Google Glass Will Save $1 Billion By 2017, Gartner Says

Market research firm Gartner has boldly predicted that companies using Glass and similar gadgets could save $1 billion a year within three to five years.

Hands-free access to the Internet, cameras, conferencing and phone calls, plus something called "augmented reality" will be a big help to people who work in jobs that take them outside of the office, Gartner says. This includes fields like technical repair, health care and manufacturing. Augmented reality is when information is projected in front of you. So, for example, you could look at a building and see a superimposed image of its blueprint.

"The greatest savings in field service will come from diagnosing and fixing problems more quickly and without needing to bring additional experts to remote sites," Angela McIntyre, research director at Gartner, said in a press release.

Right now, almost no companies are using Glass (less than 1%) but in five years Gartner predicts 10% of companies with field service workers will be. "IT organizations are already being asked to make recommendations about whether smart glasses should be used in the workplace," McIntyre said.