and while this sounds convenient, workers can forget or put off updates. This could have an impact on security and productivity. Also, unsaved work could be destroyed by an update, thereby wasting resources.

– Uncertainty about how long updates for different version of the OS will be produced, and uncertainty about what will be supported (apps and services) by older versions.

– The added costs and complexity of businesses having to manage Macs and PCs together.

– The incompatibility of proprietary business software with MacOS.

– Complexity with licenses – a Windows license application might not apply to the Mac version.

– The added cost of needing an Apple technician to repair or upgrade a Mac.

– Fewer hardware configuration options compared to PCs.

– Many apps and tools for Macs (antivirus) may not be as robust as their PC counterparts, though of course this could be mooted either way.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

More Macs in business may bring benefits such as security (arguably) and a better user experience but it can mean that IT admins will have a different workload. It also means the need to re-evaluate traditional IT operations and figure out ways to accommodate new devices (no more ‘one size-fits all’), re-consider usability, productivity and device management strategies, and find ways to effectively plan for and deal with the potential weaknesses of Macs, e.g. making sure updates happen and patches are installed by users. Some admins find that reducing the versions of MacOS that are in place can be one way of making support easier and reducing potential security risks. That said, although having Macs and PCs together can increase IT management complexity, the Mac benefits of security, productivity, lower TCO, and happier users (who stay with the company) do appear to be valued by more and more businesses.

News

Tech Insight : Mobile Calls Better Than Ever

1st June 2022 Paul Stradling

A recent ‘Mobile Phone Trends’ report has highlighted how the quality and reliability of mobile phone calls in the UK are improving. So, what’s helping to bring about this change and why is it so important now?

The Figures

Some of the key figures highlighted in the report (by testing company RootMetrics) that show an improvement in mobile phone call quality include:

– Only 1per cent of calls dropping during UK-wide testing in 2H 2021. RootMetrics hails this as an excellent result when compared to its 2 per cent benchmark.

– Dropped calls are rare, especially in major cities (well below 1 per cent).

– Blocked call rates fell from over 4 per cent in 2017 to 1.7 per cent in 2021

– Call setup times (the time it takes to establish a virtual circuit across a telecoms network) have improved from 4.9 seconds in 2017 to 2.2 seconds in 2021.

Why The Improvements?

Some of the main reasons for the improvement in mobile phone calls in recent years include:

– Most UK mobile phone calls (85 per cent) are now transmitted using the more reliable VoLTE. Launched by all four major UK mobile operators in 2015, VoLTE is a kind of VoIP that uses 4G LTE technology to transmit calls over the data network instead of using the older, less reliable circuit-switched connections. As well a clearer calls and fewer blocked and dropped calls, VoLTE enables the transition from Wi-Fi to 4G LTE during calls, plus the simultaneous usage of the internet while making a phone call. VoLTE also uses a Quality of Service (QoS) strategy to improve its calls.

– The use of fibre networks for digital voice services rather than networks of physical lines producing higher quality voice calls, lower volumes of scam calls, and lowering cost, complexity, and energy consumption.

– The introduction of 4G and now 5G.

– Wider, improved networks and a shift to small-cell networks (dense networks of small, high-capacity cells).

– Improved analytics for mobile operators, helping to channel investment for greatest value.

– Software improvements for operators, e.g. software-defined networking (SDN) and network-functions virtualisation (NFV).

– Improvements to smart phones.

Challenges

There are still, of course, challenges to overcome to keep mobile phone call reliability levels going in the right direction. These include, for example:

– Power outages in some areas stopping IP phones from making calls, e.g. to the emergency services. However, all mobile operators claim to give the highest priority to emergency service calls, and modern smartphones now roam to the operator with the best coverage to make emergency calls.

– Coverage challenges.

Why So Important?

The reliability of mobile phones is particularly important now because :

– Most of us use mobile phones for more aspects of work life and there is now a greater reliance on apps, e.g. WhatsApp, and collaborative working and group comms platforms, e.g. Zoom, and Slack.

