PALO ALTO, Calif., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the analytical instrumentation and services market for the life sciences industry, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Waters Corporation with the 2008 North American Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year. This is for its breakthrough SYNAPT(TM) High Definition Mass Spectrometry(TM) (HDMS(TM)) system, the first commercial instrument that combines ion mobility (IMS) based measurements and separations with high resolution tandem mass spectrometry.

Waters develops a number of high-performance analytical solutions, including liquid chromatographs and related chemistries, mass spectrometers, and laboratory informatics that are used by scientists to separate and identify chemical compounds for a wide range of life sciences applications. In 2007, the company had about 5,000 employees and generated revenues exceeding $1.4 billion worldwide.

'Introduced in June 2006, the SYNAPT HDMS system uses patented Triwave(TM) technology to integrate high-efficiency ion mobility within a quadrupole, time-of flight geometry mass spectrometer,' says Frost & Sullivan Industry Manager Jessy Cavazos. 'This unique combination of technologies enables scientists to differentiate samples by their size, shape and charge, as well as mass, which has enabled the separation, detection and characterization of components not possible with conventional mass spectrometry.'

SYNAPT HDMS was designed for researchers working at the boundaries of conventional mass spectrometry who need to further characterize and define their samples. Prior to the introduction of the SYNAPT HDMS, research in this area was confined to a limited number of academic groups who used 'home-built' instruments. The additional dimension of sample separation afforded by ion mobility enables the extraction of more useful information from a given experiment in a wide range of application areas.

The Waters SYNAPT HDMS system was designed with the end-user in mind. The system's novel separation capability has fueled demand from both academic and commercial segments. For example, academicians studying structural biology research who are challenged with the dynamic nature of living cells and interaction of molecules within those cells embrace SYNAPT HDMS' ability to differentiate and measure molecular conformations (shapes).

Additionally, the system provides the power to further separate mixtures, enhance detection limits by removing background noise and interferences, and extract more information from fragmentation studies. As a result, there has been a rapid adoption of the system among commercial groups who seek to further characterize their proprietary biopharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical molecules within the discovery, commercialization and marketing phases. Clearly, SYNAPT HDMS is a breakthrough technology that makes innovation and discoveries possible.

Waters' dedication to innovation is obvious through its 50-year history and its line of analytical solutions. Mass spectrometers, including the SYNAPT HDMS, are often integrated with complementary instruments, such as the ACQUITY(R) UltraPerformance LC(R) liquid chromatography (UPLC(R)) system, a 2007 Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation award recipient. Additionally, these total systems require sophisticated software packages to maximize the collection and analysis of scientific data, such as Waters MassLynx and NuGenesis Scientific Data Management System (SDMS). These total systems are used throughout the drug discovery and development process, starting with studies of disease, moving to identification of potential therapeutic molecules, then to clinical trials and throughout the manufacturing process.

'Waters has demonstrated excellence in product innovation in the North American analytical instrumentation and services market in life sciences by developing intelligent systems that deliver high levels of performance,' continues Cavazos. 'The company's value proposition puts customer success ahead of all other concerns and this customer focus is embodied by the SYNAPT HDMS system, making Waters the worthy recipient of the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Innovation of the Year.'

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within its industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize 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 Waters Corporation

For 50 years, Waters Corporation (NYSE: WAT) has created business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

With revenue of $1.47 billion in 2007 and 5,000 employees, Waters is driving scientific discovery and operational excellence for customers worldwide.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's TEAM Research, Growth Consulting and Growth Team Membership(TM) empower clients to create a growth-focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnership Services, visit http://www.frost.com.

     Contact:
     Jake Wengroff
     210.247.3806
     jake.wengroff@frost.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan