[ by Melanie Gretchen ] A Goldman Sachs technology analyst is under investigation to determine if he might have leaked insider information to hedge funds, people familiar with the situation said.  The probe into Goldman's research operation is a first for federal investigators during their extraordinary and ever-expanding government investigation into insider-trading - one that currently is focused on former Goldman director Rajat Gupta. Mr. Gupta's trial is scheduled to begin in May;  he's charged with having leaked inside information about Goldman to Galleon founder Raj Rajaratnam, among other things.  Rajaratnam, who was convicted for insider trading this past June is serving an 11-year prison term. FBI Investigation. The FBI reportedly chose to enter Goldman's equity research group at this time in order to develop a new angle in its investigation of Henry King, who had been based in Asia.  Mr. King, a high-profile analyst, is well-known among technology investors for his prescient calls on tech firms, people said.  A Goldman spokesman declined to comment on Mr. King's current employment status.  Recently, Goldman clients were told that Mr. King, who heads the Taiwan research operation, took a leave from his Goldman post after a trip to the U.S. earlier this year. Research Takes Center Stage. To date, the insider-trading investigation has focused on activities at hedge funds and "expert network" companies that, for a fee, set up conversations between investors and those at companies who, the government has alleged, sometimes leak inside information.  Since late 2009, the government has secured guilty pleas or convictions for 56 of the 64 people charged in its New York-based insider-trading probe. However, technology investors have increasingly used information about the production of computer parts as an indication of how demand in the U.S. for computers might be shifting.  In turn, this affects the results of U.S. technology companies.  This is where the research becomes relevant - and the analyst becomes king. The Significance of Asia. Sources of information in Asia have figured prominently in the FBI's investigation, where many companies in the technology supply chain are based there, where Mr. King was based. For more details, got to [WSJ, 2/15/12].