– The big analogue switch-off in 2025, replacing the public switched telephone network (PSTN) with a digital, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network will make us more reliant than ever on our mobile phones for calls. Levels of quality and reliability, therefore, will need to be high.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The big analogue switch-off is only 3 years down the line and most people are already hugely reliant on mobile phones for many aspects of work, social interaction via social media, plus many useful apps. Voice calls, however, remain a particularly important primary function of mobile phones and improvements such as operators using VoLTE have helped improve the quality and reliability of mobile phone calls in recent years. Coverage challenges in some more remote areas is still an issue but as the RootMetrics report showed, reliability, which is highly valued by mobile phone users, is better than ever.

News

Tech News : Zoom Updates For Collaboration (And Fun)

1st June 2022 Paul Stradling

Zoom has announced that its new apps, updates, and features will improve collaboration and creativity, thereby increasing engagement and interaction among attendees of hybrid-working meetings.

Collaborate Mode

Zoom says that its new ‘Collaborate Mode’ will improve engagement by elevating the screen-sharing model to be interactive, with participants seeing the host’s app view (similar to a shared screen view), along with an invite so they can preview the app experience before joining. Zoom says this mode will enable hosts to start collaborative experiences for any app during all-hands meetings, brainstorming sessions, and more.

Examples

Collaborative Mode works across all browsers, and examples of Collaborate Mode for apps (using apps together within Zoom) include:

– Using Miro‘s online whiteboard in Zoom so meeting participants can launch a collaborative workspace for everyone to interact, co-create, and capture ideas in real time.

– Having fun and breaking the ice in meetings by using Playco’s #AskAway social game designed to help co-workers get to know one another in the minutes before meetings.

– Using MURAL’s digital whiteboard and collaboration features to help teams innovate.

– Using the CODA app in Zoom for taking a vote, prioritising Q&A topics, and uncovering how the team are feeling about a meeting.

– Getting the team involved in fun activities by using Funtivity by Hermis, which also works well for new staff-member onboarding, plus customer advice.

Breakout Rooms

The other new addition to Zoom to improve collaboration and involvement is Breakout Rooms. This is where meeting participants can break into smaller groups for focused discussions or tight-knit collaboration. With Breakout Rooms, the meeting host can split participants into separate groups automatically or manually, allow participants to select and enter Breakout Rooms as they please, and switch between rooms at any time.

Breakout Room Incorporating Zoom Apps

Zoom says that Breakout Rooms can also incorporate Zoom Apps to help make sessions more engaging, productive, and fun. Examples include:

– Using Welo’s visual workspace to recreate collaborative physical spaces and create a more human experience.

– Simplifying the whole process of Breakout Rooms by using twine for Zoom, an all-in-one Breakout Room management app.

– Increasing Breakout Room engagement by using Funtivity by Hermis.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The pandemic launched a major battle between collaborative working platforms such as Zoom, Teams and Slack, all of which received a rapid and vast increase in user numbers. Now, in the post-pandemic environment where hybrid working has become popular, the battle is on to keep adding value, retaining customers, and tempting users to switch. Allowing customers to collaboratively use a range of engaging, fun, and teamwork-enhancing apps within Zoom, along with the addition of Breakout Rooms allows Zoom to add value, complete with Teams (which also has breakout rooms and allows 3rd party apps), and hopefully retain its huge post-pandemic customer base. Also, by allowing apps like Welo within Zoom (which features a digital house with users represented by an avatars and able to go to individual rooms for a private meeting), Zoom can compete with platforms like Meta (Facebook) and show itself to be forward-thinking and in touch with the new direction of comms platforms.

News

Security Stop-Press : QuickBooks Customers Targeted By Phishing Attacks

1st June 2022 Paul Stradling

Tax software vendor Intuit has warned that QuickBooks customers are being targeted with phishing attacks that are impersonating the company and are designed to lure targets with fake account suspension warnings. The phishing emails ask targets to click on a “Complete Verification” button which re-directs them to a phishing site designed to harvest personal information or infect their system with malware. The advice to QuickBooks customers is not to click any embedded links or open attachments, and to delete the messages from the inbox.

