The Eager Beavertons' FuelBand is on life support, but the activity tracker’s proprietary point-based workout metric, NikeFuel, will likely to live on as the E.B.s remain committed to the software. CNET was the first to report the closure of NKE’s FuelBand unit and the layoff of 70 staffers, including 30 in Hong Kong, which helped develop the product. Subsequent reports suggested the action would mean the end of the FuelBand that measures steps taken, calories and Fuel burned.
But Nike said not so fast, suggesting it remains committed to the Nike+ FuelBand SE, intends to introduce new colorways of the wrist-worn tracker and will continue to support and to sell it for the foreseeable future. But for how long?
There is some speculation that the former Nike FuelBand staffers will now become Apple developers and that new Apple products in development, including a possible iWatch with health-tracking features, will utilize the Nike software. The new Fuel Lab in San Francisco will also encourage the use of the NikeFuel system in products being developed by other companies. So rather than be one of many in an increasingly crowded marketplace of activity trackers and support an equipment category that won’t be a needle mover to its top line, Nike appears to be moving forward with a strategy shift to more of a licensee of proprietary software.
