ALPHABET

Google enters the connected objects market for good

Technology company Google announced on Friday the purchase of Fitbit, one of the world's leading fitness connected objects.
The number one search engine will pay $ 2.1 billion for the operation, which will close in 2020, according to Google.
Google's move comes in the context of an attempt to expand business beyond the internet search engine and while Fitbit is struggling to impose itself on competitors such as Apple.
"We have built a trusted brand that serves more than 28 million active users worldwide who rely on our products for a healthier, more active life," Fitbit co-founder and CEO James Park said in a statement. set announcing the pact.
"Google is an ideal partner for advancing our mission. Thanks to Google's capabilities and its worldwide platform, Fitbit will be able to accelerate innovation in the connected objects industry," he added.
Fitbit bracelets are ubiquitous in the United States, where millions of people use them to calculate the number of steps they take every day.
The brand was one of the first to expand the use of fitness bracelets, but has lost ground in recent years to competitors.
Chinese company Xiaomi leads the connected objects market ahead of Apple, Huawei and Fitbit, according to IDC office research in the second quarter of 2019.

Source: AFP