IBM’s new billion dollar deal for Merge—How will healthcare change?
You are most likely already familiar with IBM, but are you knowledgeable on the company’s new deal that is about to take place? Not just only old deal either, but $1 billion acquisition that could potentially create some big changes in the healthcare industry.
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Specifically, IBM—a global computing powerhouse—has plans to soon acquire the Chicago-based Merge Healthcare for $1 billion, ultimately proving that IBM wants to grow its healthcare footprint further through its Watson technology.
Merge is currently known for making the technology behind medical imaging systems and will be bought out for $7.13 per share.
This isn’t the first time IBM has made headlines this year. Earlier, the company acquired Cleveland Clinic spinoff Explorys, as well as announced partnerships with Apple, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic to collect and analyze healthcare and medical device data.
But what does IBM plan to do and when will deal actually take place?
Experts have revealed that while the acquisition is still officially pending, it could be closed by the end of the year, which will allow the company to leverage a decade of research into various forms of image analysis, including healthcare imaging, in which it can be channeled into products and services.
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Furthermore, IBM has a goal that could make some waves in the healthcare industry—combine imaging analytics with Watson’s ability to analyze electronic health-record data and the most current clinical information from research, medical literature, best-practice guidelines and mobile wearable devices.
The end game is to have a computerized decision-support tool to ultimately help read an image. This innovating idea could actually assist specialist, as they may miss an important aspect if focused on a different perspective.
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[SOURCE: Modern Healthcare]
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