The following is a wrap-up of news of interest during
the months of May, June, and July 1999.New Modules Released for Horizon LIMS
Denis Payre and Charly Zwemstra Join Compex's Board of Directors
Chris Drillenburg Appointed President of Compex USA, Inc.
Data Unlimited Launches New LIMS
MSC Releases Access 97 Version of MSC-LIMS
EG&G Completes Acquisition of Perkin Elmer's
Analytical Instruments Division
Enhanced Turbo LC Plus System Now Available
AVATAR Announces Demo
Mantra Software and AGB Scientific Sign Distribution
Agreement
Mantra Software Announces NuGenesis ARCHIVE
HP Offers Interactive GC Software Demos
HP Offers New ChemStation Brochure
New DNA LIMS Available
LabSystems Announces Alliance with Blaise Software
Services Inc
Dragoco Issues Contract to LabSystems for LIMS
LabSystems Introduces Computer Based Training
1999 LIMS Award Winner Announced
New Modules Released for Horizon LIMS Version
5.0
There are a number of new modules and features offered in the latest release,
version 5.0, of ChemWare's Horizon LIMS, including a new Setup Manager,
Format X and Level III Deliverables modules, and Voice/Faxback report delivery.
The Horizon Setup Manager provides a powerful new interface for configuring
the laboratory's test methods, allowing the user to quickly view the relationships
between control tables, edit, document and navigate the database in a fraction
of the time. The Format X and the Level III Deliverables modules combine
to provide a "super EDD" and "CLP-like" hardcopy reporting
package for Horizon environmental LIMS users. Format X is so-named because
it is actually a superset of the EPA Agency Standard A/B EDD formats, and
allows the laboratory to build its own custom EDD parsers for a single file
standard. The Level III Deliverables module produces organic and inorganic
reporting forms at the push-of-a-button, parsing the Format X file and populating
the forms with no manual "back-end" data entry. The forms are
Microsoft Access-based and include full source code for user customization.
The Horizon Voice/Faxback Report Delivery Method enables the laboratory's
customer to listen to an automated recording of test results over touch
tone phone lines or initiate a fax-back of results to an unsecured fax machine.
For more detail, contact ChemWare at (919) 847-6340.
Denis Payre and Charly Zwemstra Join Compex's
Board of Directors
Denis Payre and Charly Zwemstra have been appointed as non-executive directors
in Compex's board of directors. In 1990, Denis Payre co-founded with his
partner Bernard Liautaud the software company Business Objects in Paris.
During his tenure there until December 1996, Payre was Chief Operating Officer
of the company in charge of world-wide operations and corporate marketing.
Under his management Business Objects launched successful direct operations
in 14 countries throughout Europe, North-America and the Aspac region. Since
the beginning of 1997, Payre has been an independent venture capitalist
investing in promising growth companies throughout Europe through his Brussels
based investment company called European Technology Ventures. Charly Zwemstra
is director of PARNIB's Converging Technologies business unit, which he
created in 1996. He will assist Compex to further internationalize their
operations and become more visible as a leading software company in the
MES and LIMS area. For details, contact Compex at +32 54 312 604.
Chris Drillenburg Appointed President of Compex
USA, Inc.
As of June 1, 1999, Chris Drillenburg has taken up the position of President
of Compex USA, Inc. Drillenburg joined Compex in 1992 as manager of Compex
Nederland B.V., Compex's Dutch subsidiary. Under his management, Compex
Nederland developed into a flourishing company with more than 25 co-workers
and a revenue of 5.6 Million Dutch Guilders (2.5 Million Euro or 2.7 Million
US $). His broad experience as manager of Compex Nederland B.V. and his
prior functions at Heineken and Unilever are expected to be valuable assets
for the further growth of Compex USA, Inc. For details, contact Compex at
+32 54 312 604.
Data Unlimited Launches New LIMS
Data Unlimited International, Inc. has launched StarFRUITO DNA, a new DNA
LIMS with system architecture specifically designed for clinical and forensic
DNA testing. The software is based on The Department of Defense (DOD) technology
utilized by The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) to identify human
remains of past and current conflicts around the world. The product integrates
flow, storage, and management of data to help process and automate cases.
The software enables supervising the laboratory process via Standard Operating
Procedures (SOPs) that reflect Good Laboratory Practices(GLP) regulations;
recording of laboratory activity; chain of custody maintenance; and allows
increased throughput of laboratory cases. For details, contact Data Unlimited
at (240) 631-7933.
