Google seeks to attract a new category of users – professionals

Apr 8, 2014 13:53 GMT  ·  By

Google is reportedly preparing to introduce a new program, called Glass for Work, which will bring more business apps to its wearable head gear.

According to The New York Times, Google is getting ready to make the big announcement today.

The company is supposed to identify areas in which Glass can be useful for business users, which will help it include apps designed for a particular enterprise.

The device has thus far only been available for Explorers, the members of the developer group that Google created to test the device. Google Glass currently costs $1,500 with additional accessories adding to the price, and can perform a wide range of tasks, including searching the Internet, record videos, take pictures, read emails, and more.

While up until now, Google has tried to market the device as one oriented to the mass population, it looks like the company is looking for alternative solutions. Considering that up to 80 percent of jobs don’t happen in front of a computer screen, the tool could come in handy for a lot of people.

For example, there are surgeons out there that use the device while at work, as well as other doctors who use Glass to write up patients’ files.

Of course, many are still concerned with the privacy element of the device, even though it can do pretty much the same things as a smartphone and things aren’t as covert as one might think.

“I can think of a whole bunch of professions where Google Glass makes a lot of sense and poses almost no privacy risk at all and could be really valuable — everything from engineering to car repair to architecture to lumberjacking. But what’s interesting about all of those professions is that you’re not actually interacting with a customer,” says Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information center.

Other professionals feel the same, including some that have already adopted Glass, such as the technicians installing solar panels in Southern California. Police departments are also testing out the device to see how it could work for them on patrols.

What exactly is Google going to announce remains to be seen, but it could be a set of pricing deals for bulk purchases, or a new set of apps for various fields of work. More could be developed as time goes by, of course, to suit the needs of all users.