Google Glass returns with Enterprise Edition for workers

Google Glass Enterprise Edition
Google Glass is back, this time to help factory workers. Image: X.

On Tuesday, Alphabet’s X division announced Google Glass Enterprise Edition as a new version of the infamous augmented reality glasses by Google. This time, they will cater to the needs of workers across different industries, where companies have already been trying it out with different software.

The “moonshot factory” had seemingly given up on the concept of Glass for good a couple of years ago, but the tech giant commissioned a small group of people to refine the product as a solution for factory workers, doctors, executives, and more.

In the announcement post, Alphabet insists as well on welcoming software firms who might want to partner up and develop tools and suites that run on Glass. The device itself has been upgraded for both enhanced capacity and performance.

Google Glass increases efficiency rates all across the board

The pitch for the Enterprise Edition of Google Glass is simple: reduce or eliminate unnecessary waste of times and resources by creating the ultimate workplace experience designed for efficiency.

The wearable peripherals are just like any other pair of glasses, and at the same time, they are nothing like any other pair of glasses. You wear them just the same, and can even mount them on top of your current glasses or safety goggles, but the functional possibilities are virtually endless.

Google has refined the Glass experience from apps and augmented reality mess to streamlined, dedicated tools conceived with labor environments and demanding job conditions in mind. The idea is to alleviate the workload but literally and metaphorically, providing digital solutions in workers’ line of sight.

The hardware now has an 8 MP camera instead of the 5 the Explorer Edition had, better battery life, a faster Wi-Fi chip and processor, and the addition of a traditional red light that turns on when the Glass is recording.

Google is already working with GE, DHL, and more

Google has made strategic moves already to position Glass as the essential enterprise solution of the not-so-far future. Industry giants like General Electric (GE) and DHL are already using it.

Software makers are also jumping on board with a new category of augmented products that meet the demands of different types of workers. Some of them, like Ubimax, are bringing entire suites of assisted reality solutions to the table.

Alphabet’s X division disputes claims about companies having Google Glass under trial agreements, and says that it is fully ready to enter mass production of wearable devices. It has also invited potential partners to reach out to either give the glasses a spin or develop augmented tools for workers together.

Source: Google