BIKA LIMS

The Bika Open Source LIMS project started out as prototype, Bach, piloted in the Western Cape wine industry in 2001. Given the cost of unwieldy pre-Internet proprietary systems, there was a clear need for affordable, easy-to-use LIMS and instrument integration. Web clients were becoming popular but few LIMS were web based, often merely web enabled legacy systems. And none were doing Open Source chemistry. Bika 1, built form the ground up in modern web application server and CMS framework Zope... and Plone, went into production in 2004 with first public release in 2005. The system has since seen incremental growth through major releases Inkosi 'Chief' LIMS 2 and Gaob 'King' LIMS 3, including micro-biology and branches for health care, environmental management and inter-laboratory proficiency testing. Bika LIMS 4 code evolved into Senaite LIMS 1, with big refactoring and performance enhancements. Today Bika/Senaite LIMS is arguably the best Open Source LIMS available, sustained by a collective of users, developers and sponsors unwavering in their efforts to keep to professional standards and away from proprietary pricing models. The software's future is ensured with effective organisational structure and many global developers, in high demand, currently expanding the system with the support of client sponsors, peer review by co-developers, and testing by fast expanding user base.More