LIMSource: What's New Right Now

• Autoscribe Releases Matrix LIMS Ver 5 and Resource Planner at Annual User Meeting While Claiming a "World First" for Number of Concurrent Customer LIMS Demonstrations
• New Report Highlights Brand Perceptions of Leading Scientific Instrumentation Suppliers
• Scientific Software Announces New EZChrom Elite Version 3.1.6
• EISC Offers R&R Suite Limited Trial Version
• Agilent Technologies Introduces 32-Bit ChemStation Analytical Laboratory Software
• Agilent Renames CyberLAB to Cerity ECM
• Thermo Electron to Highlight Leadership in Asset Management, including Multi-Vendor Services and Managed Maintenance, at Pittcon 2005
• Baseline Development Group Selects ExtremeZ-IP for Cross-Platform File Sharing Group Logic's Award-Winning Product Replaces Problematic MacServerIP
• William Ransom Installs Matrix LIMS
• Thermo Electron Opens New Biomarker Research Facility with Massachusetts General Hospital
• Agilent Technologies Completes Acquisition of Silicon Genetics, Leading Provider of Life Science Informatics
• TraxStar Offers New Feature to Manage Fixtures in Latest QATrax Release
• SAP Launches SAP Security Optimization
• SAP and HP Offer Hosted Solutions
• EarthSoft Announces Collaboration with Laboratory Data Consultants to Provide Advanced Software Supporting Data Validation
• New ARC Market Study Reviews the Status of Wal-Mart's RFID Efforts
• Agilent Technologies Reports Fourth Quarter 2004 Results
• Bruker BioSciences Reports Third Quarter 2004 Financial Results
• Autoscribe and Savant Make Light Work of Laboratory Training
• Wonderware Releases eComplianceSolution for FDA Regulation
• Labtronics' Collect SL Offers Simple, Cost-effective RS232/Serial Data Acquisition
• Labtronics' Wireless Data Collection Replaces PCs, Cables and Clutter
• IBM Extends WebSphere for RFID
• Atrium Research and Scientific Computing Form Partnership
• Keith Huxford Joins Autoscribe’s Sales & Marketing Team
• New ARC Study Finds that EPC RFID ROI Is Lacking

Autoscribe Releases Matrix LIMS Ver 5 and Resource Planner at Annual User Meeting While Claiming a "World First" for Number of Concurrent Customer LIMS Demonstrations

Autoscribe has claimed a "world first" for the number of concurrent customer LIMS demonstrations held at the Matrix LIMS User Meeting on 2nd November at the WilliamsF1 Conference Centre in Grove, near Wantage, in the UK. The programme featured the release of two new products - Matrix LIMS Version 5 and Resource Planner. One key point of interest with Matrix Version 5 was the demonstration of how the configuration tools can be used to create web client screens as well as conventional client screens. The system supports a mix of clients and only
one screen design needs to be developed for the various clients thus saving implementation time and cost. Resource Planner is now ready for delivery and already two key pharmaceutical customers have evaluated the product. One is interested in the use of the software for planning use of laboratory resources such as instruments and laboratory staff. The other is interested in more efficient planning of training courses by making best use of trainer resources. One of the most unique aspects of this user meeting were the afternoon break-out sessions that featured ten different customer systems being demonstrated by key users from the companies represented. This demonstration showed the flexibility of Matrix LIMS as ten different industries and applications were featured and was the reason for Autoscribe's claim of a world first LIMS demonstration. For details, visit http://www.autoscribe.co.uk.

New Report Highlights Brand Perceptions of Leading Scientific Instrumentation Suppliers

