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Virtual microscopy is a relatively new term; however, it has its origins in a much older technology, that of Telemedicine (where Telepathology can be considered to be a subdiscipline). A general definition of this process would be the acquisition, storage and transmission of microscope images from a local site to a remote site for a specific reason. The main reasons for this were usually diagnostic, consultation or educational. The initial concept was probably driven by researchers in disciplines outside those of pathology or microscopy. Many believed that this was an example of a technology looking for an application, and this hindered the widespread acceptance of this technology.

The first telepathology system was developed in the United States in the 1960s when monochrome images were transmitted between locations via a microwave link. However, it was not significantly explored and used until the late 1980s with the advent of readily-available computer equipment. The main problem for telepathology at this time was a general scepticism about its practical use. Pathology is an extremely visual discipline and there were concerns that the technologywould be unable to deliver a high enough image resolution for diagnostic accuracy comparable to that being achieved by traditional microscopy diagnosis. However, the rapid growth in high-speed Internet connections, imaging and computing technology has provided a