Get ready for wearable technology in the office.

• Position: MOBILE DEVICES

First it was the personal computer, then the notebook computer, smartphones, and tablets. What's next? It may well be wearable technologies, most notably smart glasses, smart watches, and fitness bands. Deloitte predicts that in 2014, more than 10 million units of wearables will be sold, totaling about $3 billion in sales. Analysts further estimate that wearables will eventually be able to handle two-thirds of what we currently do on smartphones.

Of course, wearable technology is just emerging, but if it catches on as quickly as smartphones, tablets, and other performance-enhancing technology, it won't be long before we see a new fashion trend in the workplace. Now is a good time to prepare for that eventuality.

Just as personal mobile devices have challenged organizations, so too will wearable data devices (WDDs). Forbes reported this summer that insurance giant USAA had prohibited WDDs in the workplace until it had fully researched the potential advantages and disadvantages of the new technology. Some of the concerns USAA had were:

* Employees inadvertently recording inappropriate audio in the workplace

* Employees capturing sensitive images in the workplace

* Potential safety hazards while driving or walking on company property

* Infringement on employee privacy

Forbes's Jeanne Meister offered the following advice to companies that are forming their policies on wearable devices: Remember what happened when companies tried to ban the use of Facebook and YouTube on desktops in early social media policies? Employees accessed the sites anyway on their smartphones, which affected their on-the-job productivity. The same could easily happen with wearables.

"Smart employers will put policies in place now to manage the integration of WDDs into the workplace and adjust them as needs dictate," said Mintz Levin attorney Jonathan Cain in a recent privacy and security advisory. "Less prepared employers will be deeply exposed to liability for data breaches, privacy and workplace discrimination complaints, and other disruptions as they try to catch up."

He added that human resources and IT policies should address at least the following concerns:

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