The life science instrumentation market is characterized by sectors with varying levels of competitive intensity, but across the market as a whole, a number of suppliers have established dominant brands, including Applied Biosystems, Beckman Coulter, Bio-Rad, GE Healthcare, and Agilent Technologies. To help life science executives understand where companies are positioned in the market, BioInformatics, LLC has published “Brand Perceptions of Life Science Instrumentation Suppliers.” Based on a survey of more than 1,800 life scientists, the report provides an in-depth look at nine instrumentation categories—from basic instruments like centrifuges to cutting-edge technologies like DNA microarray and high-throughput screening instruments. "The benchmarks provided in this report will help suppliers identify those core elements that contribute positively to their overall brand perception and where they are performing relative to both their competitors and customer expectations. With this information, steps can be taken to address any weaknesses that are likely to contribute to customer defections and lost share or it may be used to help exploit the weaknesses of their competitors,” said Bill Kelly, President of BioInformatics, LLC. One area that scientific researchers are less than satisfied with is the level of post-sales support they receive from their instrumentation suppliers—specifically instrument calibration, technical support, replacement parts and service, and warranties. This finding suggests that while suppliers may view a sale as a culmination of a customer relationship, customers view the sale as the beginning of a relationship and have unmet expectations. To increase satisfaction and customer loyalty, suppliers should strive to have ongoing interactions with their customers and offer considerable assistance in the optimal use of the instrument for each customer’s unique applications. The survey also finds that customers have varying degrees of loyalty to their suppliers of instrumentation, and in some sectors, there are signs that current leaders are facing pressure from competitors. For example, based on who customers believe they will purchase instruments from in the future, Agilent appears to be poised to challenge Waters, a leading supplier of chromatographs, and Applied Biosystems appears to be generating improved brand awareness for its DNA microarray instruments, placing pressure on the current leader, Affymetrix. Another indicator of changes in the competitive landscape stems from an analysis of the suppliers scientists associate with different types of instruments and those companies they predict they will purchase from in the future. For example, although Beckman Coulter is the supplier most closely associated with cell analysis systems, BD Biosciences is both the current top supplier and most frequently mentioned future supplier in this category—an indication of the strength of the BD Biosciences brand. As another example, few respondents (7%) associate Thermo Electron with mass spectrometers; however, Thermo was tied with Applied Biosystems as the most often mentioned future supplier of these instruments. This analysis can be used to spot competitive threats as well as measure the effectiveness of a company’s brand strategies. "The results of this survey confirm that brand perceptions affect the success of commercial suppliers in the instrumentation market. Innovations and advanced technology are undoubtedly important to life scientists, but performance is the measure by which instrumentation suppliers are most often judged. Strong brands help simplify the choices a customer needs to make by providing reassurance that the progress of research will not be impeded by sub-par performance by a supplier and its instrumentation,” concluded Kelly. For a complimentary Executive Summary of this report, visit http://www.gene2drug.com/reports.84.html.

Scientific Software Announces New EZChrom Elite Version 3.1.6

Scientific Software, Inc., a world leader in providing software solutions to the scientific community, has released EZChrom Elite version 3.1.6 Chromatography Data System. This new release incorporates a number of feature requests from its EZChrom customer base of more than 60,000 systems. Among the enhancements in version 3.1.6 are support for Windows 2003 Server and support for Windows XP Native Mode Active Directories. These enhancements are especially significant for major enterprise-wide deployments of EZChrom in large chromatography operations. In addition, the new release incorporates enhancements to User Programming, Audit Trailing of projects, and support for new chromatography instruments. Now, over 260 different HPLC and GC instruments from over 25 manufacturers can be fully controlled by EZChrom Elite. EZChrom Elite version 3.1.6 can be obtained in single instrument, stand-alone workstation or full client/server configurations. For details, visit http://www.scisw.com.

EISC Offers R&R Suite Limited Trial Version

EISC, a scientific software development company, has released a limited trial version of its Analytical Review & Reporting Software Suite (R&R Suite) for Metals, Volatiles, Semi-Volatiles/HPLC, or Pesticide/PCB’s. EISC’s R&R Suite is middleware that focuses on increasing lab production while ensuring data quality and integrity by automating the analytical review, reporting and electronic data deliverables (including SEDD) with no change to the lab’s current analytical process. The systems fully integrate with any instrumentation and technology, work with or without a LIMS, and streamline and automate the lab’s quality assurance process. Now labs can simply download a production-ready, limited trial version of the software. "The scalability of the software enables EISC to provide solutions for lab data automation at every level of a lab’s operations whether it be for work considered low level and routine, high level with special methods and needs, or somewhere in between. This, in conjunction with the flexibility of the systems, now allows us to be flexible in how we deliver the software to our clients, ” says Paul Banfer, VP of product technology. Banfer continues, “What our clients have been asking for is a way to try it out and now they can. It’s really about meeting their needs.” For details, visit http://www.EISC.net.