News

Sustainability : Carbon Capture For Ships

25th May 2022 Paul Stradling

With container ships being bigger greenhouse gas producers that aeroplanes, London-based company ‘Seabound’ has developed technology that reduces up to 95 per cent of CO2 emissions per ship.

The Problem

The shipping industry is responsible for producing around 940 million tonnes of CO2 annually, which equates to at least 2.5 per cent of the world’s total CO2 emissions. This is the reason why the International Maritime Organisation is introducing new regulations from 2023 and setting a target to cut these emissions by 50 per cent by 2050.

Seabound’s Carbon Capture System

Seabound, founded and led by Alisha Fredriksson and Roujia Wen, has developed a prototype system that uses lime to capture the CO2 emissions from ships. The system uses an onboard device filled with porous, calcium oxide pebbles to trap emissions from a ship’s exhaust. These bind with the CO2 to form calcium carbonate (limestone). The Captured CO2 in the limestone can then be unloaded when the ship docks and sold for utilisation or can undergo a process to separate the carbon using heat. In this case, the calcium oxide could be re-used and the carbon sold for use or sequestration (the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide).

Not The Only One

Although Seabound have made the news recently, they are not the only company working on different types of tech solutions to reduce the CO2 emissions of ships. Others include:

– UK company, Smart Green Shipping (SGS) which has developed a wind-assist power solution (based on America’s Cup wing sails). This system uses ‘smart’ vertical aerofoils mounted on ships which are paired with an analysis system that accurately calculates the available wind to any ship, with the initial goal of reducing fuel consumption by at least a fifth.

– In August 2020, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding announced that it had started work on developing a carbon-capture system for ships that could reduce their carbon emissions by up to 90 per cent and produce raw materials for new fuels to be produced.

– Dutch company Value Maritime has developed the ‘Filtree System’ for small and medium-sized ships based on new unique technology which, in addition to sulphur, also filters ultra-fine particulates and CO2 from the air. The ‘plug and play’ system tackles the problems of ships polluting the air and acidifying seawater.

What Does This Mean For Your Organisation?

The shipping industry produces a large amount of CO2 and other pollutants. With strict targets to meet and regulations from the International Maritime Organisation to comply with, it is important that practical and affordable tech solutions are found and rolled out soon. At the moment, the complexity of the problem and the expense and time needed in R&D mean that many of the different proposed solutions are still at the prototype stage. On the plus side, several seem workable and as technologies continue to evolve and combine and industries around are all now focusing on tackling the same issue, reducing greenhouse gasses, other ideas and solutions may also come to the fore, thereby increasing the likelihood of developing systems that will work well and meet the targets.

News

Featured Article : What’s Ahead for WhatsApp?

25th May 2022 Paul Stradling

Following the launch of the new business-focused WhatsApp Cloud API, we take a look at where Facebook’s (i.e. Meta) popular secure chat app is heading.

Cloud API

Last week, Facebook’s WhatsApp announced that it was opening WhatsApp to all businesses and developers with a new cloud-based API service. WhatsApp Cloud API, on the WhatsApp Business Platform, offers businesses secure cloud hosting services provided by Meta and the new API (application programming interface) allows apps to communicate with each other. This will mean that businesses can, for example, build-in a customised customer service chat feature to their website that uses a customised version of WhatsApp (built directly on top of WhatsApp), accessible via a dashboard, for the conversation. Previously, businesses had been set up on the non-cloud version, including Vodafone, BMW and KLM.

Easier, Faster, and Cheaper For Businesses

As well as making it much easier for businesses to set up a customised customer chat service using the trusted WhatsApp platform, Meta says that WhatsApp Cloud API will increase the speed at which businesses users can respond to their customers, and will eliminate costly server expenses for its partners, giving instant access to new features. Meta says that WhatsApp Cloud API will mean that business wanting to work with one of its 100+ partners or access the service directly, will be able to cut down the start-up time from months to minutes by using this new service.

Free Hosting, Pay Per Message

Although the hosting service is free, businesses will be charged on a per message basis, thereby giving Meta an opportunity to monetise WhatsApp for business users.

