A trend in wearable technology is set to infiltrate the workplace, according to Samsung, which has seen a rise in enquiries for developing wearable technology in a number of industry sectors. At the July Samsung Business Futurescape events in London, the firm launched its ‘Future of Work’ report.
A whitepaper, created with Ovum Analysts, also found an ever-shortening bridge between personal and workplace technology preferences, with applications taking force in the world of work and up to 78 per cent of people using their own devices for work.
Samsung’s Business Enterprise operation research details opportunities for employers as smartphone penetration reaches 75 per cent of the market, and the worker-consumer relationship blurs.
Alongside the increase in wearable tech at work, the study also reveals that employees are setting up their own applications at work, for example cloud file sync and share services, due to IT departments falling short in resources for workers. Only 14 per cent prefer to use applications supplied by their employer with almost a fifth (18 per cent) admitting that their employers’ IT departments don’t provide them with the applications that they need to be able to do their jobs.
Over half (54 per cent) of workers use instant messaging (IM) or web phone call technology (VoIP) while at work, with 30 per cent of those having installed the relevant apps themselves. Whilst the importance of communication through IM or VoIP services isn’t as high on the agenda, employers are seemingly more focused on providing file sharing, with 35 per cent providing the right technology for this function.
Four in ten, 42 per cent of employees strongly agreed with the idea of being able to access work emails and apps outside of official working hours.
Samsung at its Futurescape events in London spoke also of a merger between the physical and the virtual, with boardrooms set to evolve into a more futuristic state including for conferencing. This will enable workers from around the world to work side by side, it is claimed.
Graham Long, Vice President Enterprise Business Team, Samsung UK and Ireland, said: “It’s becoming more apparent that the more tech-savvy employees are potentially overtaking their employers when it comes to technology adoption, which leads to a concern for data security and control, which comes from using a variety of devices and apps for work. In order to keep up with the times IT departments and CIOs need to be aware of what their employees needs are and should they prefer to have more flexible access to technology, ensure they can do so safely.”
Entrepreneur and star of BBC TV’s Dragon’s Den, James Caan, said: “Since starting to run my own businesses, I’ve seen how far technology has come in terms connecting employees and how the strive for work-life balance has become a selling point for many employers. What is apparent from this research is that it needs to work both ways; a level of trust must be awarded to workforces so that they can work the hours most convenient to them and employees must feel they have the freedom and access to their work whenever they need it with the technology that they need to do so.”
