Will Google’s Fitbit Acquisition for $2.1 Billion Chart New Territories in Connected Data Collection?

Google on Friday announced that it entered into an agreement to acquire Fitbit, a leading wearables brand. The acquisition would be worth an estimated USD 2.1 billion.

Google’s Senior Vice President for Devices & Services, Rick Osterloh, said that that the acquisition would help Google spur innovation in wearables.  He said that the data from the devices will not be used for Google ads. The company will be fully incorporated to Google and will not be maintained as a separate entity.

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Data Protection Important

“Google aspires to create tools that help people enhance their knowledge, success, health and happiness. This goal is closely aligned with Fitbit’s long-time focus on wellness and helping people live healthier, more active lives. But to get this right, privacy and security are paramount. When you use our products, you’re trusting Google with your information. We understand this is a big responsibility and we work hard to protect your information, put you in control and give you transparency about your data. Similar to our other products, with wearables, we will be transparent about the data we collect and why. We will never sell personal information to anyone. Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads. And we will give Fitbit users the choice to review, move, or delete their data,” said Osterloh said in a blog post.

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Will Accelerate Innovation

Fitbit also confirmed the deal and claimed that the acquisition will be an exciting one.

“More than 12 years ago, we set an audacious company vision – to make everyone in the world healthier. Today, I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved towards reaching that goal. We have built a trusted brand that supports more than 28 million active users around the globe who rely on our products to live a healthier, more active life,” said James Park, Co-founder, and CEO of Fitbit said.

“Google is an ideal partner to advance our mission. With Google’s resources and global platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the wearables category, scale faster, and make health even more accessible to everyone. I could not be more excited for what lies ahead,” he added.

Fitbit has reportedly sold around 100 million wearables worldwide. In the months to come, Google is expected to leverage wearable data collection technology to further improve consumer journeys with better tracking and recommendations.

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