Wearables use Expected to Grow by 35% a Year

ABI Research has forecast that global shipments of wearable devices will increase from nearly 202 million in 2016 to more than 501 million by 2021.

While roughly 17% of shipments in 2016 were attributed to the enterprise market this year, a 35% CAGR in this segment will see a massive surge in use of wearables in large organisations, such as hospitals with shipments doubling over the five year forecast period.

“Wearables in the workforce are becoming more prominent, as they give workers immediate, direct access to important information, such as profiling health care records on a smart glass display,” says Stephanie Lawrence, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “This hands-free approach saves time, allowing staff to become more efficient and, ultimately, saving companies money.”

Enterprises in education, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, transportation, and warehousing are incorporating wearable devices into the workforce. ABI Research predicts that the warehouse and manufacturing and field services will represent the most tangible near-term opportunity for enterprise wearable shipments.

The type of wearable to be most readily adopted by enterprises will depend upon the specific needs. Warehouse and manufacturing verticals are expected to account for 34% of shipments of smart glasses and wearable scanners.

For more see ABI Research’s Wearable Device Market Share and Forecasts.