Time to get smart

Just as competition in wearables is rapidly mounting, so too are the compelling business-use cases. Offering unprecedented empowerment in countless highly context-specific scenarios, wearables are rivalling tablets, even smartphones, among both white and blue-collar workforces. Running the gamut from retail managers to field technicians, medical professionals to chief executives, these increasingly popular, personal devices are moving from the wrists of gadget-hungry early adopters to those with a business mind.

With time being money, it’s easy to understand why instant, intelligent communications are such a precious commodity. There’s value in stockroom staff texting floor associates what’s there, HR training new hires by way of live video conferencing or airline attendants immediately translating their passenger’s request. Smartwatches at work become intimate hubs where anything is accessible and quite literally, at arm’s length. Discreet vibrations as notification, information at a glance and immediate access to data – not forgetting that data is more secure on the wrist – all herald great possibilities for more fast-paced, agile business.

In addition to better communication and intelligence at hand, a smartwatch improves both productivity and efficiency. Knowing an employee’s location or distance travelled with GPS, evaluating customer interaction via voice or video, or sending schemas to technicians to help finish the job, can significantly impact performance and streamline operations. How many times have we waited while a clerk runs to check a price or been bemused while an agent puts us on hold to confer with HQ? With thanks to smartwatches, unproductive and inefficient practices such as these are now becoming a thing of the past.

It’s well known that wearables can benefit health, but what of their advantages in terms of workplace safety? Particularly in the case of a standalone smartwatch, untethered and hands-free connectivity assures personal safety, with no smartphone or radio to be pulled from a pocket. Incoming calls, important notifications – virtually any task-specific data – can be viewed comfortably, with hands kept precisely where they’re needed. Unobtrusive, secure, lightweight and comfortable, a smartwatch is a genius accessory for warehouse workers, miners, drivers and construction crews.

The Neptune Pine is a standalone, full-feature smartwatch that’s built for business with a user friendly 2.4-inch touchscreen, voice-call and video-conferencing capabilities, and full QWERTY keyboard – all on the robust Android Jelly Bean platform. To learn more, visit getneptune.com/enterprise or e-mail enterprise@getneptune.com