Big Tech In Healthcare: Here's who wins and loses as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft home in on niche sectors of healthcare

Executive Summary

Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft have been dipping their toes into the healthcare industry for some time, but over the past year and a half, we’ve seen all 4 zeroing in on their strategies and moving ahead with their infiltration of the industry. Some of their endeavors—like Amazon’s health insurance joint venture, Apple’s deep dive into medical research, and Microsoft/Google’s cloud-computing projects— have the potential to change healthcare at large. As the Big Four move steadily onward into healthcare, it’s necessary for legacy players (hospitals, insurers, pharma companies, health IT firms) know exactly what the tech giants’ strategies look like, and what they stand to lose and gain.

Three Questions This Report Will Answer:

• What do each of the Big Four’s healthcare strategies look like and how have they evolved over time?
• How are healthcare incumbents (hospitals, pharma companies, health IT firms, insurers) being affected by tech giants’ pushes into healthcare? What do legacy players stand to gain/lose?
• What does the future look like for the tech giants’ health plays? How are they transforming the healthcare industry at large?

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? In this report, Business Insider Intelligence explores the key strengths and offerings the Big Four tech giants bring to healthcare — and how each is homing their healthcare strategy in on different corners of the market. We outline how their healthcare plays are causing a tidal change throughout the healthcare industry, examining how each player benefits and threatens healthcare incumbents. Finally, we lay out the barriers holding the Big Four back from reaching their full potential in healthcare.