Fitbit teams with Dexcom for glucose monitoring on Ionic watch

Fitbit wants you to socialize more and get fit

Fitbit announced Thursday that it has a new partnership with Dexcom, makers of glucose monitoring products.

The first planned initiative is basically a data sharing pact between Fitbit's new Ionic watch and Dexcom's G5 Mobile continuous glucose monitoring system. Using the Fitbit SDK, data from Dexcom's glucose monitoring will become accessible on the Ionic smartwatch without the need for a smartphone or an app.

"The strength of our brand and our ability to track critical health metrics continuously for up to 4+ days, coupled with Dexcom's market leadership in CGM, present a powerful combination that we hope will help millions of people better manage their diabetes," said Fitbit CEO James Park. "With Ionic, we are focused on driving positive health outcomes and more health focused tools."

Fitbit launched the Ionic last month as a way to compete with Apple Watch and other more full featured smartwatches. The Ionic comes with built-in GPS and NFC, improved heart-rate tracking, some degree of water resistance, and a music player.

But beneath the fancy features is a big bet on data. Fitbit is angling to use personalized data to build a new business model that revolves around services. If all goes well, Fitbit could become a key health care player in the enterprise and push patients toward better outcomes.

As for Dexcom, the San Diego-based company has pushed hardware and software partnerships as a way to broaden the reach of its services. Dexcom was an early partner of Apple's via the HealthKit and Apple Watch.

Coincidentally, this new Fitbit glucose monitoring data service is identical to one that's already available on the Apple Watch.

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