core sector communique

Smart Healthcare & Fitness Wireless Accessories to Reach 54m in Unit Sales by 2017

Accounting for half the Smart Wireless Accessories Market

Hampshire, UK – 6th September 2012: A new class of smart devices that wirelessly link to smartphones and tablets will begin to gain traction over the next few years, with health and fitness leading the way. Increasingly intelligent accessories that focus on training, weight management and healthcare monitoring of chronic disease will dominate the market.

Juniper Research’s latest report on Smart Wireless Accessories forecasts that the total market will reach 110 million units in 2017, up from 10 million in 2012.

Fitness the Frontrunner

The report observes that companies such as Nike, Jawbone Up and others are familiarising the market with how such “smart hardware” can use the processing power of the smartphone to analyse and relay information. In the healthcare sector this can be used for managing chronic disease such as diabetes or COPD.

“Smart Wireless Accessories will become an important tool for the self-management of chronic disease, although more complex mHealth ecosystems will require bespoke devices, partly because the smartphone is not yet seen as a medical tool” says Anthony Cox. “This means that bespoke mHealth devices will also develop,” he says.

Further findings from the report include:

• Consumer electronics uses, such as video eyewear, and payment processing represent two further areas where Juniper Research forecast robust growth.
• Major retailers are allocating shelf-space to smart wireless accessories, particularly in the US.
• “Freemium” and SaaS (software as a service) business models will emerge as the market for smart wireless accessories matures

Juniper Research found a surprising diversity of players within the smart wireless accessories market observing that the market is characterised by both new-entrants, such as Square and iZettle, and established players, such as the sportswear brands Nike and Adidas.

The ‘Smart Accessories ~ Smart Devices!’ whitepaper and further details of the study ‘Smart Wireless Accessory Ecosystems: CE, Payments, Fitness & Healthcare 2012-2017’ can be downloaded from www.juniperresearch.com.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.