The following is a wrap-up of news of interest during
the months of September and October 1997.Automated Solutions Announces LIMS-Lite
Accessory
Automated Solutions has introduced a new product called LIMS-Lite that offloads
data management from the LIMS to the user's benchtop. A LIMS accessory,
LIMS-Lite can be used with or without a LIMS to provide worklist creation
with QC capability, generation of instrument queues, results review and
approval, and download/upload from and to existing LIMS. For details, contact
Automated Solutions at 203 Playhouse Corner, Southbury, CT 06488. Tel: 203-263-0060
ext 22.
Chemical Abstracts Announces New Database
Product for Universities
Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) has announced SciFinder Scholar, a product
that better enables chemistry faculty and graduate students to conduct research.
The product provides campus-wide access to one of the world's largest and
most comprehensive databases of chemical information that includes nearly
17 million chemical substances and literature from 8,000 journals and patents.
For details, contact CAS at 2540 Olentangy River Road, Columbus, OH 43210.
Tel: 614-447-3731. Fax: 614-447-3713. Web: http://www.cas.org
Industry Consolidation
On April 15, 1997, Laboratory Microsystems was acquired by Axiom.
A new company name, LabVantage
Solutions, is now in use, and all the LIMS solutions acquired by
Axiom will be marketed under the LabMaestro product name. ... In addition,
Triple P Information Systems was acquired by Delaware Computing,
highlighting the global nature of the current consolidation trend. ... On
July 1, 1997, LabVantage Solutions (formerly Axiom and Laboratory
Microsystems) acquired Automated Compliance Systems (ACS). This makes
LabVantage Solutions a company of some 100 employees and 750 customers,
also making it one of the larger non-instrument LIMS vendors. For more about
these companies, check out their listings in the Products
and Services pages of the LIMSource.
LabVantage Solutions Announces LabMAESTRO
Chrom Perfect
LabVantage Solutions (LVS) will be marketing a chromatography data system
developed by Justice Laboratory Software, Inc. as LabMAESTRO® Chrom
Perfect. The product displays data from any chromatogram, and has a breadth
of data acquisition and instrument control capabilities. It provides features
for peak detection, integration, calibration, and identification. Additional
information is available from: Don Seitz at LabVantage Solutions, 200 Meadowlands
Parkway, 2nd Floor, Secaucus, NJ 07094. Tel: 908-707-4100. Email: don@acssoft.com
LabSystems Launches SampleManager version
3.2
LabSystems has released version 3.2 of its SampleManager LIMS. The new release
provides many customer-requested features, such as improved links for integration
of chromatography software with the LIMS. The new version can run on either
AXP, UNIX HP 7000, or HP-UX platforms, and has an enhanced GUI that uses
small toolbar buttons, find-and-replace functionality, and support of direct
mailing. It allows definition of both Excel and Word documents using an
ad-hoc reporter function that also includes 'page n of n' capability which
is useful for validated laboratories in most industries. BLOBs support can
be used to store data within the database, and an Extended Functionality
Module (EFM) has been designed with an ODBC driver to maintain intrinsic
security of the system whilst allowing interrogation of the database. For
more details, contact LabSystems at 800-719-1853 or surf their web site
at http://www.labsystems.com
LabSystems Provides Free PORTFOLIO CD-ROM
of all Laboratory Systems
LabSystems has made available an interactive multi-media CD-ROM that offers
an insight into new laboratory technologies in LIMS, chromatography data
systems, and instrument integration. Known as PORTFOLIO, the CD-ROM is available
free and can be used on any 486 PC running Windows 3.1 or higher. Users
with Internet access and a browser can connect directly to the PORTFOLIO
application through the LabSystems web site. For more details, contact LabSystems
at 800-719-1853 or surf their web site at http://www.labsystems.com
National Instruments Announces New Devices
A new PC-based Serial Data Analyzer from National Instruments is designed
to replace standalone Telecom Testers. The new analyzer can generate, acquire,
and analyze data streams at rates up to 10 Mbits/s. It combines high-speed
serial data pattern generation and analysis hardware with a direct interface
to the PC. In addition, new Data Acquisition and GPIB devices for USB are
now available. USB is the newest technology for peripheral interfaces for
PCs and offers significant enhancements in ease of use and performance.
The new USB data acquisition and GPIB devices are plug and play capable
and are both installed and configured by the operating system without the
user having to change I/O resources or restart their computer. For details,
contact National Instruments at (512) 794-0100 or visit their web site at
http://www.natinst.com.
Perkin-Elmer's SQL*LIMS Receives Top Marks
in Industry Survey
PE Nelson's SQL*LIMS product was recently awarded top marks in an annual
independent LIMS survey conducted by Strategic Directions International,
Inc. Users replying to the questionnaire rated SQL*LIMS as the number one
client/server "mini"-based LIMS and PE Nelson as the highest rated
LIMS vendors in that category. For details, contact PE Nelson at (203) 762-4000
or 888-PE-CHROM, or Strategic Directions International (SDI) by telephone
at (310) 641-4982 or by facsimile at (310) 641-8851 in the U.S.; or by telephone
at +33 (1) 30 99 62 50 or by facsimile at +33 (1) 34 74 81 62 in Europe.
TAL Technologies Announces TCP/IP and Serial
Data Acquisition Software
TAL Technologies has added the ability to use serial data acquisition and
instrument control with Excel, Access, VB, MMIs, and statistical and control
software to their SoftwarteWedge line of products. Data can be automatically
collected from sensors, PLCs, data loggers, controllers, flow meters, electronic
scales, gages, analyzers, bar code readers, laboratory instruments, measuring
devices, modems, etc. A new TCP/Wedge product is now shipping free with
WinWedge 32 Pro that allows users to communicate with any TCP/IP port address
directly from within any Windows 95 or NT application. For details, contact
TAL Technologies at (215) 763-7900 or (800) 722-6004.
Waters Corporation Joins Forces with Micromass
Limited
Waters Corporation (Milford, MA) and Micromass Limited (Manchester, England)
have joined forces, with Micromass becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of
Waters. Micromass is a leading developer, manufacturer, and distributor
of mass spectrometry instruments. Micromass' products range from high-end
standalone instruments to small, easy to use detectors that are best suited
for integration with other analytical techniques such as HPLC. For details,
contact Waters at 34 Maple Street, Milford, MA 01757. Tel: 508-478-2000.
Fax: 508-872-1990.