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Microsoft announced last Wednesday that it was rebranding its disparate healthcare enterprise software offerings under the umbrella name “Amalga.” Here’s a rundown:
“Amalga, the unified intelligence system, is being targeted for release to manufacturing in the first half of calendar year 2008. An early-adopter customer program is being established for the released versions of Amalga HIS and Amalga RIS/PACS, which are focused on healthcare providers in countries outside the United States.”
In a bit of a surprise, Microsoft today announced that it was acquiring the assets of Global Care Solutions, a small Thai health information systems developer:
Microsoft today announced HealthVault, “a software and services platform aimed at helping people better manage their health information”. The elevator pitch according to Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of the Health Solutions Group at Microsoft, is that:
“People are concerned to find themselves at the center of the healthcare ecosystem today because they must navigate a complex web of disconnected interactions between providers, hospitals, insurance companies and even government agencies.
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The launch of HealthVault makes it possible for people to collect their private health information on their terms and for companies across the health industry to deliver compatible tools and services built on the HealthVault platform.”
Leave out the health slant, and it sounds remarkably similar to an announcement back in 2001:
Microsoft today announced the acquisition of Medstory:
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has agreed to acquire Medstory Inc., a privately held company based in Foster City, Calif., that develops intelligent Web search technology specifically for health information. The acquisition represents a strategic move for Microsoft in the consumer health search arena and signals a long-term commitment toward the development of a broader consumer health strategy. Medstory employees will join the Health Solutions Group, a recently formed division at Microsoft that will manage product development and delivery. Financial terms were not disclosed, as part of the agreement between the organizations.
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Unlike results from most search engines, Medstory’s results are based on intuitive search technology, which provides prequalified information to consumers and health professionals conducting health-related research. This unique approach provides users with intelligent guides to help refine and better target their searches. Users receive organized content that is more relevant to their search criteria and that enables better health-related decisions.
Healthcare IT is always touted as a hot area, but never seems to get the buzz, perhaps because processing medical paperwork is inherently boring despite the opportunities that abound. My last mention in relation to Microsoft was last July when the Health Services group it self was announced in connection with another acquisition. On the the other hand, Medstory seems to have very little to do with health care per se, and more to do with search technology.
Todd Bishop has more on the Medstory acquisition (it’s only a 10 person company) and more on Microsoft’s Health Solutions group which had a variety of announcements today at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Conference including the broad availability of Microsoft’s Connected Health Framework Architecture and Design Blueprint for service providers.
Update 2/27: In a talk to anlaysts, Ray Ozzie indicated “that while initially the Medstory technology will be worked into the company’s health solutions group, ultimately ‘it will be woven into the mainline search.’”
Microsoft Corp. today announced that it has agreed to acquire the health intelligence software Azyxxi™ and to forge a strategic alliance with MedStar Health.Neupert’s position was announced as “Corporate Vice President for Health Strategy” last year and his new title is apparently so fresh that his Microsoft biography hasn’t been updated yet. The Health Services Group seems to fit under the incubation part of Craig Mundie’s brief.Designed by doctors for doctors in one of the country’s busiest hospitals, Azyxxi (rhymes with “Trixie”) was created by Craig Feied, M.D., Mark Smith, M.D., and Fidrik Iskandar using Microsoft® development tools. It brings together all types of patient data from hundreds of sources and makes them instantly available at the point of care.
Azyxxi was first deployed in 1996 in the emergency department of one of MedStar Health’s hospitals, Washington Hospital Center, in Washington, D.C. In addition to serving as a repository for all of a patient’s routine clinical information, Azyxxi provides caregivers with instant access to a comprehensive view of each patient that includes EKGs, scanned documents, X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans and even dynamic angiograms and ultrasound images. The acquisition of Azyxxi deepens Microsoft’s commitment to the healthcare industry while making a proven solution more widely available to its customers. Financial terms were not disclosed as part of the agreement between the organizations.
Under the terms of the acquisition, the Azyxxi creators will continue to support the development and expansion of the Azyxxi solution. Drs. Feied and Iskandar, along with approximately 40 employees from the development team at Washington Hospital Center, will join Microsoft and continue to work on research and future enhancements to the product. Dr. Smith will remain as chairman of the emergency medicine department at Washington Hospital Center and will also serve as chief clinical liaison to Microsoft.
A newly formed division at Microsoft led by Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of the health solutions group, will incorporate the new employees and manage product development and delivery. Neupert rejoined Microsoft in September 2005 to coordinate its global health strategy. He reports to Craig Mundie, the company’s chief research and strategy officer.
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Microsoft and MedStar Health have also agreed on a strategic alliance designed to deliver collaborative innovation to customers as the technology becomes commercially available. Building on more than 10 years of experience, Washington Hospital Center will serve as the development laboratory and continue to develop prototypes and deploy new features that support and enhance the Azyxxi technology.
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