Agilent Technologies Introduces 32-Bit ChemStation Analytical Laboratory Software

Agilent Technologies Inc. has introduced a 32-bit version of its ChemStation software for instrument control and data acquisition and management in the analytical laboratory. The conversion to 32-bit architecture improves the software's performance and stability, especially when running with other 32-bit programs such as antivirus software. The version B.01.01 software offers longer file names (greater than eight characters); more accurate integration results with an optimized ChemStation 32-bit integrator and new integration parameters; and, user-configurable table columns, allowing users to display only the columns of interest The new software supports the Agilent 1100 Series and 1090 liquid chromatographs; 6890, 6850 and 5890 gas chromatographs; 1100 Series mass selective detectors; the 35900E analog-to-digital converter; the G1888 headspace sampler; and the 7683B automatic liquid sampler. Agilent has also released revision B.03.02 of its ChemStore and ChemStation Plus Security Pack add-on software modules to provide support for the 32-bit ChemStation. These add-on software modules provide easy organization, review, approval and storage of analytical data, and support for compliance with regulatory requirements such as U.S. FDA 21 CFR Part 11. For details, visit http://www.agilent.com.

Agilent Renames CyberLAB to Cerity ECM

After signing an agreement with Scientific Software concerning the CyberLab solution, Agilent Technologies has renamed the product Cerity Enterprise Content Manager in line with their Cerity product line. Agilent's Cerity ECM is a secure, Web-based enterprise content management system that gives instant access to electronic records, for faster and more informed decision-making and shorter time-to-market. Through an exclusive agreement with Scientific Software, Inc., SSI's award-winning CyberLAB informatics software is now available as Agilent's Cerity ECM. Cerity ECM is the core building block of Agilent's laboratory informatics systems. For details, visit http://www.agilent.com.

Thermo Electron to Highlight Leadership in Asset Management, including Multi-Vendor Services and Managed Maintenance, at Pittcon 2005

Thermo Electron Corporation will promote its leadership in laboratory services at Pittcon 2005, Booth # 2917, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, February 27 - March 4. Asset management services join Thermo's New Lab initiative, product support and other professional services to create one of the most comprehensive laboratory services portfolios in the industry. Thermo's industry-leading asset management programs provide tailored solutions that optimize lab performance and reduce costs. As part of Thermo's asset management offering, the managed maintenance program provides guaranteed savings on maintenance costs across the
customer's entire facility/enterprise, covering a wide variety of instruments and manufacturers. Additional savings and increased productivity are achieved by replacing numerous individual vendor contracts with a single contract.
Multi-vendor compliance services assist customers in the pharmaceutical and other regulated industries in complying with regulatory requirements. Thermo provides preventive and corrective maintenance, software validation, instrument qualification, and regulatory and laboratory consulting services. These services are provided across a full spectrum of manufacturers' instruments, equipment and software. In addition, Thermo will be exhibiting awide range of industry leading instrumentation and software. For details, visit http://www.thermo.com/informatics

Baseline Development Group Selects ExtremeZ-IP for Cross-Platform File Sharing Group Logic's Award-Winning Product Replaces Problematic MacServerIP

Group Logic, developer of best-selling network workflow software products, has announced that Baseline Development Group, a premier full-service developer of instructional materials for the K–12 market, has decided to replace its current resource, MacServerIP, with Group Logic's award-winning ExtremeZ-IP product to manage the intense resource needs of its Macintosh users. The installation of ExtremeZ-IP has eliminated previous issues with server permissions and improved the workflow performance of Baseline's development team, while greatly reducing downtime and the need for administrative management of the technology. ExtremeZ-IP's internal structure and advanced caching strategy gives customers immediate startup, higher availability and radically reduced memory usage over other products on the market. Through active-active clustering capabilities, customers have better control of node resources with configuration of multiple virtual servers on the Windows cluster. This translates into better network load balancing, improved uptime, and flexibility in failover options and functionality. For details, visit http://www.grouplogic.com.

William Ransom Installs Matrix LIMS

As the UK’s oldest independent pharmaceutical company, William Ransom specialises in manufacturing liquid pharmaceuticals and natural extracts for the healthcare and food sectors. Quality Assurance and Quality Control are crucial elements to the business, which is why William Ransom recently installed Matrix LIMS from Autoscribe to take away the burden of excess paperwork, inefficient data processing and manual data entry tasks. Key aspects about Matrix are the high level of flexibility, reliability and ability to configure screens around the needs of individual users and departments. The quality department is using Matrix to allocate suitable tests, enter results, log information on raw materials, bulk products and packed stock, and produce Certificates of Analysis during
reporting. William Ransom is also using additional Autoscribe bolt on programs to enhance Matrix functionality further still. ‘Feedback’ handles all customer enquiries and responses across the entire business, and ‘Stability Manager’ manages and reports on protocol driven studies associated with product stability and shelf-life testing in the laboratory. “Thanks to Matrix, we have improved our throughput and reduced the level of paper work and lead times. Matrix is used by the majority of staff, many of whom have gained access to such data for the first time. "The feedback has been extremely positive, and we have been delighted with the technical support from Autoscribe,” explains Simon Raybould, QA manager at William Ransom. The company is now in a strong position
to comply with pharmaceutical GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) requirements that cover computer systems. For details, visit http://www.autoscribe.co.uk.

