Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) is making an extreme effort to find as many markets as possible for its upcoming Google Glass by offering a prototype of the product to selected companies “by invitation only”.
Google is using this approach to maximize the range of business sectors and situations it can test the new device in while production of the device is still low. This approach is very clever and is allowing Google to not only get valuable consumer feedback, but also to create an air of exclusivity around the device with people being in either the “have” or “have not” category.
The feedback however has been mixed with many people in the average workplace not showing a great deal of enthusiasm for the device preferring instead to work with the full computer screen in front of them. In more specialized sectors, however, there has been a lot of positive responses especially from areas such as construction, law enforcement and medicine where the users can benefit more from having access to the internet without have to use their hands.
The issue for Google is that they want the device to be as main stream as possible as that is where the big profits come from but the consumer response is showing that this is not necessarily going to happen. In addition to its small size, there are also certain privacy issues surrounding having a device that can hear present in sensitive meetings or medical consultations and could become an issue for other everyday situations. Despite these concerns, it is clear that once the device is fully available there are many companies with apps already prepared for it.
