The land of Genomic Opportunity: Microsoft Securing a Way to Provide Genomic Data to Customers Via Partnership With Illumina?

IlluMSina

Microsoft xbox, Smartphone, Tablet, PC at home, smartwatch, cloud: Microsoft needs the Illumina sequencing machines to enable people to play with their genome (speed dating, XBox, genealogy) on a variety of MS device (Cloud included!)

Interesting! “@thomasjkerjean: Illumina #1 smartest company in world for MITtechreview @cathcoste @nxtstop1 pic.twitter.com/SBv5Md7aMt”
— Bernadette Keefe (@nxtstop1) April 5, 2014

Deciding on the Do's and Don'ts in "genomic entertainment" is something that needs to be done -- and by whom? Best scenario case: MS, Google, Apple. Worst scenario case (should "best" one fail to happen): rogue hackers. Major players need to set appropriate limits: this is the only way to expand growth opportunities in "genomic entertainment market" (you don't want to scare your customers away).

People will want to own their genomic data, be it to play with it or to discuss it with Physicians/Practitioners. Best way for MS to enter this B2C market and win over this mass market -- let's call it the genomic entertainment market -- is by achieving partnership with Illumina... No better solution for MS to secure a way to provide genomic data to MS products (software, hardware) than a partnership with Illumina. Sony knows very well that genomic entertainment is becoming a reality, and they already have anticipated this market trend. So have Apple, FB... And, oh, of course, customers will want a user-friendly solution, otherwise they'll turn to Apple or Google or Samsung...

.@thomasjkerjean @nxtstop1 No @illumina HiSeq X Ten in Europe (one in Finland?)->Europe NOT getting ready 4 precision medicine era #genomics
— CATHERINE COSTE (@cathcoste) April 5, 2014

Martin Reese of Omicia Inc. predicts genomic analysis will switch from 80% research in 2013 to 80% clinical in 3-5 years.

MS has never shown any interest in medical & healthcare stuff... A majority of the medical staff (generally speaking) use Apple products; not MS. But what if consumers have their genomic data on their MS device(s)? It only makes sense to say that they might want to discuss their genomic data for health reasons too. Playing and having fun with the data is one thing (genomic speed dating? xbox etc.) Next step would be: using the data for precision (personalised) medicine.

People will want to own their genomic data. When it comes to decision-making about customers' genomic data, customers will have the ultimate say; not Apple or Google or MS. Now, once this is correctly anticipated, I can't see any reason why MS should miss out on this exciting opportunity: genomic entertainment, and then: precision medicine (genomic medicine)...

CONCLUSION:

1) Will Sweden buy an Illumina HiSeq X Ten? 
2) Will Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, Mohali, Punjab, team up with Illumina on some sequencing project?
etc. 

1) There seems to be a recent effort of scientists like @JCVenter and @EricTopol to push #IndividualizedMedicine over #PersonalizedMedicine
— Moses M. Feaster (@MosesFeaster) April 1, 2014

2) I'm curious as to why... is it to differentiate #omics- and #stemcell-based approaches to patient-specific treatment?
— Moses M. Feaster (@MosesFeaster) April 1, 2014

3) Topol refers to "personalized" medicine as a hackneyed term, and claims that many people connect that term with #conciergemedicine
— Moses M. Feaster (@MosesFeaster) April 1, 2014

In @WIRED "Forget the Quantified Self. We Need to Build the Quantified Us"  http://t.co/dLEpGRSmJL nice h/t to @Crohnology - via @jranck
— Bryan Vartabedian (@Doctor_V) April 4, 2014

Martin Reese of @Omicia predicts genomic analysis will switch from 80% research in 2013 to 80% clinical in 3-5 yrs http://t.co/DDFHWtm4Y5
— Moses M. Feaster (@MosesFeaster) March 25, 2014