Macrogen to introduce Microsoft's cloud service

Macrogen said it has signed a business agreement with Microsoft Korea to advance the genome analysis environment based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution technology.

Under the accord, the two companies will establish a cooperative model that applies Microsoft's advanced IT solutions and technical know-how.

Macrogen plans to introduce Microsoft's Azure, its public cloud computing platform, to build an advanced IT environment for artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of big genomic data and speed up digital transformation. In addition, Microsoft plans to actively support technology and education to apply the optimal genome analysis environment based on industry-specific experiences worldwide.

Macrogen expects that Azure will help the company increase the availability and stability of NGS (next-generation sequencing) data operation.

"This agreement is meaningful in that it has prepared the company for digital transformation in the healthcare field in cooperation with a global cloud company," Macrogen CEO Kim Chang-hun said. "We have been preparing to become a next-generation healthcare company for the past 25 years.

As a digital health care company in the post-corona era, Kim added that the company would speed up personalized healthcare solutions by combining personal genomic information, living information, and medical information integrated with big data and AI.

Microsoft Korea CEO Lee Ji-eun also said, "Through this agreement, we will collaborate with Macrogen to create a leading case of digital innovation in the genome analysis environment."

Microsoft has a variety of excellent cloud technologies for the development of the biotechnology and bio industries and continues to cooperate with healthcare companies not only globally but also in Korea, Lee added.

Lee stressed that the company would continue to be the best partner for industry development and digital transformation.