As Apple and Google are going to revolutionize the world of fitness and health

The day before yesterday went on Verge Interesting article, Which discusses the future of wearable electronics, fitness platform that we are prepared to Apple, Google and Samsung. What will happen with the developers of mobile applications, fitness bracelets and other gadgets, after the release of Apple HealthKit and Google Fit? An interesting question that worries many. We suggest that you read the translation of the article and find out the answer to it.

Mike Dittenber, techno-blogger from Michigan, has always dreamed of a parachute jump, but the implementation of his dreams prevented one problem. "I weighed about 330 pounds (about 150 kg), and it exceeds the maximum weight limit for tandem jumps," - he says. His visit to the doctor last year was marred by bad news.

"For a while I neglected medical examinations, but when still found time for it and passed it, I learned that I have a greater predisposition to diabetes and am on the verge of a hypertensive crisis."
Dr. predostreg him that if he does not soon will the problem of excess weight, then soon he will have to begin treatment and take medication. "It was an alarm bell."

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Dittenber already tried to lose weight using the program Weight WatchersIt works, but results missed long. This time, he decided to try MyFitnessPal, A mobile application that allows users to keep a record of calories consumed and exercise that they do. It was the gateway to the world of digital fitness products.

"In the end, I bought the Fitbit, because it has worked well in conjunction with MyFitnessPal", - says Mike. "It turned out that I was not so hate jogging. I do not like it, but I can take it. "

He bought additional Runkeeper app to monitor distance, which he runs and gained Garmin Forerunner 220 in order to maintain the right pace. Ever since he started his health (from June 2013), he dropped 110 pounds 50 kg.

Using your smartphone as a center for data tracking, analysis tools and motivation to sports and healthy way of life, it has become a phenomenon. MyFitnessPal, user base which is 65 million registered accounts is one sama popular fitness apps, but its success - it's just a part of a global trends. investtsy in size from start-ups to this niche was only in the first half of this year, $ 2.3 billion, exceeding the total amount of investment for the whole of last year. More important, however, that it is involved in three of the most influential players in the market - Apple, Google and the Samsung, which focused on how to integrate and simplify the world of gadgets and apps available users.

"We are now at a turning point is really a milestone," - says Harry Wang, analyst Park Associates, Which follows the development of this market segment.

"Fitness gadgets and applications - are rapidly growing, but still highly specialized niche. New ecosystem, if they gain the momentum could finally push the industry to leading positions and make it mainstream. "

Wang does not expect an absolute success, but says that the representatives of disparate and fragmented at the moment digital fitness industry should unite around the most influential companies. Apple Healthkit and Google Fit can help them get a big audience and support in making contact with the traditional industry zdavoohraneniya what they will be almost impossible to achieve in alone.

"It will change, which will create many winners, but also the same number of losers."

Ousting producers hardvarnogo products

Over the years, the conditions in the industry dictate wearable electronics gadgets such as Fitbit, Nike's Fuelband and Jawbone's Up. But If the mobile giants dobyutsya successful in establishing the dominant platform for the collection and processing of fitness data, their business will be under threat. "Most of the major functions that offer fitness gadgets - counting steps, heart rate monitor - will be available to us on the smartphone and smartvoch", - says Wang.

Perhaps Nike saw the sign and decided to stop the production hardvarnogo products focus more on software as a component of the ecosystem. Executives startup Lark (production fitness bracelets), have embarked on the integration of the new fitness platform S Health, turning part of the development of "iron".

"We realized that, in fact, a smartphone with energy efficient sensors and have the perfect wearable gadget", - says CEO Lark, Julie Hu.

"If I was creating some fitness gadget, which has more functionality than the accelerometer - I was be worried now, "- says Leonard Makikern, electronics professor, working on their own gadget LeoWhich via electromyography analyzes the activity of the muscle fibers.

"If your gadget has some unique features not found in the Google and Apple smart phones, - says Makikern - have" eaten alive "."

"Fitness-industry sample of 2012-2013 proposed device" self-contained ", with data storage in their warehouses," - says Julie AskAnalyst to Forrester, which monitors the health of the digital industry. »

"The change is very rapid."

As well as the Google and Apple, fitness gadgets manufacturers are trying to create its own ecosystem: Jawbone and Fitbit have an API for data exchange with a huge number of different applications. Such attempts - this is a wise approach, but nevertheless highly specialized fitness gadgets will still be niche products.

"Fitness platforms have greater simplicity and integrity at the operating system level."

The turn software

While the big players hardvarnogo market fitness gadgets will be under pressure for the digital health platform popular smartphones, developers will be in much better position and be able to count on a huge profit. "Devices such as the Jawbone and Fitbit, were very important for the industry to move forward, but their penetration and dissemination Masov segments of the population never exceeded 2-3%", - says Malay Gandhi, Managing partner of venture fund Rock Health.

