Microsoft Corp.’s (NYSE:MSFT) New Microsoft Band

Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT) revealed a new technology – fitness band. It is a wrist-band with associated internet-based services that helps to keep track of data related to sleep, health and fitness. This device was introduced into the wearable-computers market today and is called the Microsoft Band.

Microsoft Band costs $199 and uses Microsoft’s (NYSE:MSFT) online health application. The application interprets fitness data by machine learning process and is compatible with the three major platforms today – iOS, Android and Windows.

By paving a path into the wearable devices market, Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT) has attained an upper hand over the smaller technology companies. The company has launched the Microsoft Band around the release-dates of Apple Inc. (NYSE:AAPL)’s iWatch. Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT), believes that the company has rightly launched the wearable computer by playing in its strong area, which is to use algorithmic analysis to put together data and generate information that gives deep insight.

Yusuf Mehdi, the vice president of Devices and Studios, said that all wearable devices that have been introduced so far are great in their own area, forming their own islands. There is a possibility where you must be able to access your gathered data from all the devices that you used to gather it, and piece it together to generate information.

Today, Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT)’s shared declined by 1.1% to a value of $46.12.

The Microsoft Band and its associated health app will be capable of tracking and maintaining statistics such as how deep the wearer sleeps, the calories that the wearer burns are from fat or carbs and recovery time for a specified exercise type. It can also determine the effectiveness of alcohol or caffeine on the body. The Microsoft Band incorporates some of the workout programs from Gold’s Gym and Shape and Men’s Fitness Magazines. The band can also work with apps from MapMyFitness, Jawbone and RunKeeper.

IDC analyst, Ramon Llamas, predicts that the wearable-computers market will increase in the future. Sales of wearable devices were 6 million last year, they will increase to around 113 million in 2018. The unique feature in the Microsoft Band and its app is their capability to analyze data and statistics. Llamas said that there are hundreds of fitness trackers today that will get information about your past, but there are hardly any devices that will tell you about what you should do next. Hence, the actual value lies not in Microsoft Band, but in the associated app, Microsoft Health.

Microsoft Band has around 10 sensors. The band let’s wearers pay for their Starbucks Corp.’s (NYSE:SBUX) beverages, sends notifications from the Windows phones and incorporates a GPS device. The band is a smart device, complete with weather, e-mail, Facebook Inc.’s (NYSE:FB) connectivity, Twitter Inc.’s (NYSE:TWTR) profile connectivity stock prices and, of course, Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT)’s very own voice-controlled personal assistant, Cortana. In the future, the Microsoft Health app can be linked to reminders, calenders and even Office programs, according to the general manager of Personal Devices at Microsoft Corp. (NYSE:MSFT).