Microsoft Corp. and General Electric Co., through its healthcare IT business, have partnered to create a joint venture that is aimed at helping healthcare organizations and professionals use real-time intelligence to improve healthcare quality and the patient experience. 

Photo: Microsoft and GE are committed to improving health, from www.microsoft.com

The venture, that is yet to be named, will develop and market an open, interoperable technology platform and innovative clinical applications to increase better population health management and improve the overall economics of health and wellness.

These reforms include a shift toward new payment models and better care coordination and performance improvement. Through the partnership, Microsoft’s deep expertise in building platforms and ecosystems with GE Healthcare’s experience in clinical and administrative workflow solutions will be combined to empower healthcare professionals with the intelligence.

“High-quality, affordable healthcare is one of the biggest challenges facing every nation, but it’s also an area where technology can make a huge difference,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft. “Combining Microsoft’s open, interoperable health platforms and software expertise with GE’s experience and healthcare solutions will create exciting opportunities for patients and healthcare providers alike. Working together, GE and Microsoft can help make healthcare systems more intelligent and cost efficient while improving patient care.”

The two parent organizations will contribute intellectual property including the Microsoft Amalga, an enterprise health intelligence platform; Microsoft Vergence, a single sign-on and context management solution; Microsoft expreSSO, an enterprise single sign-on solution; GE Healthcare eHealth, a Health Information Exchange; GE Healthcare Qualibria, a clinical knowledge application; and Mayo Clinic.

The venture will be headquartered near the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash., with presence in Salt Lake City, Utah, and additional cities around the world. The launch is expected in the first half of 2012.