MUSA recently attended the 2010 BIO-IT convention in Boston, as well as the BIO International convention in Chicago. As an exhibitor, we were of course interested in how some of our newest services and solutions would be received.  At the same time, we wanted to gain a broader experience and understanding of some of the trends going on in the industry right now, and how these trends are being addressed.

As a lab specialist, I was particularly interested to see the latest developments in data integration solutions. At BIO-IT, I wasn’t disappointed – there were a number of vendors that had offerings in this area. On one hand, this was very encouraging to see. Data integration technologies are really beginning to emerge and gain ground, in response to a growing call from the scientific communities for tools and solutions that will help them work with their data.

This doesn’t mean the instrument manufacturers will jump on the standards development bandwagon. However, as data integration solutions continue to gain a broader foothold and user adoption, the demand for open access will become progressively harder for the manufacturers to ignore.

There was one pitfall to most of the solutions I saw at BIO-IT: cost. It seems that many of the Data Integration solutions available on the market right now are enterprise level. Many of the applications I saw were impressive, offering very powerful toolsets. The downside is that entry price, in one case, was nearly $50,000. A full deployment was hundreds of thousands, and required specialized staff to be onsite. If you’re big pharma, that may not be an obstacle. But if you’re a startup, or a small company, many of these solutions will be out of reach. On the other end of the spectrum, there were some DI vendors who are offering right sized solutions, but lack the visibility (and marketing budgets) of larger companies.

This is what makes shows such as BIO-IT and BIO International so important – it’s a chance for everyone to see “what’s out there” first hand. The shows allow new companies to network, and connect with others to collaborate, share information or partner. And, of course, they provide direct access to users who may be interested in their products.

BIO International in Chicago was a great example of information exchange and networking. For me, the best thing about BIO was the collaboration. Nothing replaces face to face meetings. It’s just the best interactive format for people to really learn who you are, what you do, and what you have to offer, and vice versa. So, this is the best way to further data integration and standards development, right?

The answer to this question is surprising. I recently spoke with a number of people who attended shows such as PITTCON and Smartlabs Exchange, and they voiced a common concern: while nearly everyone who gave or attended sessions agreed the need for data integration and standards exist, there isn’t a lot of agreement about what to do about it. The movement just lacks a clear direction right now.

The answer to this problem may be as simple as time. While the direction or the form of the change may not be clear now, shows such as BIO-IT and BIO International clearly indicate we are in the early stages. We’re seeing more examples of information exchange, more vendors creating new products, and people are talking. Which is to say, we’re making progress.

For information about MUSA's data integration and lab support services, contact us through MUSA's information request form or call (800) 401-9123.

Data Integration | Lab Technology Support | Life Sciences IT | Biotechnology Trends | Technology Consulting

Companies of all sizes at some point look to outsource at least part of their technology support primarily to allow their existing staff to focus more on the business’s core competencies rather than day-to-day IT issues. Because daily support issues can be time consuming and require a great deal of time and attention, companies look to third party managed service providers who specialize in technology support issues. While it sometimes makes sense to bring in a third party technical resource for a small project, working with a managed service provider is usually a long term relationship, which means it’s important to do your homework to make to choose the right one for you.

First of all, it’s important to outline out what services you are looking for, and what kind of support you need. There are some firms that offer 24/7 support, while others only offer support during regular business hours. Also, it is important to know whether you will need the firm to send consultants to your site or if you would like them to work by tapping into your systems remotely to help you with your technology concerns. Most managed services providers work in a way where you can contact them through email or over the phone and they will respond in whatever mode is best suited for the job, including remotely accessing your network to support the issue.

More recently, companies have been moving towards cloud and virtual solutions. While these are definitely cost-effective and beneficial to companies to set up, they can still be demanding in terms of regular support and maintenance. It is important to find a consulting firm that is comfortable working with these technologies and can help troubleshoot incidents you may have with cloud computing or VMware servers. In order to verify this expertise, ask for VMware certified professionals, to make sure that the company has people on staff who have proven knowledge and experience working with these sensitive environments.

