In January of this year, the 19th Annual Global CEO Survey showed that the majority of CEOs (77%) believe that advances in technology will transform their business over the next five years. A recent PwC technology article has expanded on this, explaining that businesses struggle to keep up with the acceleration of technology, despite more executives becoming knowledgeable about tech.

The article mentions five catalysts of change that contribute towards companies integrating technology in their industry:
• Becoming more comfortable with technology
• Globalisation of technology
• Advantage of technology in terms of competition
• Cheaper access to technology
• The multiplier effect of technology
In addition, PwC analysed technologies with the most impact, and made a list of eight essential technologies that are currently relevant:
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• 3D Printing
• Virtual Reality (VR)
• Augmented Reality (AR)
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Robots
• Drones
• Blockchain
Finally, the article claims that the technologies above will greatly affect certain aspects of business, including:
• Customer Engagement
• People and Talent
• Strategy
• Operations
• Compliance

It concludes by advising CEOs to strategically use technology to their company’s advantage as well as protecting their business against competitors using the technology. An important part of any business’s strategy should be developing their action plan for using new technology. Although it is difficult to get ahead of changes in technology, companies must adapt. Questions are also posed in order to aid organisations in their involvement with technology, such as whether or not they have a lasting innovation process.

A recent article by BusinessCloud.com suggested that implantable technology will replace wearable technology. Tech devices are expected to evolve along with the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), according to Chris Cooke, IT director of an app development company called Appitized. He is quoted to have said that he can visualise a time in the future when a device that is constantly accumulating data can be implanted into a person.

Cooke’s company developed the Pocket Midwife app, which has been downloaded by over 10,000 pregnant women and their partners, from over 100 different countries. Analytics data for usage including screen views is currently being used from a marketing and development point of view. The Healthcare apps are now being reviewed for their effectiveness by a new system.

Regarding healthcare apps, Cooke has also said that the potential for progressing is great. He said that “cancer costs the NHS £5 billion per year”, therefore data being collected by apps could be extremely beneficial. In addition, the article mentions that Google’s Verity Life Sciences recently partnered with GlaxoSmithKline in order to research the manufacture of miniature implants that can treat chronic diseases.

A press release by Compass Intelligence issued on September 6 2016 reveals the companies who have won the Compass Intelligence awards featuring the top companies in mobile, IoT, Wearables, Applications and Green Technology.
Congratulations go to all the companies involved, and especially to AREA Member Bosch who won the Industrial IoT Company of the Year.
Stephanie Atkinson, CEO & founder of Compass Intelligence, was quoted in the press release, as saying: “We are extremely excited to recognize those companies who excel among their peers and truly showcase the best in mobile and IoT”.  This announcement comes just ahead of the upcoming CTIA conference in Las Vegas.

In total there are 77 awards. These awards identify the ‘top companies’ in:
1. Mobile devices, software, and Wireless technology
2. Platforms
3. Internet of Things
4. Wearables
5. Green technology: reuse/recycling of devices
6. Connected products
7. Emerging solutions

There is a variety of awards within each section and each of the seven areas of awards were selected by the Compass Intelligence team.

The hotel industry is using Augmented Reality to gain competitive advantage according to a blog on the Samsung Insights website. There are a variety of practical uses of Augmented Reality in the hospitality industry, which is helping hotels to differentiate themselves. The article points to a variety of technology providers and hotels that are making use of Augmented Reality:
• Finding your way around points of interest – in a similar way to Google Maps, each wall has a map of the area and travellers can see information about local points of interest
• Augmented Reality can help highlight local amenities and help visitors find their way around
• Property Previews – augmented printed brochures are used in marketing to demonstrate their accommodation and amenities to potential guests
• Destinology and Best Western are using street view guides of the hotels so potential guests can more easily get a feel for the locality in which the hotel is based
• Room selection at point of booking may be done via Augmented Reality
• A useful features for travellers is using Augmented Reality to enable immediate translation of signs, menus and other written materials around the hotel
• Interactive entertainment is possible via Augmented Reality such as with Blippar’s app which enables trivia games accessed via coasters, amongst other uses
• Hotels are using Augmented Reality to envision interior décor prior to investing in new schemes

An article on Med Gadget makes use of an extensive research report released in May 2016 by DecisionDatabases.com covering market size, overview, growth trends and future prospects of the Augmented and Virtual Reality market. The analysis is based on type, technology, component and verticals, and includes information about driving forces, restrictions and opportunity in the ARVR industry.

