SOMERSET, N.J. & THE HAGUE, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec 4, 2024--
LabVantage Solutions, Inc., the leading provider of laboratory informatics solutions and services, including purpose-built LIMS platforms enabling rapid deployment at reduced costs, and The Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI) today jointly announced a partnership to digitalize forensic laboratory workflows as part of NFI’s IT renewal initiative. A key aspect of this collaboration is the implementation of LabVantage Solutions’ Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), which is designed to streamline NFI’s forensic operations by replacing fragmented processes and incorporating advanced capabilities.
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NFI’s IT renewal initiative aims to modernize its infrastructure by replacing outdated manual systems with streamlined, automated workflows. Currently, the workflows involve multiple manual registrations across different systems, which can lead to time-consuming tasks and potential inconsistencies. The integration of LabVantage LIMS will unify data entry and enhance traceability, ensuring that data is efficiently recorded and utilized. It will also improve overall clarity and operational efficiency across forensic investigations, saving valuable time for all involved.
Peter Blom, Chief Information Officer of NFI, expressed his enthusiasm for the project: “This partnership marks a significant milestone in our journey to innovate and improve our forensic services. By integrating a sophisticated LIMS, we are setting a new standard in forensic science.”
“We are proud to work alongside NFI in their mission to enhance forensic operations,” said Michel Gerlicher, President, LabVantage International. “This collaboration will bring about a new era of efficiency and reliability in their laboratory workflows.”
The project includes contributions from Protinus, which served as the IT broker, and Capgemini, which is developing the sovereign cloud infrastructure to host the LIMS. The new system will integrate seamlessly into NFI’s operations, ensuring compliance with stringent security standards while enabling forensic experts to work faster and more confidently. By leveraging a secure, sovereign cloud infrastructure, the partnership will meet the highest standards of data protection and regulatory compliance, including BIO (Baseline Information Security for Government) and BBN (Baseline Information Security for Enterprises) requirements.
Alan Marcus, Chief Growth Officer at LabVantage Solutions, emphasized the broader implications of this alliance: “We are excited to see the real-life impact our investments in industry-specific solutions bring to our clients. With Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) becoming the de facto delivery standard, we expect vertical solutions to prove increasingly impactful, allowing clients to benefit from the latest innovations without being held back by past adaptations required by industry-agnostic software. NFI’s validation that our forensics solutions are fit for purpose is encouraging, and we are humbled to contribute to the fact-finding mission of NFI’s world-leading forensic laboratories.”
LabVantage Solutions, in joint effort with Protinus and Capgemini, will ensure the new system is secure and fully compliant with all required standards. By implementing LabVantage LIMS, NFI will streamline processes, enhance data accuracy, and improve data management, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and reliability. This partnership strengthens NFI’s role as a leader in delivering reliable forensic services to organizations around the world, while further establishing LabVantage Solutions’ prominence in the enterprise laboratory software solutions industry.
To learn more about LabVantage Solutions’ end-to-end informatics solutions for the complete forensic life cycle, please visit labvantage.com or contact us here.
About LabVantage Solutions
A recognized leader in enterprise laboratory software solutions, LabVantage Solutions dedicates itself to improving customer outcomes by transforming data into knowledge. Its highly configurable, 100% browser-based platform consists of LIMS, ELN, LES, SDMS, and advanced analytics, supporting seamless deployment into any environment. Serving over 1,500 customers across life sciences, pharmaceuticals, biobanking, food & beverage, forensics, and more, LabVantage Solutions empowers innovation, helps improve product quality, and ensures compliance with industry regulations. Headquartered in Somerset, NJ, with offices worldwide, LabVantage Solutions has driven laboratory digital transformation for over 40 years. For more information, visit labvantage.com.
About The Netherlands Forensic Institute (NFI):
The Netherlands Forensic Institute is dedicated to providing high-quality forensic services to support justice, peace, and security. The NFI has achieved this position by constantly improving its products and services. Science and innovation at the NFI are strongly driven by experiences from forensic practice. Through this innovative approach and commitment to excellence, the NFI serves both national and international clients, offering a wide range of forensic products and services. For more information, visit https://www.forensischinstituut.nl/.
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WASHINGTON (AP) — Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, spent a second day on Capitol Hill, meeting privately with Republican senators amid rising questions about his ability to effectively lead the Pentagon.
Hegseth told reporters Tuesday that he was planning to sit down with senators, even with those potentially skeptical of his nomination.
“We’re going to meet with every senator that wants to meet with us, across the board,” Hegseth as he went from office to office. “And we welcome their advice as we go through the advice and counsel process.”