Thermo Electron Opens New Biomarker Research Facility with Massachusetts General Hospital

Thermo Electron Corporation has announced the launch of a new initiative for protein biomarker discovery and development. Known as the Biomarker Research Initiatives in Mass Spectrometry (BRIMS) Center, this joint collaboration with investigators at Massachusetts General Hospital will focus on the development of mass
spectrometry-based technologies dedicated to the discovery of protein biomarkers. Massachusetts General Hospital will provide both basic science and clinical expertise in this effort to identify biomarkers for multiple aspects of cardiovascular disease. Thermo Electron will provide a team of personnel with scientific expertise in biological mass spectrometry, protein techniques and informatics. The company will also provide state-of-the-art
mass spectrometers and other laboratory instrumentation, software and services, along with a facility to house the research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. "One of the most exciting areas of proteomic research is the identification
and validation of disease biomarkers which can be used as measurements within clinical studies and for the purpose of predictive diagnosis," explained Marc N. Casper, president of Thermo's Life and Laboratory Sciences
segment. "The study of proteomics is considered by both scientists and physicians to be key for the characterization of human diseases and disease states, and mass spectrometry technology plays a crucial role in this disease research. Both Mass General and Thermo anticipate that the BRIMS Center will contribute greatly to this important research initiative." In addition to conducting research and system development, the new center
will host symposia and forums for the biomarker research community within the new facility, which includes both laboratory space and conference facilities. A formal open house will be held later in the year. Preliminary
data from this new collaboration will be presented during the Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) Annual World Congress in Beijing, October 25 - 28, 2004.The BRIMS Center will be responsible for the development of methodologies and applications aimed at the identification of protein biomarkers. The biomarker research team will also focus on the development of informatics-based tools for quantitative differential expression analysis and high-throughput solutions for warehousing large datasets. Mass General will also contribute biostatistics for experimental design and assistance in the validation of the total methodology. For details, visit http://www.thermo.com/informatics.

Agilent Technologies Completes Acquisition of Silicon Genetics, Leading Provider of Life Science Informatics

Agilent Technologies Inc. has completed its acquisition of Silicon Genetics, a leading provider of software solutions for life science discovery. Agilent and Silicon Genetics had announced an acquisition agreement on Aug. 23, 2004. Financial details of the agreement were not disclosed. Silicon Genetics, based in Redwood City, Calif., has been recognized as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in North America. Its customers include more than 600 leading pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions and major research organizations around the world. With the addition of Silicon Genetics' genomics data analysis and management tools to its portfolio, Agilent will become a market leader in life science informatics. Together, Silicon Genetics and Agilent will form a life science informatics team that will create products spanning DNA, RNA, protein and pathway applications. The team will sell and support the products developed by Silicon Genetics, the Rosetta Resolver and Luminator gene expression data analysis systems, the Agilent Spectrum Mill proteomics workbench and the Agilent Synapsia informatics workbench. The team will also work closely with customers and partners to develop functionality for new life science research applications. Most of Silicon Genetics' 50 employees have joined Agilent and are part of the company's Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis business in Santa Clara, Calif. For details, visit http://www.silicongenetics.com or http://www.agilent.com.

TraxStar Offers New Feature to Manage Fixtures in Latest QATrax Release

Fixtures are now a schedulable resource in the new release of QATrax, TraxStar's Lab Management Software. Often labs spend as much time and effort tracking down a fixture before testing can begin as they do on the rest of the setup. A fixture that is not available can trigger one of the most costly functions of doing business; equipment and operator downtime. So it's important to ensure that fixtures are available before testing starts. The alternative is to continue with the time-consuming process of re-scheduling the test and shuffling the schedule once again. And since it costs much less to track fixture availability instead of constantly re-scheduling, it just makes good business sense to do what it takes to do it right the first time and every time. Following a simple process lets schedulers and operators know which fixtures and other moveable test equipment items are reserved and which are available. This display of valuable real-time information is readily visible. For details, visit http://www.TraxStar.com.

SAP Launches SAP Security Optimization

SAP AG has announced SAP Security Optimization to help customers ensure the security of their SAP systems. The new service entails a comprehensive evaluation of critical security settings across the customer's SAP system to identify and eliminate potential vulnerabilities and minimize the risk of unauthorized intrusions. The service is performed remotely by SAP. To a large extent, it is automated and searches for vulnerabilities from applications, middleware, Internet gateways, interfaces to partners' systems, and user authorizations. The recommended security measures can be carried out by the customer or by experienced security consultants from SAP Consulting and certified SAP partners. For details, visit http://www.SAP.com.

SAP and HP Offer Hosted Solutions

SAP America, Inc. and HP have introduced new managed solutions for midsize companies that provide software, services and support through a single point of contact at a fixed total monthly cost. The managed solutions will
include software and implementation services from SAP. HP offers operations, infrastructure hosting, storage-on-demand, business recovery solutions, managed Web solutions and security services. This announcement is significant because SAP -- which has not been a big supporter of the hosted software subscription model -- appears to have acquiesced to a growing industry trend (and possibly a competitive threat), for which this solution is targeted. In addition, SAP is not only working with HP, but it is also working closely with some of its smaller partners to provide industry specific solutions in such verticals as food & beverage, hi-tech electronics, and oil & gas distribution. According to industry insiders, this is a savvy move by SAP as one of the main detractors to hosted solutions provided by other suppliers has been their one size fits all approach. By providing more specific vertical industry functionality, an adopter of one of SAP's vertical solutions will receive a certain level of customization not currently found in competing offerings. For details, visit http://www.SAP.com.

EarthSoft Announces Collaboration with Laboratory Data Consultants to Provide Advanced Software Supporting Data Validation

EarthSoft has signed a development and teaming agreement with Laboratory Data Consultants (LDC) that will provide advanced data review tools supporting electronic data deliverables (EDDs) such as the new EPA SEDD, as well as other government or widely used EDDs such as the EQuIS 4-file format, MEDD, ERPIMS, NEDD, and NEDTS. EarthSoft and LDC have also agreed to cooperate on future product development. Over 350 labs and consultants use software from either EarthSoft or LDC. LDC will modify its Automated Data Processing Tool (ADaPT) and Automated Data Review (ADR) tools to run against EQuIS. ADaPT and ADR are LDC’s flagship software products supporting data validation activities with many government clients and consultants. ADaPT provides analysis for precision and accuracy of holding times, surrogate recoveries, blank contamination, calibration, matrix spike recoveries, lab control sample recoveries, and field QA/QC samples. EarthSoft will market ADaPT as an upgrade to the current Data Qualification Module. LDC will market EQuIS and will standardize on EQuIS for data management and data management services for its clients requiring a data management system combined with graphics
tools such as RockWorks, ArcGIS, GMS, and gINT. For details, visit http://www.earthsoft.com or http://www.lab-data.com.

New ARC Market Study Reviews the Status of Wal-Mart's RFID Efforts

The ARC Advisory Group conducted a RFID Deployment Best Practices study in which ARC talked to 24 companies that were actively investing in EPC RFID (Electronic Product Code Radio Frequency Identification). ARC discovered that public reporting on the status of Wal-Mart's RFID efforts has been highly misleading. According to Steve Banker, Service Director for Supply Chain Management at the ARC Advisory Group, "the impression conveyed to the public by many pundits is that all Wal-Mart SKUs bound for 3 of the retailer's Texas Distribution Centers from the top 100 suppliers will be RFID tagged starting January 1st. This is incorrect. In fact, there were a set of negotiations between Wal-Mart's top 100 suppliers and the retail behemoth. In these negotiations, Wal-Mart has shown more flexibility than many anticipated." Previously, Wal-Mart had mandated that by January 2005 its top 100 suppliers must apply passive RFID tags based on EPC-global standards to cases and pallets headed toward three specific Distribution Centers (DCs) in Texas. Virtually all manufacturers of consumer goods will eventually be impacted by this because Wal-Mart's moves in RFID are being copied by other retailers. However, different suppliers negotiated different agreements. One large supplier will be shipping over 700 Stock Keeping Units (SKUs) starting on Jan 1st. Many other companies, even very large companies, will be shipping less than a dozen.
Further, January 1st is not always the deadline. There can be extenuating circumstances that have led Wal-Mart to grant a deferment. One company will not start RFID tagging until mid 2005. The top 8 began shipping a limited number umber of SKUs to Wal-Mart in 2004. Based on their research into the subject, ARC Advisory Group is now selling "RFID Deployment Best Practices." This study offers information on the status of the Wal-Mart mandate and advice on how to prepare for mandate meetings with retailers; an analysis of how companies are changing their processes to meet these mandates and the strengths and weaknesses of the various process choices; an analysis of the three critical inflection processes when it makes sense to move from handling RFID in a certain way to doing it differently; an analysis of the reliability of RFID technology as well as companies' satisfaction with various RFID solution providers; the costs of preparing the RFID infrastructure; the benefits of RFID and what will be necessary to reap those benefits; and, 13 key recommendations which can conservatively save your company hundreds of thousands of dollars if you must implement RFID to meet a mandate. For details, visit http://www.arcweb.com/res/epc-rfid.