More Advanced Features To Come

WhatsApp also says that as the use of its Cloud-based API grows it will be adding more advanced features to help businesses run their operations beyond just a few people and further amplify their brand online. These advanced features will include the ability to manage chats across up to 10 devices to enable the handling of multiple chats, and a new customisable WhatsApp click-to-chat link to help businesses attract customers across their online presence. WhatsApp says that these additional, optional features will be offered for a fee in the WhatsApp Business app as part of a new premium service (full details yet to be announced).

Other Business-Focused Services

Other business-focused services recently announced by Meta also include:

– A ‘Recurring Notifications’ service (available on Messenger and also available for businesses on Instagram by autumn) to help businesses re-engage people in the right messaging thread, choose the topics that people can opt-in to, and how often customers can hear from the business.

– Communities on WhatsApp which will enable users to bring together separate groups (e.g., schools, local clubs, and non-profit organisations, and businesses) under one umbrella with a structure.

– Reactions – a set of six different emojis (a red heart, thumbs up, laughter, a sad face, a surprised face/wow, and a “thanks” emoji) that can be used in busy group chats, e.g. as part of ‘Communities’

– Improved voice messaging services on WhatsApp.

Business Communications & Integrating Facebook’s Apps

WhatsApp (Meta) says that times have changed and that customers need instant information and, according to its own 2020 survey, 75 per cent of adults “want to communicate with a business the same way they do with friends and family through messaging”. WhatsApp says that messaging and conversations are now, therefore, the primary way that people share information with each other and that not setting up an effective chat channel with customers could see businesses missing out on sales.

It is, perhaps, not surprising that WhatsApp/Meta would say this because it owns Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram, and has long planned to find ways to consolidate and leverage the power of them by integrating them and making them interoperable, and by monetising aspects of them through tailoring offerings to businesses.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

Most businesses are familiar with WhatsApp and may already use WhatsApp’s free services and the WhatsApp Cloud API may be something to tempt them into WhatsApp Business. WhatsApp/Meta has been expanding its businesses services, finding ways to tie its existing messaging platforms and hosting together to create new sources of revenue other than advertising. WhatsApp also needs keep finding new ways to add value and compete with competitors that grew over the lockdown period, e.g. Snapchat, Slack, and other business collaborative working and comms platforms. WhatsApp’s owner, Meta, is also re-positioning itself for the future with its ‘metaverse’ concept, escaping from past scandals, criticism, and the threat of closer regulation and finally trying to find ways to make money from and leverage the unique synergies and possibilities of combining and augmenting the messaging services and platforms that it owns. For businesses, Cloud API may represent a fast and uncomplicated way to set up a secure and scalable direct messaging channel (when the new promised features are added) with customers that could boost sales in a changing environment where fast messaging responses are now expected by customers. For WhatsApp/Meta, it is another step towards expanding its business customer base and the associated revenue stream.

News

Tech News : New Microsoft Update Enables ‘Reactions’ In Outlook

25th May 2022 Paul Stradling

With the next update, as part of Microsoft’s 365 roadmap, Outlook users will soon be able to ‘react’ to Outlook emails without sending or receiving incremental emails.

Like Emojis

The Microsoft ‘Reactions’ feature will enable Outlook users to choose a thumbs up, laugh, heart, celebrate, or shed a tear reaction to emails. As well as applying their own ‘sentiment’, users will soon be able to see the reaction of others to emails in Outlook. With the preview date scheduled for July and release for August, it appears that Mac users will be the first to be able to try the feature.

Competing With Social Media Platforms

Being able to react to emails in this way is similar to how social media users have long been able to react to posts. Social media platforms such as Facebook’s WhatsApp and Snapchat have both recently announced the addition of reactions features with more emojis, and Microsoft’s reactions feature appears to be a way to compete with them. For example, on 5 May, Facebook announced the beginning of the rollout of its own ‘reactions feature’ – i.e. six different emojis. Also, back in January, Snapchat announced a major update (for iOS) which included Bitmoji Reactions (to allow for more expression), and Poll Stickers to enable emoji-powered polls in Snaps and Stories to survey friends.

