Over the last few months, there has been an abundance of speculation surrounding not just the newer version of Google Glass, but also its future in general. While the industry does now understand that Google Glass is not dead, what is becoming increasingly clearer is that the former understanding of Google Glass has changed. As the news continues to come through, suggestions continue to mount that Glass is anything but a consumer oriented device anymore. Instead, mounting reports continually confirm that Glass is going to be an enterprise-based solution going forward. The most recent of those reports suggesting that it will be a much more rugged and even a water resistant device.
Well, the Wall Street journal published a report today which further confirms the enterprise approach Google are taking with Glass. In the report, WSJ reveal sources “familiar with the situation” confirm that Glass is already being distributed to businesses within sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing and energy. What’s more, the same sources reveal that the design, although similar in some respects, does away with the wireframe and instead adopts a hinge and button system which allows the attaching of Glass to different Glasses. Not to mention, the report expects the launch of the next glass to be much quieter than the previous edition. With instead of a big launch, developers will be handed out the product with a view to implementing their business-focused software and then the product making its way to businesses directly. With the sources stating that it could be in use by businesses on a wide scale by the Fall.
One of the reasons provided for the emphasis on enterprise for this generation of Glass, is the suggestion that the consumer market was not completely ready for the product. For instance, as privacy issues were raised with the first generation, Google expects such issues to be less problematic in the workplace. That said, the report does offer consumers some hope, as it does state that Google is indeed working on a consumer version as well. Although, they also state the consumer version is at least a year away from making it to market.