Sequenom Selects Tata Consultancy Services to Develop Next Generation Framework for Life Science Software Applications
MUMBAI, India and SAN DIEGO, July 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Sequenom, Inc. (Nasdaq: SQNM), a leading provider of genetic analysis solutions for epigenetic analysis, fine mapping, and molecular medicine, today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: TCS.BO, NSE: TCS.NI), a leading global technology services and consulting company, to develop software solutions that will support Sequenom’s next generation of software tools and enable the delivery of greatly expanded functionality to their customers.
The software solutions should provide a framework of validated components that will allow Sequenom to rapidly develop and deploy software products that will more effectively empower its customers to discover, analyze, and report genetic information. The solutions developed by TCS will include components that provide transparent access to public and private life sciences databases, integration of bioinformatics and computational biology tools within the framework, and enable the design and execution of workflows.
The solutions will also provide for the creation and management of projects for planning user tasks, storing user data and analyses. TCS’ signal processing and life sciences group will develop software modules for improving interfaces to, and signal conditioning of, mass spectrometer data.
Several modules of TCS’ award-winning software package Bio-Suite(TM) will be integrated within the framework and will provide out-of-the box analytical capabilities for Sequenom’s products. All development under the agreement will be performed utilizing state-of-the-art software development practices and will conform to relevant U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulatory standards.
“TCS’ experience in developing software solutions for the life sciences, their competencies in bioinformatics, computation techniques, and development process, and an attractive value proposition were important factors in our choice. We are quite pleased to be working with this world-class organization,” said Harry Stylli, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Sequenom.
“The software solutions that we are developing will be an important contributor to the success of our efforts to give our customers more value, more rapidly. These software solutions will also be foundational elements for our planned diagnostic initiatives and regulatory compliance efforts,” Dr. Stylli added.
“The emerging genetics and life sciences sectors present a significant growth opportunity for TCS as it helps us leverage the innovation embedded in this organization,” said S. Ramadorai, CEO and MD of TCS. “TCS is investing in developing new competencies in emerging sectors through its R&D labs as well as through research collaborations with leading universities across the world. This engagement which uses Bio-Suite components is further proof of TCS’ ability to successfully translate R&D into go-to-market solutions,” Mr. Ramadorai added.
Dr. M. Vidyasagar, Executive Vice President and Head, Advanced Technology Centre, TCS Hyderabad, which houses the Life Sciences R&D Division, said: “With personalized and targeted medicines becoming important medical tools, working with Sequenom, TCS will develop computational tools that will assist in addressing these requirements. We are committed to creating a complete suite of offerings for life sciences, spanning genomics, proteomics, database integration, drug discovery and preventive healthcare and this is an important milestone in that effort.”
About Tata Consultancy Services Ltd (TCS)
Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) is the world leading information technology consulting, services, business process outsourcing and engineering services organization that envisioned and pioneered the adoption of the flexible global business practices that today enable companies to operate more efficiently and produce more value. TCS achieved this by creating and perfecting a unique method of global deployment and delivery of high quality, high value services and products in IT consulting and business process outsourcing. Known as the “Global Delivery Model,” this strategic services delivery concept has reshaped the IT services industry.
More than 95% of TCS customers reward the company’s reliability, passion, creativity, and unique ability to handle the broadest range of their IT needs by continually extending and deepening their partnerships with TCS. With over 70,000 of the world’s best trained IT consultants located in 35 countries, TCS is uniquely positioned to deliver its flexible world class services seamlessly to any location. TCS reported consolidated revenues of $2.97 billion (U.S.) in the fiscal year 2005-2006. The company is listed on the National Stock Exchange and Bombay Stock Exchange in India. For more information: http://www.tcs.com.
About Sequenom
SEQUENOM is committed to providing the best genetic analysis products that translate genomic science into superior solutions for biomedical research, agricultural applications, molecular medicine and non-invasive prenatal diagnostics research, and potentially, clinical utility. The Company’s proprietary MassARRAY(R) system is a high-performance DNA analysis platform that efficiently and precisely measures the amount of genetic target material and variations therein. The system is able to deliver reliable and specific data from complex biological samples and from genetic target material that is only available in trace amounts. The Company has exclusively licensed intellectual property rights for the development and commercialization of non-invasive prenatal genetic tests for use with the MassARRAY(R) system and other platforms. http://www.sequenom.com