Agilent Technologies Reports Fourth Quarter 2004 Results

Agilent Technologies Inc. has reported orders of $1.60 billion for the fourth fiscal quarter ended Oct. 31, 2004, 8 percent below one year ago. Revenues during the quarter were $1.82 billion, 9 percent ahead of last year. Fourth quarter GAAP net earnings were $74 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, compared to $13 million, or $0.03 per share, in last year's fourth quarter. Excluding $79 million of net restructuring and amortization charges, Agilent reported fourth quarter operating net income of $153 million, or $0.30 per share. On a comparable basis, the company earned $71 million, or $0.15 per share, one year ago. For the full year 2004, Agilent achieved orders of $7.00 billion, up 15 percent from 2003, and revenues of $7.18 billion, up 19 percent from one year ago. This year, GAAP diluted earnings per share were $0.71, compared to a loss of $4.35 last year. Operating earnings were $1.05 per share this year compared to a loss of $0.26 per share in 2003. "Agilent continued to face a difficult environment in several of its key markets," said Ned Barnholt, Agilent chairman, president and chief executive officer. "Compared to last quarter, however, our gross margins improved, operating expenses declined, working capital remained under good control and we generated $394 million in free cash flow -- despite $63 million lower revenues." Fourth quarter revenues, at $1.82 billion, were below company expectations because of weak conditions in semiconductor-related businesses. Operating earnings, at $0.30 per share, met the bottom of the company's guidance range of $0.30 to $0.35 per share. "For 2004 overall, we are pleased with Agilent's performance despite the mixed finish," Barnholt said. "During the year, we completed the company's operational transformation that we began three years ago." From 2001 through 2004, Agilent reduced its operating breakeven by more than 35 percent, completely transformed its IT systems environment and reduced the number of IT applications by more than 75 percent, restored its Test and Measurement segment to traditional levels of profitability, and achieved both double-digit growth and double-digit operating margins in its Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis (LSCA) segment. Looking to fiscal 2005, the company said it expects the sharp adjustment in the semiconductor markets to continue to impact the performance of its Semiconductor Products and Automated Test segments for the next three to six months. Meanwhile, Test and Measurement growth is moderating because of slowing growth in mobile phone production. LSCA, on the other hand, shows few signs of slowing from its recent double-digit growth trend. The company expects first quarter fiscal 2005 revenues of $1.60 billion to $1.70 billion and operating earnings of $0.14 to $0.21 per share. For details, visit http://www.agilent.com.

