Pittcon Review

The exhibit floor proved to be the place to be.  Waters made the most significant announcement with their NuGenesis 8, a comprehensive workflow and documentation software that is part of a new overarching LE (Laboratory Execution) technology platform.  NuGenesis 8 leverages Water's SDMS and ELN tools to streamline workflows while orchestrating information exchange between LIMS, ERP, CDS and other data systems in the lab.

LABVANTAGE featured their LABVANTAGE 6.0 LIMS, which was just announced in January. The culmination of SQL*LIMS (which was acquired from Life Technologies Corporation in 2009) and the legacy LABVANTAGE Sapphire product lines, LABVANTAGE 6 is loaded with new features including enhancements to batch management, new event-driven flexibility, advanced instrument integration, and support for both desktop and mobile devices.

Thermo Scientific showcased their CONNECTS for the Paperless Lab solution which provides bridges between the islands of data generated in the lab and transforms that data into information that can be used across the enterprise.  Of note is its inclusion of a lot of really cool technology that the company has acquired over the years into a very robust system.  

Mergers and acquisitions created a lot of buzz at Pittcon: Beckman Coulter Life Sciences was delighted to announce their acquisition by Danaher, while Velquest discussed their recent acquisition by Accelrys and rapid expansion into Asia as a result.  

Bruker continues to make inroads into Informatics, with a new version of the popular CompassCDS 3.0 and the introduction of CMC-Assist, the first NMR software tool that enables seamless and fully integrated routine workflows from acquisition to report generation.  

Many other Informatics vendors featured their solutions during Pittcon, including Accelerated Technology Labs, Baytek, BSI Systems, BSSN, ChemWare, Ethosoft, Khemia, LabWare, Novatek, Promium, Quality Systems International, Ruro, STARLIMS, Velquest, Vertere, and more.  No other North American show draws so many Informatics vendors to one place, making Pittcon the must-attend venue for anyone wanting a close look at the latest systems.  

Check out Lab-Tube.tv for videos from Pittcon for more Informatics news!

Helen Gillespie