Microsoft announced a new piece of the software ecosystem it is building for health care: Amalga Life Sciences. The software is targeted at research institutes, pharmaceutical companies and large medical organizations to organize research data and design better clinical trials.

Jim Karkanias, senior director of applied research and technology with the Microsoft Health Solutions group, said in an interview that Amalga is akin to GPS for research data. The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is an early adopter, according to the company's news release, but it's unclear whether that means it's a customer.

The Health Solutions group has been developing products targeting customers along the full spectrum of the health-care system. Last week, the company launched a product with the Mayo Clinic targeted at consumers called the Mayo Clinic Health Manager, which helps individuals manage wellness and health conditions.

This was announced Tuesday by the company at the Bio-IT World conference. It's coming to you a day late because I was out sick Tuesday. I'm back in the swing of things today. I don't think it was swine flu.