Bruker BioSciences Reports Third Quarter 2004 Financial Results

Bruker BioSciences Corporatio has reported its financial results for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2004. On July 1, 2003, Bruker Daltonics Inc. merged with Bruker AXS Inc. to form Bruker BioSciences Corporation. All results for periods prior to this merger are historical combined results of the two previously separate companies. For the third quarter of 2004, Bruker BioSciences reported a 5% increase in revenue to $66.5 million, compared to revenue of $63.1 million in the third quarter of 2003. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, revenue increased 6% to $198.8 million, compared to revenue of $187.0 million for the same period last year. In the third quarter of 2004, GAAP net loss was $(2.7) million, or $(0.03) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $(14.7) million, or $(0.17) per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2003. During the third quarter of 2004, the Company wrote off its remaining investments in two proteomics companies in the amount of $1.6 million. In the third quarter of 2004, adjusted net loss was $(1.0) million, or $(0.01) per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $0.5 million, or $0.01 per diluted share, in the third quarter of 2003. For the nine months ended September 30, 2004, GAAP net loss was $(6.4) million, or $(0.07) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $(17.9) million, or $(0.21) per diluted share, for the same period last year. During the nine months ended September 30, 2004, adjusted net loss was $(3.7) million, or $(0.04) per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $1.6 million, or $0.02 per diluted share, for the same period last year. Adjusted net income/loss is a non-GAAP financial measure that excludes the write-off of investments, merger related charges and adjustments for the pre-merger minority interest in Bruker AXS. Frank Laukien, President and CEO, stated "In the third quarter, we were still light on the revenue side. While most of our new products announced at Pittcon and ASMS of this year are now shipping and generating revenue, some began to do so only in the middle of the third quarter. We also experienced approximately $2 million in delays by customers who have placed orders with us, but were not yet ready for us to install their systems." He continued: "We are very committed to driving towards industry-standard profitability over the next three years. The most important profitability drivers clearly remain our revenue growth, our further gross margin improvement and the leveraging off of our expenses. In addition, in September 2004 we announced a productivity initiative that is expected to save the Company $6 million annually, once fully effective. The benefits from this productivity initiative are expected to be realized in part in the fourth quarter of 2004, and in full in the first half of 2005. Moreover, we expect to announce
additional restructuring and cost-cutting measures prior to the end of the year." Dr. Laukien expanded on the general business situation: "In the first nine months of 2004, our Bruker Daltonics business has experienced modest growth in revenue and order bookings, whereas our Bruker AXS business has experienced strong growth in revenue, and even stronger growth in order bookings of more than 20%, compared to the first nine months of 2003. Looking forward, we expect further improvements in the fourth quarter 2004 with sequential increases in
revenue and operating income. Overall, we believe we have the drivers in place for a return to double-digit top-line growth in 2005, while we focus on significantly improving our profitability and cash flow." For details, visit http://www.bruker-biosciences.com.

Autoscribe and Savant Make Light Work of Laboratory Training

Laboratory instrument training in spectroscopy and chromatography techniques is now quick and easy to perform using Savant software from Autoscribe. This new computer based instruction package uses brilliant graphics, vivid animations and a high degree of user involvement to ensure a rewarding and profitable training experience. Computer based training is highly cost-effective and allows users to proceed at their own pace. Designed with users in mind, Savant software features dynamic, engaging graphics and direct on screen interaction. Powerful instrument simulators have been developed to show the operation of typical instrument set-ups, and users can experience what happens when experimental parameters are changed. Savant teaches theory, instrumentation and analysis and tests acquired knowledge with instant feedback on-screen. Certificates of completion are also generated at the end of each stage to assess user progress. As well as step-by-step instructions, a powerful search engine has also been included for immediate access to ‘hot words’ and key topics. Savant covers a wide range of techniques including atomic absorption, ICP spectroscopy, Gas Chromatography, Liquid Chromatography, Mass Spec, HPLC and capillary electrophoresis. For details, visit http:// www.autoscribe.co.uk.

Wonderware Releases eComplianceSolution for FDA Regulation

Wonderware, a business unit of Invensys Systems, Inc., has released the Wonderware eCompliance Solution package to help food companies meet the requirements of the reporting and record-keeping rule announced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Dec. 9, 2004. The long-awaited regulation requires companies to establish, maintain and, upon request, provide access to records as directed by the U.S. Congress in the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. The new regulation requires food companies to provide the FDA with ingredient source data including immediate previous source (IPS) and immediate subsequent recipient (ISR) for every component used in the manufacturing process. In addition to U.S. food processing, transportation and distribution companies, the regulation impacts international organizations that import or export food or other biological products to the U.S. For details, visit http://www.wonderware.com.

Labtronics' Collect SL Offers Simple, Cost-effective RS232/Serial Data Acquisition

Collect SL, the newest member of the Collect RS232 data acquisition family from Labtronics Inc, is a simple cost-effective solution that collects RS232 data from laboratory instruments and serial devices into its' own internal spreadsheet. An easy to use data parser extracts the required input from the RS232 data stream and stores it in the Collect SL spreadsheet. Date/time stamps and user information can be appended to the incoming data as it is collected. The Collect SL spreadsheet can be used to perform further calculations on the collected data and to generate printed reports showing sample results. Priced at $195, Collect SL is an inexpensive, entry-level RS232 data acquisition product that is ideal for laboratories that want to automate data collection, but don't have a standard spreadsheet application to send the data to. For details, visit http://www.labtronics.com.

