Google Glass returns with its eyes on the prize, the enterprise
Google Glass has returned to the fore after a few years in exile as owner Alphabet repositions the technology into industries and sectors it can add value to with a renewed enterprise drive.
Google Glass Enterprise
Just a year ago the device looked shelved as the company called time on the Glass social media accounts, it is back with a device called the Google Glass Enterprise Edition, which as the name telegraphs is a device to augment and aid with select business pursuits.
The device comes with a better camera, better battery, faster processors and wifi, and a red light that transparently shows when video is being recorded (putting some privacy concerns at ease).
Wired, which broke a feature on the ‘startling second act’ quotes project lead Jay Kothari as saying: “This isn't an experiment. It was an experiment three years ago. Now we are in full-on production with our customers and with our partners.”
The roll-out of Glass 2.0 will be measured as the company looks to ensure hardware and software are fully prepped to augment and improve enterprise partners in industries as varied as retail to manufacturing.
In the past, the company has admitted it exposed the device into a forum for criticism too early. At SXSW 2015, Google innovation chief, Astro Teller, said: “The thing that we did not do well was that we allowed, and sometimes even encouraged too much attention to the program, we did things which encouraged people to think of this as a finished product.”
Two years later, it may well be the case that Google has a finished product, enterprise partners will no doubt provide feedback on the programme in the months to come.