Thanks for your comments. Please see my most recent post: “Microsoft Aims for the Clouds”

I think you are onto something.

The whole Microsoft thing is about to go non-linear.

Late to the ‘net, late to the cloud . . . but deeper pockets than anyone in our galaxy.

Monkey boy about to go whole hog open source . . . is it freezing somewhere?

But I do disagree with your overall analysis of Google vs. Microsoft and like you, I use Google to run a lot of the operations of my small, but growing operations. Google is a great platform!

Google has some real attributes that Microsoft is still struggling to adopt without cannibalizing its core business. In consumer healthcare though, MS is starting with a clean slate and we are far from seeing this whole story completely play out. Hell, we don’t even know how it will begin as there are a number of ways/business models that these two 800 pound gorillas may deploy in this sector for this sector is still very, VERY young.

And each of them will struggle with getting that all important digital data in some automatic fashion to populate a consumer’s health record. This digital data, when you can even find it, is sorely lacking and more sorely stored within provider practices. How these two companies crack that nut will be interesting to watch. BTW, I have asked both of them about this issue and would argue that MS is well ahead of Google on tackling this critical issue.

These are just a some issues and I haven’t even started on Dossia, HIEs, RHIOs and health banks, which throws a whole other angle to this story.

Bottom-line, we have a very long ways to go and it is far too early to begin picking winners or for that matter, who is in the best position to win.

As an FYI, did my own review over at http://www.chilmarkresearch.com and like you will continue to follow this closely as it is EXTREMELY interesting and it WILL have a major impact on healthcare that even in our broadest imaginations, I do not think we can yet fully grasp.

“The danger with Wells Fargo and Bank of America on line banking efforts is that somebody will crack their security in the future. The fact that they are a private company getting data about your finances must concern us. ”

The privacy argument as a rate limiting factor in my mind is non-sensical. I feel confident that WF/BofA have completed abstracted that as a concern of mine. In addition, this argument should be muted by the fact that more than 50M US Citizens currently use online banking, and 50% of those use it every week. It is the killer app of the internet and our familiarity, comfort, and even confidence in security measures should translate well with health care data.

Clearly, we need to be cautious, but I am more than optimistic that financial services has blazed an very wide path that health care services can follow in these areas.

Unclear on how Keyose security provides me any additional comfort through the use of non personal log in information. Send me some more information regarding it please and would be happy to check it out.

The danger with Google Health and HealthVault is that somebody in the future crack their security systems.

Also the fact about a private company getting data about your health must concern us.

There is an alternative, http://www.keyose.com/, designed by the doctor that described the first case of Wiiitis, its philosophy is based on total anonymous users. A smart mechanism allows the store of clinical record without asking you any personal data (not even your email).

Confidentiality is in such a way assured.