Samsung struck a multi-year deal with global health service firm Cigna to build health and wellness features into the handset vendor’s S Health app, which features on certain of its smartphones.

The initial aim of the alliance is relatively low level, delivering health tips and articles via Samsung’s app, but the ultimate goal is more ambitious. The partners want to connect individuals with health professionals and others to promote health and wellness.

“With this agreement, we are pioneering a new health service model of innovation by establishing a strategic alliance between global leaders in the mobile industry and the health industry,” said Won-Pyo Hong, president of Media Solution Center at Samsung.

The introduction of Cigna-based content to the S Health app started this month (October 2013) with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 in selected countries, including the US, UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Future deployment is vauge although the partners will say that over the next year, “additional co-developed functions and features will find their way to Samsung’s mobile devices worldwide”.