Is Healthvault working towards a larger open compliance model where multiple vendors can participate in creating supply side software and services that works at the same level as HealthVault, eg data storage, or is Microsoft specifically looking towards a Microsoft-centric backbone where they control the bottom level of the stack?
Jeff Kane
24 Jul 2008 2:17 AM
13 Aug 2008 10:42 PM
Jeff – thanks for the question – here is a quick response:
Microsoft is committed to empowering consumers and improving health... and to making sure the approach we are taking will be open at multiple levels.
We have made an announcement on our plans – you can read it here (insert link) and have already taken steps to implement it. It consists of the following:
- releasing the HealthVault extensible markup language (XML) interface specifications to the public under open, royalty-free terms. With this information, third parties will be able to recreate and reimplement the HealthVault interfaces -- and provide hosting for it – if they choose to.
- releasing the source for the HealthVault .NET software development kit (SDK) under a Microsoft Reference Software License. This way, developers have an authoritative SDK to refer to, allowing them to better implement HealthVault SDKs in other development environments
- actively supporting HealthVault developers in creating applications using the languages and frameworks they prefer, such as Java, Ruby, and PHP. We’re offering to assist them through project space on CodePlex, Microsoft’s web-based open source project management service
In addition – we have already implemented OpenID – so that folks can use alternative identity services... another demonstration of our approach.
We are hard at work building an ecosystem – enabling applications, motivating both partners and consumers to participate and to believe in a future where consumers are in control of their health data – and can easily connect with their health delivery service network (doctors, fitness, food, pharmacies and more). We believe Microsoft will be very good at delivering a service that consumers want to manage, store, protect and share their health data – and we are happy to compete on these terms – while being open at multiple levels.
Peter