Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 Now Available for Direct Purchase

Google announced that it has made its Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 available for direct purchase.

This means developers interested in tinkering with the product no longer have to go through a “solution provider”, as was the case up until now with the device that was launched almost one year ago for $999.

Google initially launched its Google Glass Explorer Edition AR device in 2014, hoping it would become a commercial success. Though that never materialized due to concerns over its usefulness as an actual computing platform and vocal criticism over its recording capabilities, Google Glass has found a niche market as a workplace tool.

Thanks to the success of the growing AR market led by Microsoft’s HoloLens and mobile AR platforms like Apple’s ARKit and Google’s ARCore, Google Glass is now considered a viable tool for workers in construction jobs, as well as some in the medical field and other jobs that could make use of an unobtrusive heads-up display and that don’t require a full headset mixed-reality device like the Microsoft HoloLens.

“Since Glass Enterprise Edition 2 launched last May, we’ve seen strong demand from developers and businesses who are interested in building new, helpful enterprise solutions for Glass,” writes Google Glass project lead Jay Kothari in a blog post published on Tuesday. “In order to make it easier for them to start working with Glass, they can now purchase devices directly from one of our hardware resellers, such as CDW, Mobile Advance or SHI,” he added.

The second generation Google Glass came out in May of last year and featured an improved processor and camera, as well as a USB-C port, along with updates to its design that allow it to be clipped onto a pair of eyeglasses, making it more useful in cases where eye protection needs to be worn, or for those requiring prescription glasses to do their jobs.

In the blog post, Kothari also points out that Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 runs on Android, making it easy for developers to work with and businesses to intergrate into services and APIs they are already using.

Sources: TechCrunch, The Verge