Add Microsoft to the list of commercial IT companies making a greater investment in medical imaging analytics. Through a just-announced collaboration, the computer giant will incorporate Median Technologies' IBIOPSY imaging system into Azure, its cloud-based computing platform.

Together, the two companies will develop new methods of detecting, diagnosing, and monitoring cancer using big data analytics.

“Extracting biomarkers of disease from medical images is at the core of the precision medicine effort,” said Fredrik Brag, CEO of Median Technologies, in a statement. “Big Data computing and analytics will allow efficient processing and analysis of imaging biomarkers, which are essential for early detection of cancer and monitoring of new targeted cancer treatments.”

As part of the collaboration, the companies will also focus on the development of novel predictive analytics methods based on machine learning and encryption capabilities that will be available on Azure.

Microsoft's medical focus follows another computer company that has recently turned its interest toward health care; IBM's Watson is being used to interpret medical images with a software called Avicenna.

Additionally, Avicenna can help radiologists compare one specific image to another, and is currently specialized to work in cardiology and breast radiology. As of now, it is being tested on anonymous images but will soon be tested using real patient information.

Median's IBIOPSY system will eventually be available for medical facilities and physicians in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

“Precision medicine is about to revolutionize how diagnostic and biological data are used to pinpoint and deliver care that is preventive, targeted and effective,” said Brag. He said that the collaboration will allow Median to deliver its solutions into routine clinical practice on a global scale.

“By taking advantage of the powerful Microsoft Azure cloud platform, IBIOPSY will provide faster imaging and health data analysis and will accelerate the discovery and delivery of new biomarkers for cancer diagnosis and treatment monitoring,” said Bernard Ourghanlian, CTO and CSO of Microsoft France, in a statement.