MSC Releases Access 97 Version of MSC-LIMS
Mountain States Consulting (MSC) has announced the release of MSC-LIMS version
2.0, an Access 97-based LIMS for small laboratories. MSC-LIMS version 2.0
is a 32-bit product that offers improved multi-user performance and better
handling of concurrency issues over previous 16-bit versions. New in version
2.0 is an integrated Excel interface which can be used to import results
from instrument data files, create custom reports from data in any LIMS
report, and create custom analyte-specific data entry screens to calculate
and import final results and associated QC data. For details, conatct Mountain
States Consulting at (307) 733-1442.
EG&G Completes Acquisition of Perkin Elmer's
Analytical Instruments Division
EG&G Inc has successfully completed its acquisition of PE Corporation's
Analytical Instruments Division. The acquisition "complements EG&G
Instruments' product offerings and extends and strengthens EG&G's presence
in such areas as pharmaceutical, chemical and environmental analyses, and
food and beverage screening," said Dr. Robert J. Rosenthal, president
of EG&G Instruments. Headquartered in Norwalk, CT, PE Analytical Instruments
generated 1998 fiscal year sales of approximately $580 million. Its systems
are widely used to achieve product uniformity in drugs and medicines, ensure
the purity of food and warer, protect the environment, measure and test
the structural integrity of many different materials. For details, contact
EG&G at (781) 237-5100.
Enhanced Turbo LC Plus System Now Available
PE's Analytical Instruments Division has introduced an enhanced Turbo LC
Plus System that integrates entire laboratories under a single software
platform. Turbo LC Plus is suitable for analytical determinations for pharmaceutical,
food, industrial, polymers and plastics, clinical/forensics and environmental
applications. It is a single point-control system for data handling and
instrument method parameters that unifies and helps to integrate the laboratory
under a single software platform. For details, contact PE Analytical Instruments
at (203) 762-1000.
AVATAR Announces Demo
AVATAR Consulting is pleased to announce the availability of a new demo
version of their LABTrack Electronic Lab Notebook program. LABTrack combines
many of the functions of a LIMS with the rule set of a paper based notebook
at a very affordable price. One of the notable features of this new version
is the built-in word processor that allows the entry of free text, graphics,
and OLE objects as well as database entries in notebook pages. Samples,
batches and results may be stored in the searchable MS Access database directly
from a notebook page. The demo file may be downloaded by clicking on www.labtrack.com/avatar/LTDemo1.3.zip.
The file is a 10 MB zipped file that contains installation instructions,
a description of the new features in version 1.3, a demo notebook and a
set of sample reports. The software requires Windows 95 or higher, 16 MB
of RAM, SVGA card/monitor and at least 40 MB of free disk space. For additional
information, contact AVATAR at (949) 830-7316.
Mantra Software and AGB Scientific Sign Distribution
Agreement
Mantra Software of Westborough, MA and AGB Scientific of Dublin, Ireland
have signed a distribution agreement that allows AGB Scientific to serve
as the local market representative for Mantra's suite of NuGenesis data
management products. AGB Scientific is an export-oriented high quality OEM
service. The company offers a complete supply and process technology service
to laboratories located in Ireland. For details, contact Mantra at (508)
616-9876.
Mantra Software Announces NuGenesis ARCHIVE
Mantra Software has introduced NuGenesis ARCHIVE, a fully automated archival
tool for raw analytical data. NuGenesis ARCHIVE allows laboratory professionals
to reliably and easily capture, catalog and store raw data and associated
methods within seconds of its creation or alteration, thus improving both
workflow and compliance practices. ARCHIVE provides two important capabilities
to the lab: a completely automated solution for backing up raw data and
restoring it to the original instrument, and a high level of compliance
with 21 CFR Part 11 and FDA requirements surrounding electronic records
and electronic signatures. For details, contact Mantra at (508) 616-9876.
HP Offers Interactive GC Software Demos
Hewlett Packard has announced the availability of three interactive software
demonstrations for gas chromatography (GC) that are available on either
their web site at (http://www.hp.com/go/chem) or on CD-ROM (Literature 5968-5024E).
