Google takes on Samsung and Apple in health
pharmafile | June 13, 2014 | News story | Medical Communications, Sales and Marketing | Apple, Samsung, digital, fit, fitness, google, health kit, sambaed, wearable
Google is to launch a health platform to rival Samsung’s SAMI offering and Apple’s HealthKit into an ever-expanding technology marketplace.
Called ‘Google Fit’ the service is said to collect and aggregate data from common fitness trackers and health-related apps according to news sources, that predict it will be launched at the Google I/O conference for developers on 25 June.
What’s unclear at this stage is whether Google Fit will be a standalone app or a service built into the next version of Android. Its upcoming conference schedule suggests it could either be part of the first day’s ‘wearable’ session, or present itself on day two in the ‘Android and Cloud’ presentation.
Forbes says Google Fit is going to aggregate data through open APIs and instruction sets that allow apps to share information, and the firm will also announce partnerships with wearable device makers.
The news source that is said to have knowledge of Google’s plans, goes on to say Google Fit would allow a wearable device that measures data like steps or heart rate to interface with Google’s cloud-based services, and become part of the ‘Google Fit ecosystem’.
This foray into health tech comes hot on the heals of Samsung’s SAMI platform and Simband, the latter being a new ‘investigational’ device prototype that can be used to measure body temperature, blood oxygen levels, motion and other health metrics on a continuous basis.
Samsung which accrued $327 billion in annual revenue last year, also aims to become a major force in biotechnology – an industry expected to generate sales of more than $220 billion in five years.
Often accused of replicating Apple’s tech offerings, it was Samsung that was followed into the health sphere by Apple when it then unveiled HealthKit, a platform that allows users to pool their personal health data and share it with doctors.
Google’s Android system has dominated smartphones to date and is expected to account for 80% of the global smartphone market by the end of this year, while Apple will retain less than 15 per cent according to analysts.
Whether it’s from Google, Samsung or Apple there are questions over what practical use such technology will have to users at present, but health and wellbeing is clearly a seemingly attractive area for tech firms who see financial gains to be made by tapping into the trend for self-measurement.
One hugely contentious issue with all of these services will be privacy. Questions will need to be answered regarding exactly what are the plans in relation to advertising and access to users’ health information.
Brett Wells
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