Frost & Sullivan Commends Shimadzu Europa GmbH for its Exceptional Product Line Strategy

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The 2008 Frost & Sullivan European Mass Spectrometry Product Line Strategy Award is presented to Shimadzu Europa GmbH. The company concentrates primarily on instrument design to achieve high end specification for varied applications and combines them with advanced software solutions.

Shimadzu has a wide range of sophisticated MALDI-TOF, LCMS and GCMS systems. The company provides unique high end, hybrid mass spectrometry (MS) configurations employing quadrupole ion trap-TOF technology for the MALDI and LCMS markets. Innovative MALDI-TOF successor models, AXIMA Assurance, AXIMA Confidence and AXIMA Performance, have been successfully launched in early 2008.

“Shimadzu’s easy-to-use MS technology provides high accuracy and sensitivity in proteomics, metabolomics, glycomics, lipidomics and polymer analysis,” notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Suraj Ramanathan. “To offer an outstanding solution for the expanding field of microorganism identification by MALDI-TOF technology, third party software (SARAMIS, AnagnosTec GmbH) has been added to the portfolio. Shimadzu’s systems deliver unmatched results in considerably short time spans covering a wide sample range.”

Shimadzu’s flagship MALDI system - the AXIMA Performance - is considered one of the most powerful MALDI systems in today’s market. It delivers unparalleled mass accuracy coupled with higher confidence in identification.

The AXIMA platform series adapts to users’ workflows, allowing single sample manual acquisition as well as fully automated data-dependent analysis. In the context of biomarker detection, the data obtained from analysis can be exported to alternative processing packages, enabling comparative analysis using standard data formats. Integrated with the system are software tools for protein, oligo, tissue imaging and polymer analysis as well as for microorganism identification.

In the LCMS field, the recent development of the LCMS-IT-TOF, the first mass spectrometer with an ion trap–TOF hybrid configuration, has met with widespread acclaim. In the GCMS business, Shimadzu has displayed above average market growth in the last few years due to innovative hardware and software developments, resulting in the doubling of its GCMS market share since 2003.

“Over the past couple of years, the company has diversified its application base to cater to the emerging needs of the clinical diagnostic sector as well as areas such as bio-marker identification,” states Ramanathan. “Shimadzu’s focused approach to product line development has shown results in terms of an increase in its market share in the MS sector.”

Shimadzu’s hybrid systems have been successfully introduced in European markets, creating a benchmark for metabolite identification, bio-marker discovery and proteomics. The company strives to provide an overall analysis platform for an extensive range of applications by providing versatile systems, extending research capabilities and delivering unprecedented sensitivity and exceptional performance.

The Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Line Strategy is presented each year to a company that has demonstrated the most insight into customer needs and product demands. The recipient company should have optimised its product line by leveraging products with the various price, performance, and feature points required by the market.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About Shimadzu Europa GmbH

Shimadzu Europa GmbH is the European subsidiary of Shimadzu Corporation, headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. Founded in 1875, Shimadzu is a US$2 billion multinational corporation with 8,000 employees worldwide and three major divisions: Medical Diagnostics, Aerospace/Industrial, and Analytical Instruments. The Analytical Instruments division is one of the world's largest manufacturers of analytical instrumentation and environmental monitoring equipment. In 1968 Shimadzu Europe was established in Germany to provide analytical solutions to scientists across Europe. Today Shimadzu in Europe has a qualified network of 40 agencies and subsidiaries in 64 cities located in 34 countries all over Europe providing local sales, service, and technical support. Visit www.shimadzu.eu for more information.

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