IBM and Apple have entered into an alliance to provide a platform for health researchers to combine information gathered from iOS users that opt-in to contribute their personal medical data.

Apart from Apple, IBM is also collaborating Medtronic and Johnson & Johnson. IBM will use its Watson artificial intelligence system to provide users insights and advice based on personal health information.

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IBM claims the booming numbers of personal fitness trackers and connected medical devices means the average person will generate more than one million gigabytes of health-related data in his lifetime.

IBM's plan is to take advantage of medical records increasingly being digitized, allowing quick access for patients and healthcare providers if the information can be stored and shared effectively.

"All this data can be overwhelming for providers and patients alike, but it also presents an unprecedented opportunity to transform the ways in which we manage our health. We need better ways to tap into and analyze all of this information in real-time to benefit patients and to improve wellness globally," said John Kelly, IBM senior vice president.

IBM officials hope more companies will join the health platform, which it envisions growing to a global scale.

Additionally, the New York based company said it's acquiring a pair of healthcare technology companies and establishing an IBM health unit.

The deal with Apple is not exclusive. Big Blue also announced plans to partner with Johnson & Johnson and Medtronic to "help optimize consumer and medical devices for data collection, analysis and feedback".

Under the partnership with Apple, IBM will be able to handle data collected using health applications (HealthKit and ResearchKit) from Apple mobile devices and provide a protected cloud platform.

TagsIBM and Apple Team Up to Provide Better Digital Health Data, Apple Inc., fitness tracker, digital health platform, Medtronic, Johnson & Johnson, Watson