If there is any indication that BlackBerry is becoming more focused on what they want, this is one. Today, BlackBerry announced that they are taking a stake in NantHealth, a start-up that is working on various pieces of the digital health market, including connecting medical devices and the sharing of digital health records. In addition, future BlackBerry devices will support NantHealth’s medical software, known as the clinical Operating System (cOS), and use BBM Protected to allow for secure communication between doctors and patients.
Phone maker BlackBerry said on Tuesday it is taking a stake in NantHealth, a start-up that is working on various pieces of the digital health market, including connecting medical devices and the sharing of digital health records.
In an interview, NantHealth founder Patrick Soon-Shiong called the investment “strategic” but declined to say how much BlackBerry was investing. Future BlackBerry devices will support NantHealth’s medical software, known as the clinical Operating System (cOS), and use BBM Protected to allow for secure communication between doctors and patients. Before starting NantHealth, Soon-Shiong was the founder of two pharmaceutical companies — American Pharma Partners and Abraxis Bioscience.
BlackBerry said it is excited because the deal touches on where the company is headed in terms of its focus on specialized industries, such as healthcare, as well as on its BBM messaging service and QNX embedded operating system.
CEO John Chen has talked broadly about refocusing the company around those areas and, in particular, making sure that the device business appeals to heavily regulated industries, such as health care.
QNX is already used in many MRI systems, but BlackBerry said it hopes to expand the use of the software beyond the hospital and into future medical devices.
Edward Not Registered
Posted: April 15, 2014 at 9:36 AM EST
here we come!.. the KODAK route!
Matt Not Registered
Posted: April 15, 2014 at 3:48 PM EST from my BlackBerry Z10 | OS 10.2.1.2141
What does that mean?
Edward Not Registered
Posted: April 15, 2014 at 6:15 PM EST
As soon as Kodak lost momentum, it went for B2B segment, the first one, medical institutions.