Driving forces include:
• Increasing interest in head-mounted displays (HDMs) in the entertainment and gaming industries
• Affordable displays and other components in HDMs
Restrictions include:
• Poor resolution
• Related health concerns
• Energy consumption reduces performance quality of VR devices

Naturally, the market demand for ARVR products is likely to increase as advertising and marketing grow. Awareness of the public about this type of technology, integration of the technology, and industry adoption is also set to aid ARVR market growth. The software component of Augmented and Virtual Reality is expected to have the highest compound annual growth rate from 2016 to 2022.

In addition, due to the increasing consumer market in Eastern countries such as Japan, China, and South Korea, it is anticipated that the ARVR market in Asia Pacific will have a double-digit growth by 2022. The great amount of startups will also support this growth by expanding strategic partnerships and increasing foreign investment. The report included a number of key players in the industry, including:
• Vuzix Corporation
• Samsung Electronics Co.
• Oculus VR
• Magic Leap
• Microsoft Corporation
• Blippar Inc.
• Daqri LLC
• Meta Company
• Google Inc.

A recent article presented on psfk.com announced that Intel’s brand new chip module, Joule, is working as a catalyst in terms of automation. This tiny rectangular chip aims to grant developers the ability to bring dynamic computer vision into their own prototypes. Intel hopes that Joule will aid developers to make products not only more affordable, but accelerate the process and bring such products to the market more quickly.
Joule was unveiled at a demo at the Intel Developer Forum in San Fransisco. Joule operated volt verification on an aircraft segment, with the help of PivotHead’s smart glasses; the glasses themselves were simply a pair of industrial safety glasses.
It is said that Joule has no need for wires, a Bluetooth connection or Wi-Fi to evaluate and compute data, neither does it need a smartphone app, all that’s required is a screen. Intel’s chip handles all processing inside, emitting consistent power, even when connectivity is low.
Kits will be available to purchase on sites such as Newegg, and sales of Joule are expected to be in more than 100 countries before the end of 2016. There will be a choice of two kits, details of which are available in the article. Joule’s primary use will be in a manufacturing and development setting.

An article from the Medical Device and Diagnostic Industry website explains how digital health solutions in the form of wearables are currently being explored by a wide range of branches in the healthcare industry.
Specifically devices worn on the body that collect and transmit biometric data. The development of such products is now happening at a faster rate due to increasing competition, firm investment, and profitable returns.

Key points from developers’ discussion on collaboration include:
• Medical wearables developers who excel at collaboration are most efficient
• The pipeline leverages expertise from diverse supply chain partners e.g. specialists in data analytics, cloud computing, mobile apps, sensors, clinical research, physiology, and other medical fields
• Select trusted partners with experience
• Product development cycles can be quicker if suppliers share experiences
• Cross-functional teams can discuss core functionality, desired end user experience and aesthetics

Key points concerning quality, safety, and risk management are outlined such as prioritising quality standards and regulatory compliance from the start of product development to reduce cost and time; additionally, collaborating with suppliers who are ISO 13485 certified.
Practical additional points are covered, such as scaling of prototypes, ability to scale quickly once commercialisation happens and the commitment to resolve key questions rapidly.
To conclude, due to the rapid evolution of wearable medical devices, course corrections and new perspectives will always be necessary. Original equipment manufacturers should partner with suppliers in order to stay ahead of the innovation curve and be more able to keep up with new developments in the industry.

