IBM To Acquire Truven Health Analytics for $2.6 Billion
IBM Watson Health announced this morning that it will acquire Truven Health Analytics for $2.6 billion in its fourth acquisition since Watson Health was formed in April 2015. The acquisition will give Watson Health 8,500 new clients and increase its coverage to 300 million patient lives.
“With this acquisition, IBM will be one of the world’s leading health data, analytics, and insights companies, and the only one that can deliver the unique cognitive capabilities of the Watson platform,” said Deborah DiSanzo, general manager for IBM Watson Health.
The Watson Health unit houses previous acquisitions Phytel, Explorys, and Merge Healthcare.
Veritas Capital acquired the healthcare business of Thomson Reuters in June 2012 for $1.25 billion, renaming it Truven Health Analytics. March 2015 reports suggested that Truven was preparing for an IPO that would have valued the company at $3 billion.
Sounds reasonable, until you look at the Silicon Valley experience. Silicon Valley grew like a weed precisely because employees could…