Wednesday, March 20, 2013
LIFE Expands in Diagnostics Market
Life Technologies Corporation (LIFE) along with Quidel Corporation (QDEL) recently received a 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") to market a new Clostridium (C.) difficile test of Quidel with Life Technologies' Real-Time PCR Instruments. These products will be used together to fight hospital-acquired infections, commonly known as C. difficile bacterial infection (CDI). This approval complements Life Technologies’ ongoing strategy to expand in the growing diagnostics market with innovative clinical assays and molecular testing products.
The life-threatening CDIs are commonly observed among the growing number of elderly population, especially those who are on a prolonged antibiotic regimen and are on extended hospital stays. The recent data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is quite shocking, as it shows that there are as many as 14,000 deaths annually attributed to CDI in the U.S., costing around a billion in excess treatment to the national healthcare system. Thereby, both the companies strongly believe in the need for a speedy and efficient diagnosis and as a result, are optimistic about the prospects of their new venture in this field of development.
Recently, Life Technologies undertook various measures to strengthen its diagnostics franchise. Last September, the company launched Pervenio Lung RS, a lab-developed test distinguishing high-risk from low-risk early stage lung cancer patients. Last month, the company received 510(k) clearance for its 3500 Dx Genetic Analyzers and SeCore HLA typing kits.
According to the company, the Applied Biosystems 3500 Dx/3500xL Dx CS2 Genetic Analyzers, Invitrogen SeCore HLA Sequencing Kits and uTYPE Dx HLA Sequence Analysis Software constitute the first 510(k)-cleared, sequence-based system for HLA typing in the U.S. Moreover, the 3500 Dx is the only 510(k)-cleared Sanger sequencer commercially available for the diagnostics market. Relying on the clearance, Life Technologies expects further development of assays using the 3500 Dx. In addition, the company has plans to submit its next-generation sequencing instrument, the Ion Torrent Personal Genome Machine (PGM), for 510(k) clearance.
Recently, Life Technologies entered a Master Development Agreement with Bristol-Myers Squibb for companion diagnostic projects. The collaboration with Bristol-Myers is in line with the company’s strategy of building partnerships with pharmaceutical majors for companion diagnostic development including the participation in early-phase clinical trials.
Earlier, the company formed a companion diagnostic partnership with GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) MAGE-A3 cancer immunotherapy and has an assay development partnership with Gen-Probe.
The company also strengthened its diagnostics franchise with three recent tuck-in acquisitions – Compendia Bioscience (Oct 8, 2012), Navigenics (Jul 16, 2012) and Pinpoint Genomics (Jul 25, 2012). Life Technologies expects a compounded annual growth rate ("CAGR") of 15% for its molecular diagnostic franchise through 2016.
Life on Mars! Unless it's E.T., Who Cares?
If a microorganism were found on Mars, would anyone care?
NASA scientists announced on March 12 that the Red Planet could have supported ancient life — though they don't yet have evidence that it did. A sample of rock drilled by the Curiosity rover revealed conditions that could have supported ancient microbes at some point in the distant past.
The news of even potential life made headlines, and there's no doubt the discovery of actual microbial life on Mars would, too. But the impact of finding life on another world might not be as Earth-shattering as one might think, experts say. That's mainly because the life probably wouldn't be asking to be taken to our leader.
"People don't get excited about microorganisms," said Chris McKay, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.
Life on Mars?
For scientists, Mars life would be a big deal, McKay told LiveScience. Even more paradigm-altering would be to find that life on Mars originated independently.
It's plausible that Mars and Earth exchanged material in their early days, and that life found on Mars could have arisen from the same source as life on Earth. Such a discovery would be intriguing, McKay said, but "not as profound as finding that there's life on Mars and finding that it represents a second genesis."
"If we find on Mars evidence for a second genesis, that changes everything," he said. [Photos: Curiosity Finds Habitable Martian Site]
Life evolving twice in the same solar system would suggest that life is common throughout the universe, McKay explained. Such a discovery would be huge for biologists, who would suddenly have an entirely new type of biology to study.
