At Web2.0 Summit yesterday (no, Matthew isn’t important enough to be invited to apply for a ticket, but I met a VC for lunch there so I knew it was happening!) Google’s new (and presumably temporary) head of health care Marissa Mayer gave some more details about what’s coming.
First, it’s supposed to be arriving in early 2008.
Second it’s going to have in it the already leaked PHR components, and it will include a rumored (but I don’t think confirmed to this point), physician directory. More interestingly apparently While some parts of the system will be free, she says, the health care services and applications could be subscription-based.
Google hasn’t really done subscription based services to this point, and consumers haven’t exactly flocked to them in heath care as yet. So what they’re thinking about there I’m curious to know.
I’m also wondering what’s happening in the 90 minute all hands meetings Marissa has every day with the Google health team!
But of course so long as Google owns search and search owns the Internet, what they decide to do in health care is about as important as anything—hence our continued fascination.
CODA: By the way, Richard Martin, the scribe at Information Week is probably causing the Redmond PR folks to be pulling their hair out. He says, Microsoft has not publicly disclosed its plans for a health-related product, but is said to be working on an offering that combines software with an online component. Given the attention lavished on a lowly blogger to make sure I knew all about the health piece of Live Search and Healthvault launch earlier this month, I’m sure someone at Information Week should have caught wind of Microsoft’s activity!
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