The demonstrations allow customer to experience the power and ease of HP's
Retention Time Locking (RTL) software, pesticide library, and HP ChemStation
Companion interface. The RTL demonstration takes a user through the steps
required to lock a method. The pesticide-screening demonstration exhibits
how the HP pesticide library can help identify and confirm unknown pesticides
and suspected endocrine disrupters in samples. The HP ChemStation Companion
demonstration shows how the setup wizard configures the production user
interface for operators with limited GC expertise. For details, contact
HP at http://www.hp.com/go/chem
HP Offers New ChemStation Brochure
Hewlett-Packard has published a new brochure (Literature 5968-4782E) that
describes the HP ChemStation Plus software package for complete data management.
The HP ChemStation Plus offers analytical laboratories secure data management,
from sample registration and scheduling, to reporting and archiving of all
sample information. For details, contact HP at http://www.hp.com/go/chem
New DNA LIMS Available
Data Unlimited International, Inc. has announced the release of StarFRUITO
DNA, a new DNA LIMS with system architecture specifically designed for clinical
and forensic DNA testing. The software is based on The Department of Defense
(DOD) technology utilized by The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP)
to identify human remains of past and current conflicts around the world.
StarFRUITO DNA combines the knowledge of the scientific laboratory and the
power of computing technology to implement laboratory processes, analysis
and reporting to guide the laboratory scientist. StarFRUITO DNA integrates
flow, storage, and management of data to help process and automate cases.
For details, contact Data Unlimited at (240) 631-7933.
LabSystems Announces Alliance with Blaise
Software Services Inc
LabSystems has announced a new sales and marketing alliance that extends
the reporting capabilities of Atlas 99 with the advanced summary reporting
capabilities of Blaise Software's WinBSR package. WinBSR is a Summary Report
writer specifically developed for chromatography and includes reporting
features most frequently asked for by chromatographers. Atlas 99 is LabSystems
new Chromatography Data System that is PC-based, and written exclusively
for Windows 95 and NT. For additional details, contact LabSystems at http://www.labsystems.com
Dragoco Issues Contract to LabSystems for
LIMS
Holzminden, Germany-based Dragoco has placed an order with LabSystems for
a worldwide LIMS, and intends to install LabSystems' SampleManager enterprise
LIMS. Dragoco is one of the leading international suppliers of flavors,
perfume compositions, aroma chemicals, cosmetic raw materials and active
ingredients. The project specifies the latest version of SampleManager to
be rolled out first in Dragoco Germany and Dragoco USA in parallel, and
later extended to further Dragoco companies worldwide. SampleManager will
be used for the control and management of samples of prototypes, work-in-progress,
and finished products. For additional details, contact LabSystems at http://www.labsystems.com
LabSystems Introduces Computer Based Training
LabSystems has released a Computer Based Training course for its Nautilus
99 LIMS. The course was developed by multimedia experts and draws on years
of experience training thousands of individuals in the use of LabSystems'
laboratory automation products. The Nautilus 99 course consists of seven
discrete modules, each focusing on a particular area of the LIMS. It is
suitable for use by anyone new to Nautilus; no previous LIMS experience
is requird. For additional details, contact LabSystems at http://www.labsystems.com
1999 LIMS Award Winner Announced
Helen Davys Gillespie, editor and publisher of the LIMS/Letter and webmaster
for the LIMSource, is the recipient of the 1999 Laboratory Information Management
Systems (LIMS) award sponsored by the LIMS Institute. Ms Gillespie was recognized
by the award committee for her many contributions to the LIMS community.
She is widely recognized as an authoritative source of up-to-date information
concerning the LIMS industry. Her LIMS/Letter is read by hundreds of subscribers.
She was one of the pioneers to use of the Internet to disseminate information
and foster communications. Her website, www.LIMSource.com, is an important
resource for anyone concerned about or interested in LIMS. Clearly, LIMS/Letter
and LIMSource.com are vital ingredients to the cohesiveness of the LIMS
community: users, vendors, and future users. The award will be presented
to Ms Gillespie at the Thirteenth International LIMS Conference, (LIMS99),
June 23-25, 1999 at the Convention Center Basel, Switzerland. Previous award
laureates are: Dr. Gerst A. Gibbon, Federal Energy Technology Center, U.
S. Department of Energy; Dr. Alan S. McLelland, Department of Biochemistry,
Glasgow Royal Infirmary; Dr. Robert Megargle, Department of Chemistry, Cleveland
State University, retired; Dr. Robert D. McDowall, McDowall Consulting;
and Dr. Harmon W. Brown, PE-Nelson, retired.