McKay doesn't envision any major shifts in philosophy among the public in response to such a discovery, though. The discovery of microorganisms on another planet wouldn't necessarily spur the need to re-evaluate humanity's place in the universe, for example.
"I would put it along the lines of the discovery of the Higgs boson," McKay said, referring to the particle theorized to explain where other particles get their mass. "It would be that sort of level of event. It would be out in the public and people would be like, 'Oh, wow,' but mostly it would be something that scientists would get into."
Physicists announced last week they had confirmed the newfound particle discovered with experiments in the Large Hadron Collider was indeed a Higgs boson, with other physicists expressing their excitement and exhilaration of the discovery.
Life versus life
Indeed, some data suggests that even the discovery of intelligent extraterrestrials wouldn't shake human society beyond its ability to cope. One survey of more than 1,300 religious individuals released in 2011 found that believers were extremely confident that the discovery of intelligent aliens wouldn't shake their faith. [7 Theories on the Origin of Life]
"Theologians and religious leaders who have looked at this, it's surprising to me that they have so little to say — almost as if it's not interesting," said Ted Peters, a theologian at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif., who led the study.
Mars microbial life would be unlikely to have much of a theological impact, Peters told LiveScience. Most religious traditions hold that life is the creation of God, but don't commit to an exact explanation of how God did it. Life's origin could happen through chemistry multiple times throughout the solar system and not conflict with these worldviews, Peters said.
The discovery of intelligent life somewhere in the universe would be far more theologically significant, Peters said. Such a discovery could throw open fundamentally spiritual questions, he said: Are the aliens spiritual? Do they have a sense of morality, empathy or love?
Intelligent aliens could also provide answers about the evolution of religious belief, Peters said. Some scientists hold that religion is a primitive way of explaining the world, and that science will replace it, he said. If super-intelligent aliens were to both embrace science and God, it might disprove that evolutionary theory.
Discovering intelligent life would also be scientifically valuable, above and beyond any discovery that microbes evolved on Mars, McKay said. There are three big steps that get you to a species like humans: The origin of life, the evolution of complex life such as plants and animals, and, finally, the development of intelligence.
"We don't have any expectation that, on Mars, life did the other two steps," beyond possibly originating, McKay said. "Communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence takes us to the end of that comparison, so we immediately know that all three steps occurred."
NASA scientists announced on March 12 that the Red Planet could have supported ancient life — though they don't yet have evidence that it did. A sample of rock drilled by the Curiosity rover revealed conditions that could have supported ancient microbes at some point in the distant past.
The news of even potential life made headlines, and there's no doubt the discovery of actual microbial life on Mars would, too. But the impact of finding life on another world might not be as Earth-shattering as one might think, experts say. That's mainly because the life probably wouldn't be asking to be taken to our leader.
"People don't get excited about microorganisms," said Chris McKay, an astrobiologist at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif.
Life on Mars?
For scientists, Mars life would be a big deal, McKay told LiveScience. Even more paradigm-altering would be to find that life on Mars originated independently.
It's plausible that Mars and Earth exchanged material in their early days, and that life found on Mars could have arisen from the same source as life on Earth. Such a discovery would be intriguing, McKay said, but "not as profound as finding that there's life on Mars and finding that it represents a second genesis."
"If we find on Mars evidence for a second genesis, that changes everything," he said. [Photos: Curiosity Finds Habitable Martian Site]
Life evolving twice in the same solar system would suggest that life is common throughout the universe, McKay explained. Such a discovery would be huge for biologists, who would suddenly have an entirely new type of biology to study.
McKay doesn't envision any major shifts in philosophy among the public in response to such a discovery, though. The discovery of microorganisms on another planet wouldn't necessarily spur the need to re-evaluate humanity's place in the universe, for example.
"I would put it along the lines of the discovery of the Higgs boson," McKay said, referring to the particle theorized to explain where other particles get their mass. "It would be that sort of level of event. It would be out in the public and people would be like, 'Oh, wow,' but mostly it would be something that scientists would get into."
