Wearable technology looks likely to be heading through Google, after Nike announced it would be moving away from wearable tech and more into the software development sector. It comes after repeated rumors that the massive apparel corporation was dropping its Fuelband.
It appears that the company isn't giving up entirely and will be leaving the hardware business behind to focus more on the software side of things. This doesn't mean that Nike is leaving wearable tech altogether, but it appears that it would be looking to work out a deal with a tech company, such as Apple - which is rumored to be discussing such possibilities - to develop futuristic ideas.
Nike CEO Mark Parker told CNBC that the company going to be moving away from hardware into a more software focused idea via the NikeFuel activity-tracking product and other apps.
The announcement comes after Facebook purchased Moves - a fitness app - that is likely to be Nike's major competitor.
Parker said "digital sport" is expected to see integration into more of the company's products.
"We think it's going to be a bigger and bigger factor in terms of experience with the products we create," he said.
The goal is to think bigger and to attract more users to the NikeFuel product. Currently, the company stated it is looking to more than triple its current user base from 30 million to 100 million, but did not give a time frame for that goal.
There has been a large amount of speculation over which route Nike was to take in the ongoing battle for fitness supremacy, but with fitness-tracking products not selling well, the logical response of moving into apps and software may be a positive for Nike, who wants to reboot itself as a forward-thinking, modern and technologically savvy company.
A potential partnership with Apple could sway consumers who are looking for fitness attire while also wanting the hi-tech gadgets that are currently being developed. But Nike has been hush on the idea of joining forces with Apple even as companies like Facebook and Google appear to be heading directly into the fitness realm and wearable tech that Nike had thought it would lead.
Although Parker did not admit to a relationship with Apple, he didn't deny it and said he would be watching collaborations in the future closely.
