Citrix testing business apps on Google Glass

Google and Citrix are working on apps to bring Google Glass to the workplace.

So far, most of the apps for the smart glasses have been consumer focused, such as tools to snap photos and receive notifications.

Chris Fleck, vice-president of mobility at Citrix and a Google Glass early adopter, told PC Pro that Citrix has been working with Google behind the scenes to develop prototype workplace apps for the headgear.

"There’s nothing production ready yet, but there’s a few prototype apps we’re working on including video and image capture integration with ShareFile and voice-to-text note capturing, as well as GoToAssist," he said.

"Every person I speak to seems to come up with a new application for Glass, so it’s clear there are a lot of business use cases for it," he said. "The biggest limitation with Glass right now is the battery."

Workplace wearables won't be limited to smart glasses, though - Fleck thinks smartwatches also have a place in business.

"This could be obvious things like notifications for appointments or emails," he said. "But also for letting presenters at shows know they have five minutes left, rather than holding up a piece of paper that says 'five mins' on it and hoping to catch their eye. Or if you are in a meeting and need to get someone to stop talking, you could make the watch vibrate, whereas currently you have to give them a kick under the table!"

Right price?

The takeup of such devices in work and personal life depends on their price, he added.

Fleck told PC Pro that current US$1,500 price-point Google would still sell tens of thousands of pairs of Glass to early adopters like himself, but they would only be purchased by big corporations for use in limited context.

However, if the price dropped below US$300, he said Google Glass could become another member of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) family.

This article originally appeared at pcpro.co.uk