Physicists announced last week they had confirmed the newfound particle discovered with experiments in the Large Hadron Collider was indeed a Higgs boson, with other physicists expressing their excitement and exhilaration of the discovery.
Life versus life
Indeed, some data suggests that even the discovery of intelligent extraterrestrials wouldn't shake human society beyond its ability to cope. One survey of more than 1,300 religious individuals released in 2011 found that believers were extremely confident that the discovery of intelligent aliens wouldn't shake their faith. [7 Theories on the Origin of Life]
"Theologians and religious leaders who have looked at this, it's surprising to me that they have so little to say — almost as if it's not interesting," said Ted Peters, a theologian at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif., who led the study.
Mars microbial life would be unlikely to have much of a theological impact, Peters told LiveScience. Most religious traditions hold that life is the creation of God, but don't commit to an exact explanation of how God did it. Life's origin could happen through chemistry multiple times throughout the solar system and not conflict with these worldviews, Peters said.
The discovery of intelligent life somewhere in the universe would be far more theologically significant, Peters said. Such a discovery could throw open fundamentally spiritual questions, he said: Are the aliens spiritual? Do they have a sense of morality, empathy or love?
Intelligent aliens could also provide answers about the evolution of religious belief, Peters said. Some scientists hold that religion is a primitive way of explaining the world, and that science will replace it, he said. If super-intelligent aliens were to both embrace science and God, it might disprove that evolutionary theory.
Discovering intelligent life would also be scientifically valuable, above and beyond any discovery that microbes evolved on Mars, McKay said. There are three big steps that get you to a species like humans: The origin of life, the evolution of complex life such as plants and animals, and, finally, the development of intelligence.
"We don't have any expectation that, on Mars, life did the other two steps," beyond possibly originating, McKay said. "Communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence takes us to the end of that comparison, so we immediately know that all three steps occurred."
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Mars Could Once Have Supported Life: What You Need to Know
Mars was capable of supporting microbial life in the distant past, scientists announced today (March 12).
They reached this conclusion after studying the latest observations from NASA's Curiosity rover, which just analyzed the first-ever sample collected from the interior of a Red Planet rock.
Here are answers to a few basic questions about Curiosity's discovery, and what it means about the Red Planet's past and the rover's future.
What exactly did Curiosity find?
Last month, Curiosity drilled 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) into a rock on a Martian outcrop that mission scientists have dubbed "John Klein."
The rover's onboard Chemistry & Mineralogy (CheMin) and Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments found some of the chemical ingredients for life in the collected powder, including sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon. The mix of compounds also suggests that the area may have contained chemical energy sources for potential Red Planet microbes, researchers said.
In addition, the sample contains clay minerals, indicating that the rock was exposed to a benign aqueous environment — such as a neutral-pH lake, for example — billions of years ago.
To be clear, Curiosity found no evidence that life has ever existed on the Red Planet. But its results suggest that the John Klein site could have supported microbes long ago, if they ever evolved on Mars or were transported there.
So what? Didn't we already know that ancient Mars was wet?
Scientists have known for years that water flowed or pooled on the surface of Mars in the ancient past. But there's more to habitability than the mere existence of liquid water.
For primitive microbial life to survive, a site must also have the right chemical makeup and a potential energy source, researchers say. And all of these ingredients were apparently present at John Klein.
Doesn't the right chemical makeup include organic compounds? Did Curiosity find any of those?
The SAM instrument can detect complex organics — the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it — and Curiosity is looking for these molecules on Mars, but it hasn't found anything conclusive yet.
The rover did detect two simple chlorinated organics at John Klein, as it did in a scoop of soil at another site called Rocknest late last year. There's no sign of complicated, long-chain organics such as amino acids yet, however.
But such molecules are not necessary for life to thrive, Curiosity scientists said. Here on Earth, many microbes do just fine by incorporating inorganic carbon — such as that contained in carbon dioxide — into their metabolic processes. And SAM did detect carbon dioxide in the John Klein sample.