Trump tapped the Fox News co-host, a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, as his Secretary of Defense, typically among the first Cabinet posts to be considered by the U.S. Senate for confirmation.
But Hegseth is running into questions amid a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied, and other emerging reports about his work conduct and history.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham said some of the reports are “disturbing.”
“I want to make sure that every young woman that joins the military feels respected and welcomed,” Graham told CBS News.
The South Carolina lawmaker told the AP later that he doesn’t know whether to believe the allegations, and Hegseth “has a chance to say that’s true or not true.”
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said he's seen the reports. “I’ll get the chance to talk to him, and I’m sure he’ll address them," he said. "But my view is, have the hearing.”
Before he was tapped to serve as a weekend host of “Fox & Friends,” Hegseth served at two veterans advocacy groups, Concerned Veterans for America and Veterans For Freedom.
In new allegations this week, the New Yorker cited what it described as a whistleblower report and other documents about his time leading CVA that alleged multiple incidents of alcohol intoxication at work events, inappropriate behavior around female staffers and financial mismanagement.
NBC News reported that several unnamed current and former Fox employees who worked with Hegseth said his drinking habits raised concerns, including some who said he would show up smelling of alcohol.
The Associated Press spoke to four people who had either worked at CVA or were familiar with Hegseth’s time there who insisted on anonymity because they were not allowed to speak to the media or had signed nondisclosure agreements.
While the group’s all-day conferences could run late and often wind up at a nearby bar, three of the four said they had not seen Hegseth intoxicated at events.
One person who had been connected to CVA told the AP, however, that some employees had raised concerns about Hegseth’s alcohol use but said that his departure from the group was more connected to growing ideological differences between him and the network of conservative nonprofits funded by billionaire donors Charles Koch and his late brother, David Koch.
Trump is drawing from the ranks of loyalists to fill his administration and to Cabinet positions, often stunning Washington with unusual choices that are provocative and testing the senators who will be asked to confirm them under the chamber’s advise and consent role.
An early pick, Matt Gaetz, the former congressman from Florida, abruptly withdrew from consideration when it became clear that Senate support was crumbling. Gaetz, who had been investigated but never charged in a federal sex trafficking probe, faced a House Ethics investigation over sexual misconduct.
Trump's choices can only afford to lose a few detractors in the Senate, where it takes majority approval to be confirmed. Republicans will have a 53-seat majority in the new year, meaning four GOP votes could sink a nominee, if all Democrats are opposed.
Republican senators have been weighing their options.
If confirmed, Hegseth would not only be part of critical command and control of the nation’s nuclear weapons, he would be sixth in the line of succession to the presidency. It’s a position that ages its occupants and demands constant response, due to the number of middle-of-the-night contingencies that can occur when U.S. service members are put in harm’s way.
There have been private discussions among senators about the allegations and how to approach the situation, according to one person granted anonymity to discuss the private conversations.
During a closed-door meeting with about a dozen senators late Monday evening, none asked Hegseth about the allegations against him.
“You know what? The American people care about restoring our military,” said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, after the meeting. He decried as “shameful” the criticism of Hegseth.
While Republican senators are reluctant to raise questions publicly — and several dismissed the reports outright — many of them indicated he could face tough questions in a confirmation hearing.
“That’s what the process is for,” said Utah Rep. John Curtis, an incoming freshman senator.
Questions about Hegseth and other nominees are “why a background check is important, why a committee investigation is critical,” said Maine Sen. Susan Collins.
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said after meeting Monday with Hegseth that he is very supportive of the nomination.
But Tuberville said of the allegations: “If it’s to a certain degree, people aren’t going to vote to confirm him.“
Hegseth, 44, was a co-host of Fox News Channel’s “Fox and Friends Weekend” and had been a contributor with the network since 2014. He developed a friendship with Trump, who made regular appearances on the show.
Hegseth served in the Army National Guard from 2002 to 2021, deploying to Iraq in 2005 and Afghanistan in 2011 and earning two Bronze Stars. He lacks senior military and national security experience and would oversee global crises ranging from Europe to the Middle East.
A woman told police that she was sexually assaulted in 2017 by Hegseth after he took her phone, blocked the door to a California hotel room and refused to let her leave, according to a detailed investigative report recently made public.
Hegseth told police at the time that the encounter had been consensual and has denied any wrongdoing.
Associated Press writers Byron Tau and Kimberly Kindy and researcher Rhonda Shafner in New York contributed to this report.
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, left, as they arrive to meet with Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defense secretary, is joined by his wife Jennifer Rauchet, left, as they arrive to meet with Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