Teams Emojis Expanded

Back in January, Microsoft announced that it was increasing the number of emojis available to use as Reactions in Microsoft Teams to 800 emojis to allow users to express themselves when applying reaction to chat messages. The rollout was put back to March 2022.

Why Are Emojis So Popular?

Some of the reasons why emojis have become so popular with web users, particularly with social media users and others involved in chats, is because they are a universal language, they save time (not always having to think of a verbal reply but still responding appropriately), there are now many of them (they offer flexibility), they can be fun, and they can quickly and clearly indicate popular opinion in responses.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The introduction of ‘reactions’ to Outlook emails is both a competitive move by Microsoft (e.g. with WhatsApp, Facebook, Snapchat, and others who have introduced a similar feature recently) and simply to meet user needs and expectations. For example, many users involved in quickly evolving chats on collaborative working platforms and social media now value a fast, easy way to respond without having to waste time on an unnecessary, new written response. Using expanded reactions Outlook feels as though it may be a natural progression for emails and could save businesses valuable time.

News

Tech News: New Spy-Spotting App From MI5

25th May 2022 Paul Stradling

The UK government’s MI5-run ‘Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure’ has launched a new app to help people spot approaches from foreign spies and organised criminals seeking sensitive information.

Really? How Big Is The Problem?

According to MI5, it spotted 10,000 UK nationals across society being approached last year via fake social media profiles, e.g. on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Who Are The Targets?

Although the new ‘Think Before You Link’ app can be downloaded by anybody, it is really aimed at people working in sensitive industries, those working in government (e.g. civil servants) plus those in high-tech business and in academia.

How?

According to the CPNI, hostile actors and criminals usually contact the target by posing as an interested ‘employer’ or recruitment consultant presenting a unique business opportunity. They then ask for further details about the target’s background, try to “sell” the business opportunity, insisting on discussing it privately, away from the initial website.

The CPNI says that this kind of engagement is an attempt to understand the level of access the individual has to sensitive information by drawing it out from them and then build a longer-term relationship. The idea is, of course, that the target remains unaware of the real purpose of the approach and, in some instances, they believe they are providing information to develop a legitimate business opportunity.

The Signs

The CPNI says that some of the signs of an approach by hostile actors include offers that are ‘too good to be true’, a lack of any visible or checkable company information available online, the use of flattery, attempts to introduce urgency, selling an idea/opportunity as being scarce/ one-off or exclusive, and the imbalance of a disproportionate focus on the target’s company, rather than validating the target as a candidate.

How Can The App Stop This From Happening?

The ‘Think Before You Link’ app, designed with the help of behavioural scientists, uses the following features to help protect the users from approaches by spies and scammers:

– Interactive learning to provide the user with the knowledge of how to spot malicious approaches. This includes tailored content and case studies with more relevance to the user’s sector and role.

– A social media profile reviewer which includes a built-in reverse image search to identify profile pictures which may be re-used from other sites and includes self-answer questions.

– A reporting mechanism to help the user to report a profile that might be malicious.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

With threats such as economic espionage, worries about how states such as China and Russia using social media to influence opinion, a proliferation of online scams (e.g. recent ones using the situation in Ukraine), and news of Pegasus spyware at 10 Downing Street, fears are running high. This app may be a useful way to educate, alert and remind those in sensitive professions of today’s threats as well as providing a fast and handy way for reporting which could help provide a more accurate picture of the type and range of security threats and help enable faster and better responses. Although most of us are unlikely to be targeted by spies, at least this app may stop and flag-up some of the many security compromises via fake social media profiles. It may also provide a way for the government to gather evidence that may be used to put more pressure on the major social media companies to do more to tackle the problem of fake profiles.

News

Tech Insight : Augmented Vision From ‘Smart’ Contact Lenses?

25th May 2022 Paul Stradling

In this insight, we look at the development, applications, and issues relating to new ‘smart eye’ wearables such as smart glasses and contact lenses.

