ABI: ULP Bluetooth to Revolutionize PAN Technologies in Fitness Markets
November 19, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
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Ultra low power (ULP) Bluetooth (formerly Wibree) holds the key to a huge potential market for personal area network (PAN) sensors in the areas of sports, exercise, health and well-being, according to ABI Research.
The market for ULP-enabled PAN sensors in this area will represent nearly 140 million units by 2012, with sports and exercise applications to take the early lead in this market.
"Although health insurers have a significant motivation to adopt wireless PAN technologies in order to reduce the total cost of care, it is likely that the traditional health bodies' inertia when faced with such new developments will ensure that the health care market plays second fiddle to the sports and exercise sector," said ABI Research director Stuart Carlaw.
"The Nike+ experience clearly shows the value of integrating PAN technologies into a wider solution that includes premium sports equipment, online communities and brand leaders in the consumer electronics [CE] environment," Carlaw said.
Analysts said PAN technologies are seen as valuable tools to provide brand stickiness for sports equipment vendors and to entice consumers into repeat purchases of premium products.
This market, to date, is dominated by 2.4 GHz and 5 KHz products, analysts said, but ULP Bluetooth's promise of economies of scale will be too good to miss.
More interestingly, the sports environment might prove the concept of PAN technologies in this usage scenario and may lead to innovative solutions such as whole-home sensor networks that enable innovative applications like remote-assisted living.
Source: ABI Research.