For all the fanfare, Google Glass wasn’t exactly a resounding success. Indeed, Google announced it was killing off the contraption back in January of this year, even though some businesses users and healthcare providers actually found it quite useful.

But Google’s announcement was somewhat premature, for it’s now widely believed the company is planning to release a Glass 2.0 in the near future, and the latest reports claim it’s going to be targeted squarely at the enterprise users who actually put it to good use. According to 9to5Google, the newly revamped gadget will even be called the “Enterprise Edition” (EE). However, that could mean consumers are no longer able to get their hands on one.

Google has been quietly rounding up new staff ahead of Glass 2.0’s release, and there have been lots of other signs to indicate something new is in the works. A patent that many believe is linked to Glass 2.0 appeared late last year, and suggests the new Glass will be slimmer and lighter than the original. It’s also thought that Intel is working with Google to provide some of Glass’s internal circuitry.

The pressure from other companies could also be a factor pushing Google to come up with something new. It’s arch rival Microsoft recently unveiled its HoloLens, essentially a bigger and more powerful type of Glass, while companies like Sony Corp. are also building alternative smart specs of their own.

But while Microsoft is hoping for HoloLens to appeal to consumers in addition to enterprise users, Google seems to believe the enterprise is the only place to establish its wearable tech. It’s not the only one either, because Forbes contributer Theo Priestly described how Glass 2.0 could well be a game changer for wearables in the work place, becoming the catalyst for true mobility at last.

“So, what if you’re sitting in a call-center and instead of staring at a productivity pie-chart on a screen you pop your supervisory head above the parapet and with your Enterprise Edition Glasses can see each individuals performance figures?” Priestly wrote. “By calling up the person in question using the interface you can see their stats in a heads-up (HUD) display. Plus with not being tied to your desk you can floor-walk at the same time or do this anywhere, anytime, without the need to carry a tablet or phone interface with you.”

There’s still no indication of when Google Glass 2.0 might be released, but 9to5Google‘s sources claim that extensive testing is set to take place later this year, which means an announcement may not be too far off.

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