Shortly after officially launching their new line of heart rate monitors at Interbike in Las Vegas, Garmin has taken a second big step into the bicycle, fitness, and outdoor markets with the acquisition of MotionBased Technologies.
MotionBased is a web-based service that analyzes GPS and work-out data to calculate time, distance, speed, elevation, and heart rate and then displays this information for its users through charts, illustrations, reports, and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic, and elevation maps. The company also offers a service that utilizes Google Earth to visualize their activity via satellite photo or map.
Users can replay their workout using media controls as they watch themselves move along the mapped route coupled with an elevation profile. Each activity stored in a personal online digest is also added to the TrailNetwork — a growing database of routes created by the MotionBased community. Members use the TrailNetwork to seek out new activities in their region, to find popular routes while traveling, or to engage in “virtual races” with other MotionBased users.
The acquisition marks a key move towards integrating electronics, the Internet, and any form of physical activity. MotionBased Technologies will continue operations as a division of Garmin International, which itself is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
