Calling Dr. McCoy

With tonight's premiere of the latest Star Trek film, I find it very interesting to see Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric, holding what looks to be the prototype of Dr. McCoy's tricorder.  Immelt announced that GE is planning to invest $6 billion to develop low cost health care equipment by 2015.

The product Mr. Immelt was displaying at yesterday’s announcement was a hand-held ultrasound device. This type of innovative, low-cost technology falls right in line with President Obama’s commitment to invest in new technologies and health care improvements (which in turn will lower overall costs for American consumers).

GE is also leading the way in environmentally responsible technologies in Masdar City in  Dubai. When completed, Masdar will be a completely carbon neutral city powered by renewable energy sources. The project is a joint venture between GE and Mubadala (UAE investment corporation).

GE’s initiative in leading the way to better technologies at home and abroad seems to resemble the ideologies that brought us out of the dark by turning on the lights. Today it looks like GE is preparing to take us “where no man has gone before.”