"That's what we're real excited about," Curiosity chief scientist John Grotzinger, of Caltech in Pasadena, told reporters Tuesday.
How sure is the Curiosity team about all of this?
Pretty sure. Scientists typically are careful people loath to go out on a limb about their findings (with good reason, as their colleagues will quickly snap that limb in two if it's not sturdy enough). But there was no hemming and hawing about John Klein's long-ago habitability.
"We have found a habitable environment that is so benign and supportive of life that probably — if this water was around and you had been on the planet, you would have been able to drink it," Grotzinger said.
Does this mean life could survive on Mars today?
Curiosity's new results don't really speak to this issue, instead shedding light on Mars as it existed three billion years ago or so.
The Red Planet is much drier and colder today, making it considerably less hospitable to life as we know it. However, some researchers think Mars may still be capable of supporting microbial life, perhaps in damp, protected pockets underground.
Is Curiosity's mission over now? Hasn't it done what it set out to do?
Curiosity's main goal was to determine if the area around its landing site — Mars' huge Gale Crater — has ever been capable of supporting microbial life. And the 1-ton rover has indeed checked that box, just seven months after touching down.
However, the Curiosity team has no plans to quit now. They want to keep searching for signs of complex organics and investigate other sites, to gain a better understanding of how the Gale Crater area has changed over time. The John Klein site is not even the rover's final destination; at some point, Curiosity will turn its wheels toward interesting deposits at the base of Mount Sharp, the mysterious 3-mile-high (5 kilometers) mountain that rises from Gale Crater's center.
Scientists continue to stress that Curiosity's mission is discovery-driven, meaning they'll shape their plans around whatever the robot finds as it rolls across the Martian surface.
"Mars has written its autobiography in the rocks of Gale Crater, and we've just started deciphering that story," said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Mars Could Once Have Supported Life: What You Need to Know
Mars was capable of supporting microbial life in the distant past, scientists announced today (March 12).
They reached this conclusion after studying the latest observations from NASA's Curiosity rover, which just analyzed the first-ever sample collected from the interior of a Red Planet rock.
Here are answers to a few basic questions about Curiosity's discovery, and what it means about the Red Planet's past and the rover's future.
What exactly did Curiosity find?
Last month, Curiosity drilled 2.5 inches (6.4 centimeters) into a rock on a Martian outcrop that mission scientists have dubbed "John Klein."
The rover's onboard Chemistry & Mineralogy (CheMin) and Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instruments found some of the chemical ingredients for life in the collected powder, including sulfur, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus and carbon. The mix of compounds also suggests that the area may have contained chemical energy sources for potential Red Planet microbes, researchers said.
In addition, the sample contains clay minerals, indicating that the rock was exposed to a benign aqueous environment — such as a neutral-pH lake, for example — billions of years ago.
To be clear, Curiosity found no evidence that life has ever existed on the Red Planet. But its results suggest that the John Klein site could have supported microbes long ago, if they ever evolved on Mars or were transported there.
So what? Didn't we already know that ancient Mars was wet?
Scientists have known for years that water flowed or pooled on the surface of Mars in the ancient past. But there's more to habitability than the mere existence of liquid water.
For primitive microbial life to survive, a site must also have the right chemical makeup and a potential energy source, researchers say. And all of these ingredients were apparently present at John Klein.
Doesn't the right chemical makeup include organic compounds? Did Curiosity find any of those?
The SAM instrument can detect complex organics — the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it — and Curiosity is looking for these molecules on Mars, but it hasn't found anything conclusive yet.
The rover did detect two simple chlorinated organics at John Klein, as it did in a scoop of soil at another site called Rocknest late last year. There's no sign of complicated, long-chain organics such as amino acids yet, however.
But such molecules are not necessary for life to thrive, Curiosity scientists said. Here on Earth, many microbes do just fine by incorporating inorganic carbon — such as that contained in carbon dioxide — into their metabolic processes. And SAM did detect carbon dioxide in the John Klein sample.
