August 13, 2014

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Worldwide Sales of Connected Digital Fitness Trackers to top 22 million in 2014

AARP, Masimo, Ayla Networks, Continuaa Health Alliance and more to discuss consumer adoption of wearables and connected devices at Connected Health Summit, September 4-5

New digital health research from Parks Associates finds that the number of connected digital trackers sold worldwide rose from 6.6 million in 2012 to 13.6 million in 2013 and will double again in 2014 to exceed 22 million. The research firm will analyze the factors driving consumer adoption of these devices, including the impact of new solutions such as the Fitbit, Google Fit, and Apple HealthKit, when it hosts Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers, September 4-5 in San Diego.

"Connected trackers will account for 52% of all digital fitness tracker unit sales in 2014 and reach 81% by 2018 (66 million units)," said Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. "Smart watches are another wearables category poised for tremendous growth, with sales of almost 18 million units worldwide in 2014 and 121 million in 2018. These connected devices open new avenues for new fitness apps, health solutions, and data analytics. Connected Health Summit features multiple sessions with industry leaders, retailers, and solutions providers to discuss the business opportunities enabled by these devices."

Connected Health Summit features two sessions on September 4 focused on connected health devices, drivers for consumer adoption, and how device manufacturers can leverage partnerships to bring consistent health benefits to consumers.

“Healthy Living, Connected Devices, and Wearables,” 8:45 a.m., moderated by Mr. Wang, will feature the following speakers:

• Muhammad Abdurrahman, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder, Playtabase
• Kris Bowring, Director of Business Development, Smart Home Business Unit - New Business, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
• Keith Epstein, Senior Strategic Advisor, AARP
• Paul Jansen, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Masimo
• Patrick Wayte, Senior Vice President, Patient and Healthcare Innovations, American Heart Association

“The Role of Connected Devices in Digital Health,” 4:00 p.m., moderated by Jennifer Kent, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates, will feature the following speakers:

• David Friedman, CEO & Co-Founder, Ayla Networks
• Clint McClellan, Sr. Director of Business Development, Qualcomm Life; Chairman, Continuaa Health Alliance
• Julia Strandberg, Vice President, Global Marketing Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions, Covidien/Zephyr Technology
• Jim Taschetta, CMO and Head of Retail Sales, iHealth Lab
• Mark Walters, Chairman, Z-Wave Alliance

“Healthcare is one of the most promising, and most challenging, markets for the Internet of Things," said David Friedman, CEO and co-founder, Ayla Networks. "We can already see how wearables and other devices can help people monitor and improve their health. But we also need to improve security and develop policies for privacy and data sharing. Technology will transform medicine, but we have many issues to resolve.”

“The success of connected health products will go beyond simply passing data from a device to a mobile app," said Jim Taschetta, CMO and Head of Retail Sales at iHealth Lab. "To be viable over the long term, products must 1) be easy for consumers to use and adopt, 2) deliver improved outcomes, and 3) seamlessly plug into the existing health ecosystem. We must design end-to-end solutions, not just devices, that empower the individual to take a more active role in their healthcare.”

"Connection itself is an ongoing macro technology trend for the home, health, and the self," said Muhammad Abdurrahman, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder, Playtabase. "We see devices in each of those categories working together to enable previously unrealized activities and better outcomes."

Event keynotes include Ascension Health, Humana Wellness, Kaiser Permanente, Optum, Qualcomm Life, and Walgreens.

Sponsors are ADT, Care Innovations, Lowe’s, Z-Wave, Walgreens, Independa, Masimo, Ayla Networks, Playtabase, and Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson & Johnson Company.

Information about the Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers is available at www.connectedhealthsummit.com. Press passes are available at http://www.parksassociates.com/events/connected-health/media. To schedule a meeting with an analyst or speaker, contact Holly Sprague at hsprague@gmail.com or 720.987.6614.

Wearable Computing: Fitness and Health in Style is available for purchase at www.parksassociates.com. 

About Connected Health Summit: Engaging Consumers

Parks Associates’ sixth-annual Connected Health Summit: Independent Living and Wellness is an executive conference focused on the impact of connected devices and IoT healthcare solutions on consumers at home.

Connected Health Summit provides insights on new business models, IoT technologies, consumer behaviors, and deployments relevant to consumer healthcare solutions. The conference addresses opportunities for new solutions, including smart home platforms, on-demand services, voice assistants, and wearables, to empower consumers, caregivers, and providers with new insight into patient health and to meet the growing demand for services in independent living, chronic care management, remote access to care, and wellness and fitness.

Connected Health Summit: Independent Living and Wellness will take place August 27-29 at the Pendry San Diego in San Diego, California. www.connectedhealthsummit.com

Follow the event on Twitter at @CONN_Health_Smt. Subscribe to Parks Associates’ digital health newsletter at http://www.parksassociates.com/newsletters_subscribe.