The 'Bring Your Own Device' concept has beenunderstood for some time now, and a related phenomenon may soon follow: WYOD, or Wear Your Own Device. This blog has written about wearable technologies like the smart watch many times before, but it's possible that the issue will only become more relevant as current wearable options gain increased traction in the marketplace and popularity in the office.
In some senses, WYOD plans will be similar to policies that currently apply to user mobile devices, since the principle appears to be the same. Where WYOD and BYOD differ lies in the potential selected purposes for industry-specific wearable devices. Devices like smart glasses could turn out to be more friendly for apps engineered for use in particular settings, like healthcare or manufacturing.
An Information Age article by Ben Rossi touches on this idea and asks why personal devices might be brought to the workplace. Since they might be used to record and transmit unique biological information, the level of security employed for these devices is a significant concern for businesses and workers.
"The security threats posed by these wearable devices are similar to those companies faced and managed when BYOD first presented itself," Rossi's piece states. "For both types of products, IT teams need to develop policies and deliver technologies that let employees enjoy the benefits of these tools without risking sensitive company data."
Some of the wearable devices being used, like the Apple Watch, still employ a screen and may need to be compatible with the same web-based programs that users of other, more standard devices are using. A web based terminal emulator could bring legacy applications into an online form that is beneficial on a grand scale for everyone working within an enterprise.