"That's what we're real excited about," Curiosity chief scientist John Grotzinger, of Caltech in Pasadena, told reporters Tuesday.
How sure is the Curiosity team about all of this?
Pretty sure. Scientists typically are careful people loath to go out on a limb about their findings (with good reason, as their colleagues will quickly snap that limb in two if it's not sturdy enough). But there was no hemming and hawing about John Klein's long-ago habitability.
"We have found a habitable environment that is so benign and supportive of life that probably — if this water was around and you had been on the planet, you would have been able to drink it," Grotzinger said.
Does this mean life could survive on Mars today?
Curiosity's new results don't really speak to this issue, instead shedding light on Mars as it existed three billion years ago or so.
The Red Planet is much drier and colder today, making it considerably less hospitable to life as we know it. However, some researchers think Mars may still be capable of supporting microbial life, perhaps in damp, protected pockets underground.
Is Curiosity's mission over now? Hasn't it done what it set out to do?
Curiosity's main goal was to determine if the area around its landing site — Mars' huge Gale Crater — has ever been capable of supporting microbial life. And the 1-ton rover has indeed checked that box, just seven months after touching down.
However, the Curiosity team has no plans to quit now. They want to keep searching for signs of complex organics and investigate other sites, to gain a better understanding of how the Gale Crater area has changed over time. The John Klein site is not even the rover's final destination; at some point, Curiosity will turn its wheels toward interesting deposits at the base of Mount Sharp, the mysterious 3-mile-high (5 kilometers) mountain that rises from Gale Crater's center.
Scientists continue to stress that Curiosity's mission is discovery-driven, meaning they'll shape their plans around whatever the robot finds as it rolls across the Martian surface.
"Mars has written its autobiography in the rocks of Gale Crater, and we've just started deciphering that story," said Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA's Mars Exploration Program at the agency's headquarters in Washington.
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Sun Life Grows Dental Biz
In an effort to grow its dental business, the life insurer Sun Life Financial Inc. (SLF) has announced it will provide its customer facility on the United Concordia Alliance network. The network has replaced the Advantage Plus Network. The service will be provided by Employee Benefits Group unit of Sun Life Financial.
The United Concordia Alliance network will thereby provide its customers with 27% more dental provider access points than the old network.
Sun Life already has an active presence in the dental insurance markets. It sells dental preferred provider organization (PPO) plans in all states in the U.S., with coverage for employees and dependents.
The plan is packaged in such a way that customers can tailor make it according to their requirements regarding deductibles, benefit waiting periods, coinsurance levels, and plan maximums. Extra benefits offered by the plan are built-in routine care, orthodontia for children and adults, and an annual maximum rollover benefit.
The company will have a braod penetration in the dental insurance markets, given that United Concordia network has 96,000 providers at more than 246,000 access points throughout the U.S.
Other players in the same industry providing dental plans are MetLife Inc. (MET), Humana Inc. (HUM) and CIGNA Corp. (CI).
During the recently reported fourth quarter earnings the company witnessed a strong growth in its Employee Benefits Group business, on the back of increased sales.
Sun Life is a leading Canadian life insurance company, with an active presence in the U.S. Over the long term we believe the company will be able to generate superior returns for its investors given a proactive approach to managing and mitigating fundamental issues.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Save the Date: Revitas to Host Life Sciences Industry Summit in Philadelphia
Revitas's annual Industry Summit: Life Sciences will be held on November 5-6, 2013 at the Four Seasons Philadelphia. This industry event features a combination of thought leadership tracks, keynote speakers, and user best practice sessions designed to showcase the power of Enterprise Revenue Dynamics.
Capitalizing on the success of last year's Summit, the 2013 Revitas Industry Summit: Life Sciences event will bring together approximately 250 Revitas customers, partners, industry professionals, and executives to learn and share best practices, and network with colleagues and industry experts.
