Microsoft and General Electric this morning confirmed that they’ve given the name “Caradigm” to their new health-technology joint venture, and announced the Microsoft and GE executives who will be making the switch to lead the new company.

The name Caradigm had surfaced earlier in trademark filings, but the companies hadn’t previously confirmed it.

So where does it come from?

“Caradigm will be aimed at driving a paradigm shift in the delivery of care by enabling health systems and professionals to use real-time, systemwide intelligence to improve healthcare quality and the patient experience,” the companies explain. “Upon formation, the new company will develop and market an open, interoperable technology platform and collaborative clinical applications focused on enabling better population health management to improve outcomes and the economics of health and wellness.”

What does that mean, exactly? The companies are planning to give demonstrations of future Caradigm product features later this month at the HIMSS12 health IT conference in Las Vegas, where the execs tapped to lead Caradigm will also be speaking to media and analysts.

Caradigm is expected to launch in the first half of this year, pending regulatory approval. The companies said previously that the venture would be based in the Seattle region, with about 750 employees to start. No word yet on the specific location.

Michael J. Simpson, a GE executive, will be the chief executive of the new company. Here are the additional Caradigm executives announced today.

  • Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President, Product Strategy: Dr. Brandon Savage, currently chief medical officer, GE Healthcare IT
  • Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Engineering: Neal Singh, currently general manager of Microsoft Dynamics AX Global Financial Management
  • Chief Operating Officer: Nigel Mason, currently director, GE Healthcare Commercial Centre of Excellence
  • Chief People Officer: Tami Lamp, currently senior HR director, Microsoft
  • General Counsel and Vice President: Warren Ratliff, currently chief counsel, GE Healthcare IT Knowledge & Connectivity Solutions

The companies also identified members of the Caradigm board:

  • John Dineen, president and CEO, GE Healthcare
  • Jan de Witte, president and CEO, GE Healthcare IT and Performance Solutions
  • Kirill Tatarinov, president, Microsoft Business Solutions Division
  • Amy Hood, corporate vice president and CFO, Microsoft Business Division
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