Comments on: Microsoft buys health search engine, Medstory

By: Edelman Dublin » Blog Archive » The Monday Roundup

Edelman Dublin » Blog Archive » The Monday Roundup — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 18:32:35 +0000

[...] VentureBeat reports on the purchase of a specialised Internet search firm, MedStory, by Microsoft. There are a couple interesting trends in search at the moment such as Internet users turning to Wikipedia ahead of Google to find specific information. Specialised search is one of those trends which willgrow in leaps and bounds over the next year or two. [...]

By: Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Symptoms of Celiac Disease — Thu, 10 May 2007 17:05:02 +0000

I think this is a good move by Microsoft because the online health niche is very big and difficult to move into. By buying an established health website MS will be able to fast track success. With the addition of web 2.0 technologies MS could become a power house in online health.

By: Jimmy C

Jimmy C — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:20:24 +0000

I think this is a VERY smart move by Microsoft.

By: Adam Sharp

Adam Sharp — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 03:19:53 +0000

The results aren’t bad, but I don’t think refinement-based search engines like this will catch on. People want to search for a keyword and get the results in one step.

In my health search engine, http://www.healthfind.com, I’m using different kinds of categories (alternative med, forums, kids, pets, as well as the general engine). I think having different search-categories is more effective than post-search refinements.

By: Search Engines WEB

Search Engines WEB — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 06:25:49 +0000

hmmm…

Is this an attempt to cash in on the information needs of the ageing Baby Boomers – and the ‘turning 40′ Generation X’ers?

By: Hitnews

Hitnews — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 20:48:02 +0000

Your Article and Link Add your http://www.hitnews.net

Thanks for post

By: Mehdi

Mehdi — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 06:10:21 +0000

interesting article

By: Gordon

Gordon — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:55:12 +0000

This

Doctors, hospitals and other healthcare facilities currently use a host of different software programs that lack standard ways to input and retrieve healthcare records and other data. Microsoft hopes that it can help standardize that process, making healthcare easier to use

doesn’t make a lot of sense. This purchase has zero to do with how Doctors, hospitals and other healthcare facilities input the data. while I have no doubt that MS would like to standardize that process on its products, this purchase seems to pass by that goal without ever touching it.

By: Yakov

Yakov — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 00:05:20 +0000

Esther told me a long ago that a vertical search engine is a way to win in this industry. Sounded like she could predict the above exit already We have a platform technology to easily create those verticals. We started with a search for kids.

By: Kind And Thoughtful

Kind And Thoughtful — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:33:33 +0000

I think this is a smart move by Microsoft. There are many great things happening in medicine and healthcare.

By the way, on a different subject, I think credit should be given to Melinda Gates. I think she was the catalyst for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation doing so much humanitarian work. Behind every great man there is a great woman. Together they are changing the world and making it better. I applaud them and think of them as a national treasure.

By: MPBelanger

MPBelanger — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:48:53 +0000

Can anyone report Medstory’s first venture round valuation?

By: Rex

Rex — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:41:20 +0000

I don’t believe Ms. Dyson is with CNET anymore. She’s certainly no longer listed on the editors page:

http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-33_7-5448861-1.html

By: Kathy

Kathy — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 19:35:31 +0000

I just wanted to mention another health search engine that launched recently… http://www.healia.com