Walmart, Microsoft cloud, AI pact has healthcare implications

Cloud computing in particular is big in health IT, with the global market expected to hit $35 billion by 2022. The supply chain aspect of the agreement could be taking aim at Amazon, which has been courting health systems to use Amazon Business as a marketplace for medical supplies. The new partnership will open up opportunities to use AI and machine learning to enhance the consumer experience. That's an area another competitor, Google, has focused on. Google's DeepMind, life sciences arm Verily and spinoff Calico have made forays into various areas within healthcare.