Frost Radar(TM): AR-Centric Augmented Connected Worker Platforms, 2026

As manufacturers confront the realities of a skilled labor shortage, augmented connected worker (ACW) platforms can be a key ally in training a new workforce and strengthening employee retention through comprehensive upskilling, skills management tools, and assistance throughout workers’ shifts. Platforms that have a strong foundation of augmented reality (AR) technology can empower manufacturers by providing hands-free guidance during assembly and maintenance, overlaying critical information on the physical world, guiding workers through the shop floor, and providing remote expert assistance. The platforms are still at a stage where vendors need to justify the value they bring to operations, especially to mid-market manufacturers that have not embarked on digital transformation journeys. This Frost Radar considers only ACW companies that have AR technology as the foundation of their platforms, allowing them to deliver unique features that most companies in other segments of the ACW market cannot, such as hands-free digital work instructions, shop floor navigation tools, enhanced remote collaboration, and the superimposition of product and asset data over the physical world.

Frost & Sullivan analyzes numerous companies in an industry. Those selected for further analysis based on their leadership or other distinctions are benchmarked across 10 Growth and Innovation criteria to reveal their position on the Frost Radar™. The publication presents competitive profiles of each company on the Frost Radar™ considering their strengths and the opportunities that best fit those strengths.

Frost Radar™: Benchmarking Future Growth Potential 2 Major Indices, 10 Analytical Ingredients, 1 Platform

Growth Index

Growth Index (GI) is a measure of a company’s growth performance and track record, along with its ability to develop and execute a fully aligned growth strategy and vision; a robust growth pipeline system; and effective market, competitor, and end-user focused sales and marketing strategies.

• Market Share (previous 3 years)
  • This is a comparison of a company’s market share relative to its competitors in a given market space for the previous 3 years.
• Revenue Growth (previous 3 years)
  • This is a look at a company’s revenue growth rate for the previous 3 years in the market/industry/category that forms the context for the given Frost Radar™.
• Growth Pipeline
  • This is an evaluation of the strength and leverage of a company’s growth pipeline system to continuously capture, analyze, and prioritize its universe of growth opportunities.
• Vision and Strategy
  • This is an assessment of how well a company’s growth strategy is aligned with its vision. Are the investments that a company is making in new products and markets consistent with the stated vision?
• Sales and Marketing
  • This is a measure of the effectiveness of a company’s sales and marketing efforts in helping it drive demand and achieve its growth objectives.

Innovation Index

Innovation Index (II) is a measure of a company’s ability to develop products/ services/ solutions (with a clear understanding of disruptive Mega Trends) that are globally applicable, are able to evolve and expand to serve multiple markets and are aligned to customers’ changing needs.

• INNOVATION SCALABILITY
  • This determines whether an organization’s innovations are globally scalable and applicable in both developing and mature markets, and also in adjacent and non-adjacent industry verticals.
• RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
  • This is a measure of the efficacy of a company’s R&D strategy, as determined by the size of its R&D investment and how it feeds the innovation pipeline.
• PRODUCT PORTFOLIO
  • This is a measure of a company’s product portfolio, focusing on the relative contribution of new products to its annual revenue.
• MEGATRENDS LEVERAGE
  • This is an assessment of a company’s proactive leverage of evolving, long-term opportunities and new business models, as the foundation of its innovation pipeline.
• CUSTOMER ALIGNMENT
  • This evaluates the applicability of a company’s products/services/solutions to current and potential customers, as well as how its innovation strategy is influenced by evolving customer needs.

Significance of Being on the Frost Radar™

Companies plotted on the Frost RadarTM are the leaders in the industry for growth, innovation, or both. They are instrumental in advancing the industry into the future.

• GROWTH POTENTIAL
  • Your organization has significant future growth potential, which makes it a Company to Action.
• BEST PRACTICES
  • Your organization is well positioned to shape Growth Pipeline™ best practices in your industry.
• COMPETITIVE INTENSITY
  • Your organization is one of the key drivers of competitive intensity in the growth environment.
• CUSTOMER VALUE
  • Your organization has demonstrated the ability to significantly enhance its customer value proposition.
• PARTNER POTENTIAL
  • Your organization is top of mind for customers, investors, value chain partners, and future talent as a significant value provider.