GE Medical Systems Group has been working on an affordable, mobile EKG machine for rural India. The work started in 2007. Using Indian engineers, they created a small (7 lbs.) machine (MAC 400) with a built-in printer that can be sold for $2,500. It operates on batteries so that it can be used anywhere, even in places where there is no electricity. This compares with a large 65 lb. machine that sells in the USA for over $10,000.

The Chinese engineers in the GE system heard of it and added SMS messaging to the machine so that the digital data can be uploaded and sent to any remote location. Now this Chinese version (MAC 800) is being marketed in the USA. They call it “diagnosis meeting messaging”.

Source: Prahalad & Krishnan (2009)