SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Inside the Microsoft’s BioIT Alliance n 2006, Microsoft launched the BioIT Alliance. The project was largely the work of Microsoft executive Don Rule, and is now directed by Rudolph Poten- zone, Microsoft’s worldwide industry technology strategist for pharmaceuti- cals (and the former CEO of LION). Since its launch, the BioIT Alliance has grown to more than 70 members, with a stated goal of increasing membership to over 100 by year-end. While the major- ity are well known vendors in the industry—such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waters, IInforSense, Sun, AcitveMotif, Agilent, Ocimum Biosolutions, and ChemAxon—others are relatively unknown players, including many from Europe. A variety of other organi- zations, including IUPAC, a chemical standards body, and university groups (Hebrew University of Jerusalem) have also joined. There is a possibility that some pharma- ceutical companies might join as well. Priorities for the alliance, as Potenzone sees it, include communication— helping companies connect that hadn’t contemplated working together. To be sure, the BioIT Alliance encourages companies to use and adapt relevant Micro- soft technologies, but it also forms a nucleus of companies that, to a degree, can share pre-competitive tools, technologies and strategies. How can companies integrate research information and business intelligence for themselves and their clients? “We’re really branching out beyond just bio-IT,” Potenzone told Bio•IT World last year. “I think people tend to think of bio-IT as more focused on bioinformatics. We’re definitely seeing a branching out further downstream into the clinical world and into medical devices, which formally is all part of bio-IT.” The BioIT Alliance website includes regular updates on news and activities of the member organizations (www.bio- italliance.org.) A recent case study, for example, showcases Microsoft’s collaboration with Pfizer and Infosys Technolo- gies to develop The Biologist Workbench to allow research- ers to better visualize data. The Alliance’s focus is building with the partner com- munity real practical solutions that can positively impact the drug development pipeline. With Microsoft dedicating growing resources in the life sciences space, the future is looking very good indeed. Bio•IT World is pleased to publish this special sup- plement, with support from Microsoft and the participating Alliance members, to pro- vide further insight into the activities of the Alliance and some of its part- ners, and to encourage other groups to take a fresh look at the BioIT Alliance. www.bio-itworld.com SEPTEMBER 2008 Bio•iT World SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Inside the THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC Thermo Fisher Scientific Offers Enterprise Document Management Solution The centralization and harmonization of unanswered until now, for a secure, cost and functionality, further cements the laboratory data is a critical and strategic effective, validated content management relationship between Thermo Fisher part of the global growth of any pharmaceu- solution that incorporates structured data Scientific and Microsoft to deliver next- tical company. Large-scale deployments from LIMS, chromatography data system generation and best of breed open solu- of integrated and web-based systems can (CDS) and other enterprise systems along tions. “We’re thrilled with the extent of now be relied upon to be more consistent with unstructured information that support our ongoing relationship with Thermo and more rapid because purpose-built laboratory processes, all in a completely Fisher Scientific,” said Mike Naimoli, U.S. laboratory information management sys- validated solution. In the past solutions life sciences industry solutions director, tems (LIMS), like Thermo Scientific Watson have been incomplete, cumbersome and Microsoft Corporation. “Organizations LIMS™, can not only facilitate superior expensive. To satisfy this need, Thermo store documents in a wide range of data exchange across the organizations, Fisher Scientific recently announced a isolated systems on multiple software but also offer a bio-directional flow of data collaborative agreement with NextDocs platforms – making the retrieval and syn- between a phar- Corporation to bundle and sell its enter- thesis of information daunting tasks. This Thermo Fisher Scientific maceutical com- prise document, quality and compliance new alliance between Thermo Fisher and Founded: 1957 pany and with its management solution NextDocs goes a long # of employees: 30,000+ contract research suite. The offering is way toward addressing Location: Waltham, MA organization (CRO). a natural extension of the need for regulated Microsoft solution