Which pricing strategy did Waters Corporation use in the 1990s that revolutionized HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) adoption in scientific laboratories?

In the competitive field of scientific research and development, pricing strategies for new technologies can make or break market adoption. Companies must balance recovering R&D costs with making their innovations accessible enough for widespread use. This trivia question explores how one major scientific instrument company revolutionized its industry through an innovative pricing approach that changed laboratory practices worldwide.

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The Alliance Program: selling instruments at cost while charging premium prices for proprietary consumables and reagents
The Open Science Initiative: high upfront costs but completely open-source operation with no ongoing fees
The Laboratory Partnership: leasing instruments for free but requiring exclusive purchase contracts for 10+ years
The Scientific Ecosystem: subscription-based access with tiered monthly payments based on usage frequency