The event will focus on the complex issues facing life sciences companies in contracting, pricing, and compliance. Last year’s industry keynote presenter Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., Founder and President of Pembroke Consulting Inc. and author of the Drug Channels website, spoke about how government regulation, shifting market lines, and increased transparency have challenged the life sciences. The 2013 Summit will push that conversation forward, addressing how the industry is handling global revenue management issues, where it is heading in 2013 and beyond, and how life sciences organizations can better manage their commercial and government contracting strategies through Enterprise Revenue Dynamics.
“Over the past year, the life sciences industry has gained some clarity through the Supreme Court’s Affordable Care Act ruling, but this clarity is fraught with complex regulations and new challenges,” said Al Smith, President and COO of Revitas. “Back by popular demand, the Revitas Industry Summit: Life Sciences will be an epicenter of thought leadership on the current life sciences landscape. With a global client base of midsize and large-scale companies across multiple industries, we understand the challenges of channel distribution in international markets. We’re bringing together executives and operational leaders of the foremost pharmaceutical companies to share global revenue management trends, strategies for emerging growth companies, opportunities for generics manufacturers, and forecasting and accrual tactics that will help these companies strengthen their businesses to drive revenue growth while maintaining rock-solid compliance.”
Capitalizing on the success of last year's Summit, the 2013 Revitas Industry Summit: Life Sciences event will bring together approximately 250 Revitas customers, partners, industry professionals, and executives to learn and share best practices, and network with colleagues and industry experts.
The event will focus on the complex issues facing life sciences companies in contracting, pricing, and compliance. Last year’s industry keynote presenter Adam J. Fein, Ph.D., Founder and President of Pembroke Consulting Inc. and author of the Drug Channels website, spoke about how government regulation, shifting market lines, and increased transparency have challenged the life sciences. The 2013 Summit will push that conversation forward, addressing how the industry is handling global revenue management issues, where it is heading in 2013 and beyond, and how life sciences organizations can better manage their commercial and government contracting strategies through Enterprise Revenue Dynamics.
“Over the past year, the life sciences industry has gained some clarity through the Supreme Court’s Affordable Care Act ruling, but this clarity is fraught with complex regulations and new challenges,” said Al Smith, President and COO of Revitas. “Back by popular demand, the Revitas Industry Summit: Life Sciences will be an epicenter of thought leadership on the current life sciences landscape. With a global client base of midsize and large-scale companies across multiple industries, we understand the challenges of channel distribution in international markets. We’re bringing together executives and operational leaders of the foremost pharmaceutical companies to share global revenue management trends, strategies for emerging growth companies, opportunities for generics manufacturers, and forecasting and accrual tactics that will help these companies strengthen their businesses to drive revenue growth while maintaining rock-solid compliance.”
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Life Fitness' Open API Changes Future of Mobile Fitness Apps, Personalized Workouts
Climb 100 floors on the stairclimber and earn a free smoothie? According to Life Fitness, the global leader in commercial fitness equipment manufacturing, these scenarios represent the new wave in fitness technology. Life Fitness introduces LFopen, the fitness industry's first and only open API (Application Programming Interface), that is changing the way exercisers interact with fitness equipment and, as a result, the future of fitness facilities.
As the first equipment-maker to open its product platform to all developers last October, Life Fitness boasts the only true open API in the fitness industry. In contrast to select partnerships with app developers, Life Fitness has made portions of its product code accessible to all developers around the world, without restrictions. This truly open integration benefits fitness facility owners looking to provide their customers with greater access to content and personalization, app developers and exercisers.
Tech Demand and All-Access App Development
According to a global survey conducted by Life Fitness last year*, access to mobile technology is extremely important for exercisers. In fact, one-third of survey respondents said they would be willing to switch gyms to gain access to WiFi, docking stations, video, audio or online content on equipment.
Using LFopen, app makers can tap into consumers' desires for fitness technology to build an endless spectrum of personalized fitness applications that work directly with Life Fitness workout equipment. Life Fitness' open API gives customers and developers access to the same API Life Fitness used to develop its own Life Fitness app and tracking website, LFconnect, with no restrictions or partnerships involved.
