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laboratory informatics


valuable information will lack any scientific context.’ In contrast, it is relatively painless and cost-effective for the company and each of its collaborators to adopt the same cloud platform, and thus communicate seamlessly.


A shift in IT culture However, switching to SaaS from traditional on-premise informatics platforms does lead to a natural shiſt in the IT culture, according to J J Medina, senior director of product strategy at GoInformatics. ‘Companies adopting SaaS can focus less on hiring people to support their technology infrastructure, and more on hiring the data scientists, project managers and other project-related personnel who will accelerate discovery and drive development forward. Transitioning to the cloud does not happen overnight. Large enterprises still have to make the most out of their investment in legacy systems. And so,


GETTING THE RIGHT PEOPLE ON BOARD AT THE CUSTOMER’S END IS ALSO VITAL


critically, SaaS solutions are being developed to work side by side with existing on-premises solutions. However, our cloud solutions are designed with an “open handshake” and can integrate with legacy systems through suitable application program interfaces (APIs) and other types of integrations.’ Moving into the cloud doesn’t just require


a change in how the customer perceives its data handling and management, but also requires the vendor to change its operational model. Nic Encina, VP, Innovation Lab, at PerkinElmer, comments: ‘Tis change will depend at least in part on whether you are entering the market with a new cloud product, or whether you are migrating a traditionally on-premises solution, such as an ELN, into the cloud. But in either case, large vendors, such as PerkinElmer, which have traditionally provided on-premises systems, need to change the way they think and interact with customers.’ Tis can be an evolving process, adds Jens Hoefens, director of research, strategic marketing at PerkinElmer. ‘You can’t just flip a switch overnight or abandon a legacy on-premises solution. Change is gradual and, for large deployments, can take years. It involves a true collaboration with the customer rather than service provision only.’ Getting the right people on board at the customer’s end is also vital, suggests Brian


www.scientific-computing.com l


Gilman, strategic marketing, elements at PerkinElmer. ‘It starts with the people, not the soſtware. Tere has to be a willingness to take cloud technology on board, and you have to have a set of individuals within the customer organisation who will understand the benefits of that technology and take on the roles of first adopters. Delivery from our side is based first on dialogue and training, before the solution itself can be deployed.


Adopting innovation LIMS specialist, Eusoſt, has had significant experience helping companies to migrate from on premises or web-based solutions to a fully cloud-based LIMS platform, claims Pasquale de Tullio, the firm’s international marketing manager. ‘We start all our LIMS projects with a thorough understanding of every requirement that the client has. Tis allows us to configure the system to their exact needs and demonstrate each benefit, which ultimately helps them to move into the cloud with our SaaS LIMS. In some instances it is the vendor who has to point out to clients that moving a soſtware system such as a LIMS into the cloud has benefits above finance (cost savings), support and computing power, de Tullio adds. ‘Unlike on premises solutions that may have a lifespan of, say, five to seven years before the client decides to move to a new generation of soſtware, cloud solutions are ideally suited to innovation in informatics. By implementing a SaaS solution, clients can be ready to adopt innovation, and help to inform the direction of new developments.’


Headquartered in Italy, and with a UK


office, Eusoſt released the first version of a re-engineered, cloud-based LIMS solution, EuSoſt.Lab 10, about three years ago, de Tullio explains. Developed as part of a restructuring programme that started in 2009, the SaaS platform is designed for clients in different industries, including food and beverage, oil and gas, environment, chemicals, and different manufacturing sectors. ‘We have also continued to address industry needs with the launch at the 2015 Paperless Lab Academy of a mobile app that allows users to upload results and track the progress of tests from a smartphone or tablet. Tis is not only important for remote, or field-based activities, but also aids collaboration and flexibility that cannot generally be achieved by using on- premises solutions.’


A ‘mixed bag’ While the benefits of the Cloud and SaaS are evident for certain R&D and manufacturing environments, moving an informatics infrastructure into the cloud doesn’t necessarily resonate with all companies for all situations, suggests Oliver Leven, head of Genedata Screener Professional Services at Genedata. ‘We don’t see across-the-board adoption of the cloud, but rather a ‘mixed bag,’ if you will, with companies using it for specific types of research and collaboration projects.’ Switzerland-based Genedata offers a suite of enterprise solutions for data analytics to support large-scale, experimental processes in life science research. For





Genedata Screener has a three-tier architecture: while the client can be accessed from everywhere, the server components can be installed on-premise; in external data centres integrated into the customer’s network via VPN; run in the Cloud; or hosted by Genedata


@scwmagazine FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 9


Genedata


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