Lastly, If your firm is in an industry that has strict regulations to comply with, it is important to find an IT consulting firm that has the experience and certifications to be working on sensitive data and information in your industry. For example, if your firm is in the life sciences industry, which is rigorously regulated by the FDA, it is important that the firm you choose for your managed services solutions is familiar with HIPAA standards and regulations for data protection and integrity, and it is crucial that the technology consultants you bring in are GxP certified to validate your systems and hardware based on latest regulations. For firms in the financial industry, it is important that IT support staff is abreast of Sarbanes-Oxley regulations and is certified to be working in such a sensitive environment.

As mentioned in a previous blog post titled  “Domestically Outsourcing IT Services and Support,” the primary reasons to outsource IT services and support are to reduce and control operating costs, improve company focus, gain access to world-class capabilities, and to free up internal resources for other purposes. Thus, it’s apparent that outsourcing IT support, especially for day-to-day support issues that pull away resources from a company’s core function,  can be a good investment for a company. However, it is important to choose the right managed services provider based on your specific needs, including the size and type of your business, what kind of services you’re looking for, and what industry standards you have to comply with. By researching numerous managed services providers, and making sure to choose the one that best fits your needs, you will be able to find a solid partner for the long haul.

Life Sciences IT | Technology Consulting | MUSA | Managed Services | Domestic Outsourcing

One of the challenges faced by scientists working in biotechnology and pharmaceutical labs is the issue of data integration.  Walk through any lab, and you are likely to see a wide array of instruments. Each instrument usually has its own data file format, which is often proprietary. This forces lab scientists to manually sort through and compile data from each instrument, typically using Excel, to achieve a final data set. Excel then becomes their de facto “standard” for working with, sharing, and presenting data.

While this is a workable solution, it’s tremendously inefficient in terms of time and resources, and prone to human error. In some cases, the time lost due to the manual work, and/or errors can mean delays of days, even weeks.  This is hardly a new phenomenon. This problem has plagued the industry for years, and efforts to address this problem in analytical lab environments have lagged far behind other industries. For example, the medical device industry has long established data interchange standards and devices with compatible data outputs.

What is the explanation for this? A key factor is economic. In the medical device industry, the creation of standards and compatible devices was driven, in part, by cost controls. Faced with today’s highly regulated healthcare environment, users demanded it. Vendors, suppliers and organizations realized they needed to change, or they’d run the risk of losing a competitive edge. These same market forces do not exist to the same extent in the biotechnology  and pharmaceutical industries. However, there remains a glaring need for data integration solutions and standards. Users are certainly demanding it but the problem is, the vendors can afford not to listen.

The good news is that this may be changing. There is increasing momentum in the scientific community towards establishing data standards and integration. In the past decade, technology has been making a real impact in the labs. “Electronic” solutions are gaining ground and broader acceptance, as labs and business see that advantages of the “paperless” lab. Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), and Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN), are great examples. However, there is a fundamental difference between an “electronic” lab and an “integrated” lab. An electronic solution, like an ELN, addresses a particular process need, but this does not mean it provides a way for all the instruments – and their data - to work together.

There have been some attempts to create data standards for analytical labs. More and more user groups and organizations are sprouting up to discuss the issue, to propose and share ideas, and to think about next steps. While these efforts have not yet yielded tangible results, or made a broader impact, there is at least a grass roots effort underway to make something happen.

In my opinion, the biggest challenge to these efforts is a lack of leadership and initiative. The life sciences community  lacks communication and efforts so far have been siloed and insular. What the industry needs is leaders who are willing to take on the significant commitment of underwriting and supporting a serious effort to complete and establish a uniform data standard, to develop innovative data integration solutions, and to be able to influence vendors. If this occurs, it will energize the broader community, resulting in greater collaboration and development in the life sciences industry as a whole.

MUSA Technology Partners has committed to this challenge. We have partnered with innovators in the data integration space, allowing us to offer unique solutions to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries which will give scientists tools that will allow them to work more efficiently and accurately with their instrument data, as well as saving time and resources. The net result is that more time can be spent working toward research objectives, and less time worrying about technology issues.

For information about MUSA's data integration and lab support services, contact us through MUSA's information request form or call (800) 401-9123.

Lab Technology Support | MUSA | Technology Consulting | Life Sciences IT | Biotechnology Trends | Data Integration