Virgin HealthMiles has added Fitbit integration to its online employee health offering. The Framingham-based Richard Branson company recently announced that it would offer its program to family members of subscribed employees for free. Now those employees and family members who use Fitbit activity trackers and weight scales will be able to connect those devices to their Virgin HealthMiles dashboard with one click, and automatically upload step data once the connection is set up.
Virgin HealthMiles has existing integrations with a number of apps, but only one device, the Polar heart rate tracker. The platform integrates with Runkeeper and MyFitnessPal, and, through Runkeeper, members can use devices like Withings weight scales and Wahoo heart monitors, Product Manager Gregg LaRoche told MobiHealthNews in an email. The company also has its own pedometer, the GoZone, and is planning to introduce a new device soon.
"We want to make it easy for members to choose the device that fits their lifestyle best, whether it’s our own device or another device of their choice," LaRoche wrote. "The Fitbit partnership is a great example of this."
Fitbit, meanwhile, has been increasingly interested in the corporate wellness space. It integrated with social corporate wellness platform Keas earlier this summer and is also a possible early partner for Jiff's upcoming employee wellness offering. Fitbit offers a platform directly to employers called Fitbit @ Work which currently works with Asurion, Autodesk, Cerner, Pega, Practice Fusion, and Tel, according to its website. Fitbit raised $43 million from three new investors last month.
The integration will allow HealthMiles users to incorporate Fitbit data across the company's engagement platform, which includes social and gamified contests and tracking programs, as well as rewards. It supports the Fitbit Flex wristband, the Fitbit Aria weight scale, and the Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip clip-on activity trackers.
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