This freer exchange Thermo Fisher’s port- content management, provider: 8 years of data can mean folio of LIMS and CDS integrated workflow Top Executive: improved business products, allowing the administration and Marijn E. Dekkers, President and CEO decisions that company to offer a com- compliant collabora- www.thermofisher.com enable a life sci- prehensive, informatics tion in the enterprise ences company to and content manage- setting. We believe this deliver the right compounds faster, and ment solution to the joint solution will bring saves the time and expense of working industry. It provides enormous value to the on a compound that ultimately will prove organizations with a industry as a whole.” ineffective. It also allows for faster and complete document “By offering an enter- more automated review and submission management and col- prise content manage- of reports. For bioanalytical laboratories laboration system for ment solution that is and CROs around the world, Thermo managing documents, tightly integrated with David Champagne Scientific Watson LIMS™ provides the records (e.g. training our LIMS and CDS work- detailed protocols necessary for DMPK records), SOP’s (standard operating pro- flow for regulated laboratory environ- and bioanalytical studies in drug discovery cedures), activities and other information ments, Thermo Fisher is better positioned along with maximum flexibility and con- critical to the enterprise. to offer our customers the most compre- figurability so that each lab can integrate Thermo Fisher Scientific, the leader hensive informatics solution in the indus- workflows or instrumentation across study in providing purpose-built informat- try,” concludes Dave Champagne. protocols as required. ics software solutions, has partnered For a free webinar on NextDocs docu- It’s also critical for organizations to with Microsoft, the technology leader, ment management solutions or for more implement enterprise-wide document as a fellow member of the Microsoft information about Thermo Scientific management and collaboration tools to BioIT Alliance. The company’s recent Watson LIMS please call on +1 866-463- stay competitive, increase productivity and partnership with NextDocs to deliver 6522 or e-mail marketing.informatics@ comply with standards. There has been a a document and compliance suite thermofisher.com or visit www.thermo. need in the industry that has gone largely that delivers unmatched ease of use com/informatics. Bio•iT World sepTemBer 2008 www.bio-itworld.com © 2008 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. and its subsidiaries. It’s about effi ciency. Which is why it’s about time you invested in a Thermo Scientifi c LIMS. FREE DEMO. Thermo Scientific Thermo Scientifi c LIMS are purpose-built to help drive your business WebAccess Suite™ - the ultimate to the highest level of effi ciency. We build the effi ciencies into the source of integration for your lab core of every Thermo Scientifi c LIMS so you can make faster and and for your business. Get instant better informed business decisions, decrease your time to market transparent integration of people, instruments and data, giving you and improve your margins. No wonder more laboratories count on secure and reliable efficiencies and Thermo Scientifi c LIMS than any other. compliance across your enterprise. For more information and a FREE DEMO, ™ Now with Thermo Scientifi c WebAccess Suite, all you need is visit www.thermo.com/webaccess a web browser for full, secure, high performance access to any Thermo Scientifi c informatics solution – from anywhere. Web deployment of any Thermo Scientifi c LIMS. That’s all about effi ciency. Isn’t it about time? Your time. +1 866 463 6522 • marketing.informatics@thermofi sher.com Moving science forward Thermo_Bio-IT_HR.indd 1 7/29/08 3:16:28 PM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Inside the ACTIVE MOTIF Accelerating Downstream Understanding of Next-Gen Sequence Data What distinguishes your company from databases in about two weeks its competitors and makes it unique? using TimeLogic hardware. They TimeLogic, a brand of Active Motif, has calculated that this task would been in the business of supplying bioinfor- have taken one century on a matics tools to the life science community standard server. for over 10 years. We offer a variety of hard- ware products ranging from CodeQuest™ What prompted you to join workstations to multi-server DeCypher® the Microsoft Bio-IT Alliance enterprise solutions. Moreover, our com- and what do you hope to get pany specializes in designing algorithm out of it? implementations using low-level languages “Microsoft’s Windows operating for custom-designed system is a ubiquitous platform Active Motif Field Programmable for the life science industry, and we want to TimeLogic’s