IBM to set up platform for health data analysis

International Business Machines Corp is joining with Apple Inc, Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic Plc to create a technology that will make it easier for healthcare companies to analyze patient data.

IBM has announced a cloud-computing platform, called Watson Health Cloud, which can store and analyze anonymous patient data. A business unit will be created around the offering with at least 2,000 specialists, IBM said in a statement.

The company has been seeking growth in newer areas like data analytics and cloud computing as tumbling demand for legacy hardware and services has dragged down revenue. The company has increasingly relied on industry-specific partnerships to help boost sales, like these latest tie-ups in health care.