"With the smartphone as a fitness center ecosystem, the company producing the software suddenly have access to tens of millions of new customers."

Gandhi believes that these changes will significantly expand the audience of users. "At the moment, the majority of users a fitness gadgets - it is young people who want to make their sport more convenient and tehnogiki." When the control center this whole fitness cuisine will be a smartphone, will be much more likely to attract older people here and other users who are not technically literate.

"Ordinary users will not understand how to connect fitness bracelet and will not bother with a dozen different applications. But if the software is the standard in their iPhone - they are likely to try it. "

If a smartphone that each of us carries in his pocket, will become the standard platform for fitness and monitor your health, some of the applications will be the leaders? "I think people prefer those services and facilities that have a greater community," - he says Julie Ask of Forrester. For example, in Strava users are participating in a certain similarity of "King of the Hill", trying to break the record of other participants at certain distances. "When it comes to competition, a lot of people are really obsessed. This creates an active group of users unwittingly cause them to return to the application over and over again, "- he said Ask.

"The key to the development of fitness apps Sega community development."

For application developers, Apple and Google offer the promise of a world where dozens of fitness apps to communicate with each other, offering a much wider range of data about the user. "We're trying to help you change your lifestyle and improve your health," - says Michael Lee, founder and CEO MyFitnessPal. "The more data we have, the clearer the picture of health, and the more we can give him advice, to change it for the better."

Apple day

In 2008, Google launched Google Health project, which was supposed to help users merge their medical data stored in different locations, to have easy and convenient access. Unfortunately, he never became popular and was closed in January 2013. Your new Google Fit, the company is no longer trying to link with the world of doctors and hospitals. "I think Larry and Sergey more reserved attitude to attempts to disrupt the foundations of well-established for years in this sphere", - says Gandhi of Rock Health.

"At this time, Google does not so ambitious and focused exclusively on training and nutrition."

Apple, by contrast, is ready to try your hand at solving the perennial problem of cooperation with doctors and health workers, called to his side a powerful ally. At WWDC, the company announced a partnership with of Epic, in whose hands, at the moment, more than 51% of all medical records of the US population. That's right, one deal, Apple approached to ensure that collect a lot of medical data about half of the American population. Doctors will be able to see what is happening with their patients between visits. "Many doctors would like the opportunity to open your account and see a visual graphs showing the pressure of the patient, that he had to visit the doctor", - writes Iltifet Hussein, iMedicalApps editor.

"Now these data carelessly recorded by the patients themselves and as a result, as casually used by physicians in the diagnosis and initial treatment."

On the other hand, in this case, physicians faced with a huge volume of data that will need to be checked and clarified. "The reliability and completeness of such data will be big problems for the doctors," - says Gandhi. "They will wonder whether they whether they need as much information and really be able to trust this information? Whether they filed a lawsuit, if something is missing or interpret wrong? "When it comes to questions trust such big players like Apple, Google and Samsung are always one step ahead, even though it has not yet pledge victory.

Despite all these pitfalls, Gandhi believes that most doctors will use all clinics range of data collected applications and fitness gadgets, thanks to the stimulus of recent reforms Health.

"Health care providers will vyigrasha, financially, because their customers will be less sick and attend the clinic less. The key to this lies in the possibility of understanding what is going on with patients in the intervals between visits to the doctor. "

High in the sky

Earlier this month, Mike Dittenber went to Traverse City, Michigan, where he sat in a small plane and get ready for your first jump. As they rose above the clouds, he felt the frantic pace of your heart by breathing in the thin air.

"When we jumped, we were above the clouds, and, in fact, failed through them, and then emerged later." The instructor opened the parachute and they gently floated down. "That was incredible."

Dittenber said that this year he was able to "plant" on MyFitnessPal a few friends and family members who follow his example.

"We exchange recipes and send each other messages of encouragement. The social aspect of this app is very useful to maintain the motivation. "

He is inspired by the world in which every owner of a smartphone can easily view the data on their health and share the necessary information with your doctor. "Being able to know the exact rather than approximate number of calories that you potreblyate and spend on training gives you a sense of control."

For investors in the field of digital health, such as the Gandhi of the Rock Health, Dittenbera experience is that big changes are coming, and they're not far off. "As long as each user in his pocket did not have a smartphone with GPS, we do not even know why we Uber and how big can be the business ", - he says. "As soon as most people master the device that will monitor their heart rate and daily exercise, we will to absorb all of these data and be able to come up with new, amazing features that no one today can not even imagine vobrazit. "

(via)