Microsoft to buy medical info search company

SEATTLE (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) said on Monday it will buy Medstory Inc., a California-based start-up company that develops Web search technology for medical information.

The world's largest software maker, which did not disclose financial terms of the deal, said the acquisition is part of a broader push into the consumer health-care market. The company declined to say when the deal would close.

Microsoft said Medstory's search engine is more intuitive than standard Web queries and helps consumers find more relevant information available on the Web and in medical journals.

Last year, Microsoft bought Azyxxi, a software system developed by a hospital to collect and display real-time patient data from a variety of sources.

Shares of Microsoft closed up 17 cents at $29.07 in Monday Nasdaq trade.