Jawbone is increasing its push into the fitness tracking market by announcing it has purchased BodyMedia. The acquisition of another manufacturer of wellness devices comes at the same time as Jawbone opens up its API to developers, allowing for other apps to be able to use data generated by the wrist-based lifestyle monitor, the Up.
BodyMedia was one of the first companies to create a wearable body monitor, according to HealthCare IT News. Typically the data received is provided to care providers as well as the user, allowing the wearer to be guided towards a healthier lifestyle. In its 14-year life, the company has managed to gain 87 patents, with Jawbone not only able to take ownership of the inventions, but also more than 500 trillion sensor points that BodyMedia has collected and analyzed. Despite the purchase, reported to be around $110 million, Jawbone will still continue producing BodyMedia’s devices, including a device registered with the FDA as a Class II medical device for weight loss.
The new API for Up, currently open for iOS with an Android version on the way, will let apps share the statistics collected by the device. So far, ten apps have been listed as having signed up to integrate the app, including IFTTT, MapMyFitness, RunKeeper, and Withings. Data generated from these apps can be viewed in the main Up feed, as well as being able to use Up data for their own purposes.
