This week Netpulse, Inc, a provider of personalized interactive media for fitness centers and active lifestyle consumers, announced that it has acquired San Francisco-based Virtual Active. As a part of the acquisition, the entire Virtual Active team will be joining Netpulse, also based in San Francisco, to develop engaging exercise media experiences for active people.
This will see Netpulse expand its platform, which provides consumers worldwide with engaging content and data regarding their fitness experience, outside health clubs via mobile devices and home fitness products. Additionally, Netpulse has partnerships with seven of the leading commercial fitness equipment manufacturers, accounting for over 73 percent of global fitness equipment sales to health clubs.
The Virtual Active team adds a bit of “virtual reality” experience by filming and producing high-definition footage of runs and rides through famous locations around the world. These are shot from a first-person perspective to essentially transport exercisers to trails and paths in breathtaking destinations including the Swiss Alps, Northern Italy, the Black Forest, Rocky Mountains, and famous cityscapes like Los Angeles, Chicago, Berlin, and Venice. Soon, exercisers will even be able to experience renowned events such as classic cycling races and famous marathons around the world.
“Virtual Active’s engaging content and propriety methods combined with Netpulse’s patented technology creates an incredibly powerful platform that provides tremendous benefits to our OEM partners, health clubs, and exercisers,” said Netpulse CEO and Co-Founder, Bryan Arp. “With the Virtual Active acquisition, 2012 is going to be an explosive year of growth for us as we integrate sponsored events, social competitions, and other gamification elements into our interactive media solution.”
And all this from the home!