An article by TechTarget explains that since Augmented Reality is no longer restricted to entertainment and gaming, AR applications will soon emerge in the enterprise. According to Tom Mainelli, an IDC analyst, over 50% of companies are already either testing AR devices or planning on using it in the future. Their numbers also show that global revenues for the ARVR market will increase by $156.8 billion from 2016 to 2020.

Productivity gains from Augmented Reality apps include:
• Identifying and removing temporary steel in shipbuilding
• Saving time
• Limiting errors made
• Hands-free operation

AR technology is also useful in retail, training, and education. Uses of AR in these industries include:
• Training systems for technicians and engineers
• Showing workers how to install or repair products
• Shopping catalogues that enable customers to view extra information using their smartphones
• Allowing customers to place virtual images of furniture in their homes
• Enabling customers to design projects and view the layout in a 360 video

Despite differences in industry, the AR strategy in enterprise is similar for all. Companies begin with smartphone devices and work their way up to wearable devices as it becomes mainstream. Scott Montgomerie, CEO and founder of AREA Member Scope AR, has also suggested that workers can take action from a wider range of data inputs if the Internet of Things (IoT) combines with AR in the future. You can see Scope AR’s member profile here.

Businessnewsdaily.com published an article recently on the ways in which wearable technology can be used within a working environment. With promises of improved employee safety monitoring, boosts in productivity and the encouragement of healthier lifestyles resulting in lesser healthcare costs, businesses are pursuing ways to fit wearable technology into workplace daily operations.
The article states that although wearable technology has been a fast growing sector in Augmented Reality, however we can’t say that we’re seeing a vast number of businesses using it within the workplace, with hesitance attributable to ROI. The result of such resistance sees businesses opting for ‘safer’ options, such as stronger network security, IoT and other technological advancements, first. Meanwhile, wearable technology is still going from strength to strength, according to a report on wearables from the International Data Corp: shipments of such devices are set to reach 101.9 million by the end of this year, a 29 percent rate of growth from 2015.
The article states that businesses that have already adopted wearable technology are seeing the following benefits:
• Streamlining operations and boosting productivity
• Monitoring employee activity and guiding them through potentially dangerous tasks
• Offering of fitness trackers in order to improve workers’ health, with the potential to make them more productive and less absent and also having the possibility to save employers healthcare costs
• Changing consumer relations, with targeted advertisement and simplified payment services, using NFC (near-field communication) chips

Security of wearables is also discussed. Warning that a lack of encryption makes data easily interceptable and that NFC chips are only designed to communicate at a short distance, making it easy for hackers to reach sensitive information, that control over devices in the workplace is vital. The article offers suggestions on reducing the risks of hacks:
• Ensuring that devices are only allowed access in certain areas
• Creating separate policies and rules for wearables in the workplace
• Creating a separate channel outside of the company network for wearable devices

The findings below are taken from a recent report entitled The Human Cloud At Work (HCAW) A Study Into The Impact Of Wearable Technologies In The Workplace, the findings of which are summarised on the MHL News blog.
The findings, as reported by Tech Times, indicated that wearable technology aids productivity. Results show that productivity of employees using wearables increased by 8.5%, and satisfaction with their job increased by 3.5%.
In addition, 86% of companies in the US have plans to invest more in wearable devices in 2016, according to a study by Salesforce. 40% of these were interested in monitoring time management and communication of their employees via the use of wearables.
The blog links through to another article on Forbes which lists some thought-provoking statistics about wearables, including:
• This year, the wearables market will hit almost $3 billion, and $4 billion next year
• In 2015, nearly 50 million wearable devices were shipped
• Over 125 million devices are predicted to ship in 2019
• 23% of companies are starting to test wearables in workplace security access, 20% in employee communication, and 20% in time management
• 54% of companies are currently supporting a ‘bring your own wearable’ model, and another 40% are planning to support one in future
• By 2019, the wearables market is expected to increase by 35%