Intel is no longer content to let the wearable market grow on its own.
The chipmaker, which has a long history of creating and nurturing new product categories such as the Ultrabook, completed the purchase of health band maker Basis Science. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but Intel said the Basis band will continue to be sold through its current retail outlets, but the Basis development team will immediately combine its efforts with Intel engineers to create new devices.
"The acquisition of Basis Science provides immediate entry into the market with a leader in health tracking for wearable devices," said Mike Bell, Intel vice president and general manager of the company's New Devices Group. "As we accelerate our position in wearables, we will build upon this foundation to deliver products that bring people greater utility and value. I'm confident that our collective resources and expertise positions us well for the future."
Intel has never been afraid to tell the industry how it would like to see a product category develop. This guidance is needed since Intel is often required to supply the processor "brains" behind new devices so it makes sense for the company to create developmental guidelines that it can then properly fulfill.
In this case Intel realizes companies will be looking for chips so it is getting ahead of the curve. It did the same with Ultrabooks when it issued production guidelines and standards that laptop makers had to meet to be called an Ultrabook. It also created a large marketing program surrounding the new product, which helped it gain mind share among consumers.
Snatching up Basis is just one part of Intel's overall plan to become a force in the wearable market. The research firm IHS expects 56 million wearable devices to be shipping by 2018.
"Intel is actively pursuing a range of products and initiatives with the goal of accelerating wearable device innovation. The company's strategy is to create wearable reference devices, SoCs and other technology platforms ready to be used by customers in development of wearable products," the company said in a written release.
During the International CES in January Intel's CEO Brian Krzanich gave an early look at what the company has planned. He showed off Intel-developed designs.
Kraznich wowed the crowd during his CES keynote address by showing off "smart" ear buds that not only charge off the attached phone but also keep track of various fitness activities. Next was a "smart charging bowl." Here devices are deposited and charged using conductive technology, curing the problem of having a power cable for each device.
Intel also had an extra smart, smart watch that added geo-fencing to the normal smart watch functions. Geo-fencing is the ability to monitor the wearer's location and operate in conjunction with a set time frame. For example, Krzanich said, the watch could note that a teen was expected to arrive at a certain location at a specific time, and if this did not take place, a message would be sent to the parent.