"Opening up our API was a bold decision, but one that allows the best creative minds to unleash their talents and develop applications we could never have dreamed up," said Chris Clawson, president, Life Fitness. "Providing an open platform means that we, as a fitness equipment manufacturer, can focus on our strength of building the best workout equipment on the market, while developers use their expertise to create engaging, motivational and personalized applications for exercisers."
As a result, exercisers can download any app with LFopen integration to create a customized gym experience tailored to their preferences. Both Android and iOS users can take advantage of apps since Life Fitness is the only fitness manufacturer whose platform is compatible with both operating systems.
Mobile Apps as the New Customer Clincher
From integration with front desk systems to enhancing on- and off-product experiences at the gym, facilities can use LFopen to attract, retain and grow with exercisers in a hyper-personalized way. Facilities can work with developers to create facility-branded apps that leverage workout presets, workout results, real time monitoring and more.
"There is a lot of confusion surrounding the term 'open API' and what it means for fitness facilities," said Clawson. "As the leader in fitness technology, we're looking forward to defining this term and showing facility owners how it can, and will, impact the future of fitness and, ultimately, their business' bottom line."
March 14th Webinar
Life Fitness will host a global webinar on the benefits of open API, led by Clawson, at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 14th. Clawson will give details on open platform strategies and how the "open" movement will affect the fitness industry, from facility owners to app developers and exercisers. To sign up for the LFopen webinar, please register online at: www.lifefitness.com/openwebinar.
As the first equipment-maker to open its product platform to all developers last October, Life Fitness boasts the only true open API in the fitness industry. In contrast to select partnerships with app developers, Life Fitness has made portions of its product code accessible to all developers around the world, without restrictions. This truly open integration benefits fitness facility owners looking to provide their customers with greater access to content and personalization, app developers and exercisers.
Tech Demand and All-Access App Development
According to a global survey conducted by Life Fitness last year*, access to mobile technology is extremely important for exercisers. In fact, one-third of survey respondents said they would be willing to switch gyms to gain access to WiFi, docking stations, video, audio or online content on equipment.
Using LFopen, app makers can tap into consumers' desires for fitness technology to build an endless spectrum of personalized fitness applications that work directly with Life Fitness workout equipment. Life Fitness' open API gives customers and developers access to the same API Life Fitness used to develop its own Life Fitness app and tracking website, LFconnect, with no restrictions or partnerships involved.
"Opening up our API was a bold decision, but one that allows the best creative minds to unleash their talents and develop applications we could never have dreamed up," said Chris Clawson, president, Life Fitness. "Providing an open platform means that we, as a fitness equipment manufacturer, can focus on our strength of building the best workout equipment on the market, while developers use their expertise to create engaging, motivational and personalized applications for exercisers."
As a result, exercisers can download any app with LFopen integration to create a customized gym experience tailored to their preferences. Both Android and iOS users can take advantage of apps since Life Fitness is the only fitness manufacturer whose platform is compatible with both operating systems.
Mobile Apps as the New Customer Clincher
From integration with front desk systems to enhancing on- and off-product experiences at the gym, facilities can use LFopen to attract, retain and grow with exercisers in a hyper-personalized way. Facilities can work with developers to create facility-branded apps that leverage workout presets, workout results, real time monitoring and more.
"There is a lot of confusion surrounding the term 'open API' and what it means for fitness facilities," said Clawson. "As the leader in fitness technology, we're looking forward to defining this term and showing facility owners how it can, and will, impact the future of fitness and, ultimately, their business' bottom line."
March 14th Webinar
Life Fitness will host a global webinar on the benefits of open API, led by Clawson, at 1 p.m. Eastern on Thursday, March 14th. Clawson will give details on open platform strategies and how the "open" movement will affect the fitness industry, from facility owners to app developers and exercisers. To sign up for the LFopen webinar, please register online at: www.lifefitness.com/openwebinar.
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