Microsoft isn’t known as a healthcare company, but when it comes to technology infrastructure – there is arguably no technology company with a greater presence across the health continuum than they do. Software pioneers Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft in 1975, and the company has delivered powerhouse platforms that have revolutionized industries across a broad spectrum. Microsoft is empowering people and organizations to improve healthcare, and they are making an impact.
Microsoft’s high profile acquisition of LinkedIn in June 2016, overshadows other important acquisitions and announcements that hold potential for a big impact on the health community. These include their 2011 acquisition of Skype, and their 2015 announcement of the Hololens – the first fully self-contained, holographic computer. These technologies are now a part of the Microsoft platform which enables entirely new ways of interacting with others and the world around us. In fact, if you haven’t seen how the Hololens can be used in healthcare yet, jump down the page and take a look what the developers at Case Western University are doing to use Hololens in the holographic anatomy program. It’s truly amazing.
My guest today is Neil Jordan. Neil is the Worldwide General Manager for the Health Industry for Microsoft. In this role, Neil acts as the chief strategist for the organization’s health initiatives worldwide. He’s responsible for defining and articulating the Microsoft vision for the future of healthcare, and, importantly, how Microsoft’s products, technologies and partner solutions are working to make it a reality.
Neil and I spoke about Microsoft’s programs such as Biz Spark and the Imagine Cup, and how they are helping innovators around the world to get access to leading technologies and services. We also spoke about the key pillars of Microsoft’s Health Transformation strategy, and the importance Microsoft is placing on creating exceptional experiences in all aspects of the user journey.
Links and Resources Mentioned:
- Microsoft in Digital Health Transformation
- www.healthdigitaltransformation.com
- Microsoft Health App on iOS
- Imagine Cup Competition – Imagine Cup is a global competition that empowers the next generation of computer science students to team up and use their creativity, passion and knowledge of technology to create applications that shape how we live, work and play. Every year tens of thousands of students from across the globe compete for cash, travel and prizes and for the honor of taking home the Imagine Cup!
- Clinicloud – 2012 winners of the Imagine Cup
Digital Stethoscope + Non-contact Thermometer
- Enty – 2016 Winner of the Imagine Cup
- Children’s of Mercy Hospital, Kansas City
- Biz Spark Program – BizSpark gives startups 3 years of free stuff – software, services, tech support, and Azure cloud. Your startup qualifies if it is less than 5 years old, is privately held, and earns less than $1M annually. And at the end of your 3 years, you keep all the software you’ve downloaded – at no cost.
- Public Cloud for Public Good – Designed to support anyone using the cloud technology for humanitarian uses that align with the strategic development goals of the United Nations
Video: Microsoft HoloLens
