With wireless technologies as prevalent as they are today, the thought of connecting two gadgets using a wire is almost unthinkable. File transferring between computers can be done over-the-air through Wi-Fi, while many headsets and headphones can connect to portable devices like cell phones via Bluetooth. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are just two of the technologies available, all in the name of helping you cut the cord.In the health and sports/fitness sectors, you may start hearing more and more about products adhering to the ANT+ protocol. This proprietary wireless protocol allows devices like heart rate monitors, speed sensors, blood pressure monitors, and blood glucose meters to talk to another device like a computer, smartphone, sports watch, GPS-enabled trainer, or exercise equipment (e.g. treadmill, stationary bike, elliptical, etc.), provided they are also ANT+ enabled. For example, while you’re exercising on a ANT+ fitness equipment, the data is wirelessly transmitted to the ANT+ sports watch you’re wearing, without the need to physically attach the watch to the fitness equipment. All this info can be transmitted and stored on your computer or in the cloud (such as Microsoft’s HealthVault or Garmin Connect), allowing you to analyze and track your progress. (At a gym we use, the Life Fitness elliptical can only download our workout info to a USB thumbdrive or a connected iPhone or iPod with Nike+, but would be much more useful if it could wirelessly transmit that info.)
ANT+ was built upon the ANT wireless sensor network technology, which is owned by a subsidiary of Garmin. A group of companies that include Garmin, Stairmaster, Timex, Microsoft, Adidas, Star Trac, Trek, Suunto, Nautilus, Sony Ericsson, and Specialized comprise the ANT+ Alliance, which oversees the standard and its branding, and ensures interoperability. The low-power technology is similar in functionality to Bluetooth, in which it allows two devices to pair and exchange data. Also, like Bluetooth, an ANT+ product connects to only one other product at a time, even though there may be several ANT+ devices in the area; this mean you won’t accidentally receive data from another product, say a treadmill that’s next to but isn’t being used by you. Although both Bluetooth and ANT operate on the 2.4GHz spectrum, the two technologies are not the same. Interestingly, a new feature of Bluetooth 4.0 called Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) will most likely compete with ANT+ in the future if it receives adoption as widespread as ANT+.
So why go with ANT+ at all, especially if Bluetooth can do the same thing? Well, the problem so far has been that Bluetooth has made many promises but in essence failed to deliver, and while it is possible to upgrade existing Bluetooth networks to the BLE, most experts say this isn’t so cut and dry. In the end it is all going to come down with support from product makers – and given that ANT+ has lined up many partners in the fitness space it is a safe bet that the ant will more can than can’t.