Smart Contact Lenses

Smart contact lenses, such as those in development by health and technology company Mojo, use a tiny micro-LED display the size of a grain of sand to display information to the wearer (augmented reality). The lenses, which are still in development, also include smart sensors powered by solid-state batteries built into a scleral lens that can correct the wearer’s vision.

The company notes on its blog that there is now a broad acceptance of wearable technology, but other wearables have limitations, e.g. for those engaged in sport and workouts. For example, Mojo’s research found that 68 per cent of respondents find it often difficult to check a device during their workout. Mojo’s smart contact lenses may, therefore, have an advantage over smart watches and fitness bands because users don’t have to interrupt their activity to check them, plus they can provide better access to data during performance. Although Mojo’s current focus appears to be using the lenses for sport, they could clearly have many other applications.

Other companies are also developing their own versions of smart contact lenses. For example, as far back as 2016, Samsung patented smart lenses with built-in cameras capable of recording video and taking pictures. Sony is also known to have been experimenting with smart contact lenses for many years.

UK company Specsavers notes on its website that smart contact lenses could help manage the five most common eye conditions in the future: cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and retinal detachment. The company says that smart contact lenses already offer a non-invasive way to monitor glucose and capture spontaneous changes in the eyes to help doctors treat glaucoma.

Smart Glasses

There have been many developments in the smart glasses market in recent years.

Google ‘Glass’ is the tech giant’s smart glasses product. The ‘Glass’ that smart glasses incorporates cameras and provide the wearer with AR displays and information in their peripheral vision area. The Enterprise Edition glasses can be used in a wide variety of industries to give workers hands-free access to information while working and to enable them to share what they are seeing (via the camera). This can enable triaging and getting help and advice (real-time collaboration) leading to faster problem solving and improved productivity. The ‘Glass’ smart glasses have been used in includes healthcare, warehouse order picking, supply chain management and logistics. Google’s ‘Meet on Glass’ also allows meeting participants to experience a first-person view of the Glass wearer’s perspective and collaborate with the video meeting in real time.

American company Vuzix has developed smart AR binocular glasses that can enable business owners, operators, and workers access to ‘the metaverse’. Vuzix’s hands-free and voice-activated glasses (which also incorporate HD stereo cameras) can be used to access to AR tools in healthcare (surgeons while operating), warehousing (helping with stocking, order picking and real-time decision-making support), field service, and other industries. The company also says that its glasses can link up with collaborative working and communications platforms. Back in 2019, Vuzix also developed smart glasses that incorporated facial recognition algorithms from Dubai-based company NNTC that could be used by security and law enforcement for covert surveillance.

Meta / Facebook Ray-Ban ‘Stories’ smart sunglasses incorporate dual integrated 5MP cameras enabling the wearer to take photos and up to 30-second videos using a capture button or hands-free voice commands. Meta says that the glasses also allow the wearer to share their “adventures” and listen to music or take phone calls.

Challenges

There are, however, several challenges to the expansion and further development of wearables like smart contact lenses and glasses. These challenges include:

– Compliance with privacy laws such as GDPR. Glasses that take pictures and videos of people without their consent, along with how those pictures and videos are stored and shared are a matter for privacy regulations.

– The nanotechnology involved in smart contact lenses, along with how to link the different technologies together successfully is a significant challenge, which is one of the reasons why these types of smart wearables have taken years to develop.

– Getting approval for the use of smart optics in certain settings, such as in healthcare, is something that may take time in different countries.

– Marketing what are essentially new, high-price technical products such as smart glasses is a challenge in itself.

What Does This Mean For Your Business?

The use of smart optics in many different industries has already proven itself to improve effectiveness and productivity, and to allow better real-time problem-solving and communication, all of which can add value and improve competitiveness for businesses. Smart contact lenses are a really interesting and exciting development in hands-free AR assistance for workers, athletes, and even as a way to monitor eye health and help catch potentially serious eye conditions early on. Also, the fact that they are not outwardly visible (like glasses) may make them particularly well-suited to professions where surveillance is required. There are, however, challenges both technical and legal (privacy) to overcome before the further development and wider use of these types of wearables can start to enter the mainstream with greater regulation expected along the way.