UMikhal Marek Umenzi wamasongo ohlakaniphile uJawbone umangalele imbangi yakhe uFitbit. Abaphathi be-Jawbone abakuthandi ukusetshenziswa kwamalungelo obunikazi ahlobene nobuchwepheshe "okugqokekayo". Ku-Fitbit, umkhiqizi omkhulu kunabo bonke emhlabeni wabalandeleli bokufaneleka, ngokusobala lezi yizindaba ezimbi. Kodwa uma uJawbone ewina icala, uFitbit ngeke kube yedwa onenkinga enkulu. Lesi sinqumo singaba nomthelela omkhulu kubo bonke abakhiqizi balokho okubizwa ngokuthi "okugqokwayo", okuhlanganisa ne-Apple manje.
Icala elibhekene neFitbit lifakwe ngesonto eledlule futhi liphathelene nokusetshenziswa kabi kobuchwepheshe obunelungelo lobunikazi obusetshenziselwa ukuqoqa nokuhumusha idatha ehlobene nempilo yomsebenzisi nomsebenzi wezemidlalo. Kodwa-ke, uFitbit ngokuqinisekile akuyena yedwa osebenzisa amalungelo obunikazi e-Jawbone acashunwe ecaleni. Isibonelo, amalungelo obunikazi ahlanganisa ukusebenzisa "inzwa eyodwa noma ngaphezulu etholakala kudivayisi yekhompuyutha egqokekayo" nokusetha "imigomo ethile" "esekelwe kumsebenzi owodwa noma eminingi ehlobene nempilo," njengemigomo yesinyathelo sansuku zonke.
Okuthile okufana nalokhu kuzwakala kuyinto evamile kubo bonke abanikazi be-Apple Watch, amawashi anesistimu yokusebenza ye-Android Wear noma amawashi ezemidlalo ahlakaniphile avela enkampanini yaseMelika i-Garmin. Bonke bangakwazi, ngamazinga ahlukahlukene, ukubeka imigomo yokuzivocavoca okuhlukahlukene, inani lama-calories ashisiwe, isikhathi esichithwa ulele, inani lezinyathelo, nokunye okunjalo. Amadivayisi ahlakaniphile abe esekala le misebenzi futhi ngenxa yalokhu umsebenzisi angabona inqubekelaphambili yakhe efinyelele kumanani amisiwe aqondiwe. "Ukube benginawo lawa malungelo obunikazi, bengizomangalelwa," kusho uChris Marlett, oyi-CEO yeqembu lokutshala imali yempahla yengqondo i-MDB Capital Group.
Amanye amalungelo obunikazi omhlathi amabili nawo azwakala ajwayelekile. Enye yazo iphathelene nokusetshenziswa kwedatha evela kuzinzwa ezigqokwa emzimbeni ukuze kucatshangelwe isimo somzimba somsebenzisi kumongo, ngokwesibonelo, indawo. Okwesibili kuphathelene nokukalwa okuqhubekayo kwamakholori omsebenzisi athathwayo nawakhiphayo. Ukuthola lawa malungelo obunikazi, uJawbone wathenga i-BodyMedia ngo-April 2013 ngamadola ayizigidi eziyikhulu.
USid Leach, uzakwethu enkampanini yabameli i-Snell & Willmer, ubikezela ukuthi leli cala lizodala izinkinga kuzo zonke izimboni embonini. "Kungaba nomthelela naku-Apple Watch," esho. Uma uJawbone ewina icala lenkantolo, uzoba nesikhali ngokumelene ne-Apple, esabisa ngokubusa imakethe kuze kube manje ephethwe yiFitbit noma iJawbone ngokwayo.
"Ukube bengingumhlathi," kusho uMarlett, "bengizobeka i-Fitbit phansi ngaphambi kokuthi ngihlasele i-Apple Intellectual kungenzeka ibe isici esibalulekile senkundla yempi eyenzeka njengoba imakethe yokugqokwa ikhuphuka phezulu. "Impi yelungelo lobunikazi ingumphumela cishe njalo uma kuphuma ubuchwepheshe obudume kakhulu futhi bunenzuzo enkulu," kusho u-Brian Love we-Santa Clara School of Law yase-University of California.
Isizathu salokhu silula. Njengama-smartphones, amasongo ahlakaniphile aqukethe ubuchwepheshe obuningi obuhlukene kanye nezakhi zelungelo lobunikazi, ngakho-ke ngokwemvelo kuzoba nezinkampani eziningi ezifuna ukuthatha i-bite kulo mkhakha wobuchwepheshe okhulayo.
UFitbit umangalelwa ngesikhathi lapho inkampani isizoba ngeyokuqala embonini ukuphumela obala. Le nkampani, eyasungulwa ngo-2007, ilinganiselwa ku-$655 million. Cishe sekuthengiswe imishini ye-Fitbit eyizigidi eziyi-11 ngesikhathi inkampani ikhona, kanti ngonyaka odlule inkampani yathatha imali ehloniphekile engu-$745 million. Izibalo zesabelo senkampani emakethe yaseMelika yabaqaphi bemisebenzi engenazintambo nazo kufanele ziphawulwe. Ngekota yokuqala yalo nyaka, ngokusho kwenkampani yokuhlaziya i-NPD Group, lesi sabelo sasingama-85%.
Impumelelo enjalo ibeka imbangi yeJawbone endaweni yokuzivikela. Le nkampani yasungulwa emuva ngo-1999 ngaphansi kwegama elithi Aliph futhi ekuqaleni yayikhiqiza amakhithi angenazintambo ezingenazintambo. Le nkampani yaqala ukukhiqiza ama-trackers emisebenzi ngo-2011. Nakuba inkampani ezimele inemali eyizigidi ezingu-700 zamaRandi futhi inenani lamaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezintathu, kuthiwa ayikwazi ukuxhasa ngempumelelo ukusebenza kwayo noma ukukhokha izikweletu zayo.
Okhulumela iFitbit uyaziphika izinsolo zikaJawbon. "I-Fitbit ithuthuke ngokuzimela futhi inikeza imikhiqizo emisha esiza abasebenzisi bayo ukuba baphile impilo enempilo futhi esebenzayo."
