6 March 2015
At SparkOptimus, we try to highlight the most important news and background stories in digital, e-commerce and retail. Here is our selection of last week’s news:
This is the week of the Mobile World Congress and one of the important trends at this edition is connected wearables. Smartwatches, fitness trackers, virtual reality headsets, and even smartrings are on the rise, as some believe that the wearable technology market will grow to $80 billion by 2020.
Wearables are already finding their way into a number of industries, from healthcare to fashion. Ralph Lauren for example is selling a bag with an internal LED light and USB charger, Rebecca Minkoff has Bluetooth-equipped bracelets that light up when your phone receives a message or call. The CEO of Michael Kors puts it clearly: “We will be in wearables. And we have a whole strategy around it.”
Not only do companies design or develop innovative wearables for their customers, they also use it to optimize their own operations. A sandwich shop in Las Vegas uses Google Glass to allow its leadership to monitor employee behavior during rush hour to spot improvements and GE uses a smartwatch app to get a quick glance at key commercial performance indicators.
The possibilities are endless, and one thing is sure: tech has a great impact on our businesses and everyday life. No wonder why this week even the largest home furnishing retailer in the world has announced to go tech.