Disadvantages of wearable computers

The major disadvantages for wearable computers come from cost and implementation. These types of computers will be very costly for organizations to implement. There will no shortage of uses for wearable computer technology however companies will have to be very prudent about which aspects of the organization will benefit the most at the least cost. The increased efficiency gained from the use of wearable computers may not be financially feasible considering the cost of changing over technology (Jessup, Valacich and Wade 2008).

The second major disadvantage stems from the implementation and associated costs. Implementing new technology is usually expensive and this particular type of technology requires suitable support systems as well. Hardware, software and training costs are likely to be high but these costs pale in comparison to the potentially infinite costs of researching to find out the best use of wearable computers and the training of employees to use the wearable technology most efficiently. Failed IT solutions can have expensive results.

In the financial industry where blackberries and laptops are essential, a wearable computer would be cumbersome and awkward for an executives. Also wearable computers would not be useful for managers who work in offices, since the best advantage of the wearable computer is its mobility (Cook 2006) Wearable computers would also not be suitable in industries that require a lot of data mining and use databases which require large amounts of memory. The use of wearable computers may improve the efficiency of some industries however others would be at a disadvantage with the use of wearable computers. It can be said that wearable computers have been slowly adapted in the business world, since they have existed since 1981 (Rhodes 1997).

Wearable computers and their business advantages

The major advantage wearable computers provide organizations with is the increased efficiency and access to information it provides to its employees. These two advantages should in theory allow the organization to better serve its customers directly and indirectly. I will delve into a few examples that will demonstrate the different types of wearable computers and their applications for competitive organizations.

The first example is similar to the Bluetooth wireless headset, except that this concept of being hands-free is now extended into the business world. Package delivery services such as UPS or FedEx can replace their handheld invoice machines with ones they can wear. This will allow the delivery personnel to have their two hands free to carry packages, reduce delivery time and increase the employee’s efficiency. FedEx is committed to making IT a

The second example is the use of wearable equipment for marketing purposes. Electronic textiles are fabrics being engineered to be worn and to display a variety of advertisements in different colours and brightness. The clothing can be loaded with specific ads and then the fabric shows them based on its programming. The marketing uses for this are almost limitless, while this type of wearable computer does not fall under Mann’s traditional definition it is distinct forward looking idea involving the idea of clothing and computers. "Clearly, it's an effective, smoothly integrated technology," said Smailagic, a professor of computer engineering and computer sciences (Heinrichs 2008), in describing electronic textiles technology.

In the medical field, wearable computers allow doctors to constantly monitor patient’s vitals without physically limiting the patient. In the private medical sector, doctors would offer this type of health monitoring system would have a competitive advantage over their peers. “Because functional status is by far the most important factor affecting quality of life and health care utilization in old age, valid outcome measures of physical activity and/or physical functioning in aged individuals are of utmost importance.” (de Bruin 2008) In this case a wearable computer that can monitor the day to day functioning of older patients without requiring stays in medical centers would reduce patient overload and increase the accuracy of the doctor’s diagnosis.

The clearest advantage of wearable computers for business is that they bridge the gap between the organization's employees and the technology implement by the organization.

How will we use wearable computers, what will they replace?

The most obvious technology that wearable computers are replacing is traditional desktop computers. At the Symposium for wearable computers one inventor mentions specifically that without his wearable computer he would not be able to use a desktop computer due to a sever lower back injury. However to stop there would be a mistake, laptops or portable computers have already solved the majority of the problems with desktop computers. Even PDAs, blackberries and I-Phones have now made it easier to “bring your computer with you”. The difference is that wearable computers give the user constant access to the computer and do not require the user to do anything except make inputs. This distinction is the basis for the potential of wearable computers; constant access to information, heightened user awareness and improve job efficiency by the user (Mann 1998).

Wearable computers all share the same characteristics. They aim to heighten the user’s awareness and improve the user’s efficiency. It is only logical to say that wearable computers are in the process of and have the ability to replace current technology that is inefficient or limits the user’s awareness.

Technology itself has already given rise to the use of PDAs, that type of microcomputer is extremely popular right now. The future could possible see handheld, replaced by completely hands-free. The mobile phone has physical limitations, such as the size of its screen. Wearable computers with similar computing power, would not have such limitations according to MIT Media Lab researcher Steven Schwartz. (Wakenfield 2001)

An example of wearable computers replacing desktop hardware is keypad gloves. “The proposed glove-based text input device uses the hands themselves as the keyboard rather than any particular device. In other words, ‘one types not just with the hand but on the hand’. With this device, the user can type with one hand on the other” (Shin and Hong 2005).

Drawing the line, what really is a wearable computer?

A wearable computer is characterized by six distinct characteristics outline by Steve Mann. Although Mann's definition is not specific to business uses for wearable technology, his six characteristics carry over smoothly into the business world. Mann indicates that the computer the user is wearing provides increased awareness and efficiency. In the simplest context, a digital watch allows the user to be on time more often.

Another wearable computer is the digital sports watch, the user being an athlete. In this case the athlete can time his training by pressing buttons on his watch. The watch is able to receive inputs from the user and it provides outputs for the user to analyze (S. Mann 1998). To take it a step further if the athlete wraps a heart rate monitor around his arm, he is able to further analyze his training.

A more contemporary example, a bluetooth wireless headset allows the user to speak on the phone and have their hands free. Wireless headsets are probably the fastest growing application of wearable computers currently. Bluetooth wireless technology enables computers to transfer data within close proximities and remain "connected".

Modern wearable computers from Parvus fall into the more traditional idea of a wearable computer. These devices are almost extensions of their users, to "conserve power consumption by placing the unit in standby mode when the user’s arm hangs down beside the body", (www.parvus.com).


It is clear that wearable computers are the future for many aspects of the business world as well as the real world. This technology is gaining momentum but it is not in the forefront of the public eye quite yet, while business professionals still remain unsure of its true benefits.