Microsoft, DOD build health data warehouse

Evidence continues to mount that Microsoft's talk about taking on healthcare isn't just posturing. The latest item is the software giant's participation in a joint effort with the U.S. Department of Defense, under which the two will build a huge medical data warehouse for the military. Microsoft will help the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center develop tools to slice and dice data for more than 9.1 million patient health records.

What's intriguing about this deal is that Microsoft is not being paid one cent for its development work--so it clearly sees the (probably sizable) investment as important to its own future. If Microsoft gets a foothold in the health data warehousing world, look for this sector to heat up fast.

In the mean time, Microsoft will almost certainly expand its healthcare footprint in other ways, observers say. Microsoft's billion-dollar healthcare group, which already has 600 employees in three divisions, just added a new Solutions group whose purpose is to make acquisitions.

To get more details on the deal:
- read this All about Microsoft item
- see this blog entry from Medical Connectivity Consulting

Related Articles:
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MS vs. open source: the battle gets hotter. Report
VA EHR project faces DOD opposition. Report

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