Labtronics' Wireless Data Collection Replaces PCs, Cables and Clutter

The Collect-VirtuCOM system from Labtronics is a complete off-the-shelf package that combines Labtronics Collect software with all of the hardware needed to setup a wireless interface between serial instruments and devices and any Windows program. Wireless interfacing eliminates the need to provide a PC for every instrument, thus reducing the cost of interfacing and the need to take up valuable bench space. A wireless interface can also provide access to instruments and devices in remote or isolated locations such as a clean room or a high radiation area where traditional cable based interfaces are impractical. The Collect software that is included in the Collect-VirtualCOM System is easy to set up. Simple fill-in-the-blank screens guide users through the setup. At run time, the analyst can simply select the instrument that they are using and start collecting the result data. Available for a single instrument or as a 4-instrument package, the Collect-VirtuCOM system can provide wireless interfacing for less than $250 per instrument. For details, visit http://www.labtronics.com.

IBM Extends WebSphere for RFID

IBM has introduced new WebSphere software designed to extend computing to remote locations such as a retail stores, distribution centers, or manufacturing sites with the same computing capabilities for local applications and business processes that are available to the enterprise headquarters. IBM released new WebSphere offerings to automate business processes using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology as well as middleware for retail store operations. The new software enables the new class of sensor-based devices at the edge of a network such as RFID readers and controllers, kiosks and self-checkouts to be integrated with enterprise business processes. IBM WebSphere RFID Premises Server is the first software offering from IBM's new Sensor and Actuator Solutions business unit. Additionally, IBM is introducing IBM WebSphere RFID Device Infrastructure for RFID device manufacturers who need an embedded standards-based software platform to integrate RFID data collection and reporting at the edge of the network. For details, visit http://www.ibm.com.

Atrium Research and Scientific Computing Form Partnership

Atrium Research & Consulting and Scientific Computing & Instrumentation magazine have announced a partnership to develop and deliver market research studies on scientific software. Under this agreement, Atrium Research and Scientific Computing will jointly promote research products developed by Atrium Research, starting with their recent study on the Electronic Laboratory Notebook (ELN) market. For details, visit http://www.atriumresearch.com.

Keith Huxford Joins Autoscribe’s Sales & Marketing Team

Autoscribe, a world-leading provider of enterprise Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) solutions, has announced that Keith Huxford, formerly of CSols, Beckman Coulter and Perkin Elmer, has joined their Sales & Marketing team. In his new role, Keith will manage Key Pharmaceutical Accounts and joins the effort to increase Autoscribe's business in various regions of the world. Keith brings 18 years of LIMS, CDS and Instrument Interfacing industry experience, including software development, implementation, validation, sales, marketing and support. Previously, he was Global Marketing & European Services Manager for CSols Links for LIMS products, and prior to that was European Marketing and LIMS Product Manager for Beckman Coulter's Laboratory Automation Operations and European Turbochrom Technical Team leader for Perkin Elmer. For details, visit http://www.autoscribe.co.uk.

New ARC Study Finds that EPC RFID ROI Is Lacking

The ARC Advisory Group conducted an Emerging Practices study in which ARC talked to 24 companies that were actively investing in EPC RFID (Electronic Product Code Radio Frequency Identification). Only one company ARC talked to believed they could have under a two-year payback period. 95 percent of the respondents believed
the payback period would be greater than two years. As an example, imagine a company that ships 50 million cases a year to Wal-Mart. Even at 20 cents per tag, a very optimistic assumption, that is a $10 million hit. Add a million dollars in expenses to prepare the RFID infrastructure. Furthermore, labor has been added to warehouse processes, adding perhaps another half a million dollars in new operating costs. This company would need to generate about 11 and a half million dollars in new savings merely to break even. Now imagine that this company's analysis of potential payback buckets shows that they might be able to generate a million dollars in lower chargeback fees, if Wal-Mart cooperates with them, and that the other savings buckets could come to, at most, a half a million dollars. This story is typical of the kind of story that ARC heard during the interview process. For details, visit http://www.arcweb.com.


	What's New - Right Now The following is a wrap-up of news of interest during the months of November to December 2004