Microsoft buys into medical search

Microsoft has bought Medstory Inc for an undisclosed amount to try and improve its Live search site.

The search specialist will join Microsoft's health solutions group which is targeting the consumer health market. Microsoft will keep Medstory's search portal open.

Medstory founder and managing director Alain Rappaport will join Microsoft as general manager of health search. He said Medstory was "enabling computers to more intuitively conduct searches in the way that people think".

Health is a very popular search query. Medstory divides search results into areas like conditions, drugs and substances, procedures, complementary medicines, and nutrition. Academic research results are kept on a separate page.

Medstory is here, or the Microsoft press release is here. ®