UPDATED with a clarification from IBM Watson Health.
Topcon Healthcare Solutions said today that it is a preferred vendor for IBM Watson Health Imaging in support of a transition plan for the Merge Eye imaging platform.
IBM Watson plans to discontinue customer support for the Merge Eye Station digital fundus imaging platform and the Merge Eye PACS web-based image management system by the end of 2020. Topcon said it intends to provide a transition path for Merge Eye customers.
Topcon said it plans to allow customers to move patient data from the Merge Eye platform to its cloud-based Harmony data management system, regardless of existing hardware. Topcon also plans to allow data merging with its ImageNET 6 data management platform.
The Oakland, N.J.–based company also intends to offer a trade-in support program, giving existing Merge Eye customers an option to upgrade to Topcon’s latest imaging technology.
“We are pleased to welcome [Merge Eye Care PACS and Eye Station customers] to Topcon’s software ecosystem,” Topcon president Akifumi Baba said in a news release. “Our team has been working diligently to develop a suite of applications that will allow Merge Eye Care PACS and Eye Station users to seamlessly transition to Topcon Harmony.”
Shares of International Business Machine‘s (NYSE:IBM) were up 1% at $143.39 per share in mid-afternoon trading today.
Last August, IBM pushed back against reports that its artificial intelligence-powered products deliver less than promised, claiming that the reports are unfair and ignore its capabilities. A number of news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and STAT News, published criticisms of IBM’s Watson Health offerings, claiming that its capabilities fall short of the company’s large promises.