Microsoft Nudging Healthcare into the Internet Age

At the end of February 2008, Microsoft introduced a new initiative focused on its HealthVault platform and HealthVault Search service, designed to catalyze research and development in healthcare. With the HealthVault Be Well Fund program the Redmond company committed no less than $3 million to help finance the development of online health software solutions. Three months later, the Be Well Fund was increased to a total of $4.5 million due to the immense response the company received from U.S. academic and research health organizations.

"We are at the beginning of a long journey to bring healthcare into the Internet Age - and no one company can do this alone", said Peter Neupert, corporate vice president of the Health Solutions Group at Microsoft. Approximately 200 proposals have been submitted as of May 9, 2008, the last day participation requests were accepted.

According to the Redmond company the request for proposal phase of HealthVault Be Well Fund program was one of the most successful in the history of Microsoft Research RFPs. The second annual Microsoft HealthVault Solutions Conference in Bellevue will be the stage where the company will announce the recipients of the grants. The conference is scheduled to take place on June 9-10, 2008. Essentially, what the Redmond company is aiming for is bridging the gap between the current healthcare system and the Internet, bringing something that is by excellence analog into the digital era. In this regard the HealthVault Be Well Fund was addressed at not-for-profit researchers and developers wishing to make an impact in improving health.

"We created the HealthVault Be Well Fund to stimulate invention by health champions who believe in the use of information technology to improve health and patient outcomes. We are delighted with the response and have increased the funding to help more organizations move faster to turn ideas into real online health solutions", Neupert added.