The Secret's Out: It's Agilent Technologies

-- Semiconductor International, 9/1/1999

In a classic example of the anticlimax, Hewlett-Packard Co. (Palo Alto, Calif.) held a news conference in San Jose, Calif., broadcast via satellite to HP sites around the planet, to reveal the name and logo of its spin-off diversified company, until now referred to as 'NewCo' by those waiting to learn the final selection -- which, for anyone who has not yet heard, is Agilent Technologies.

As explained at length during the event, 'the name is derived from the word 'agile,' which means nimble and well-coordinated, mentally quick and resourceful.' No explanation was offered for the 'nt' portion of the name. Agilent's symbol was described as representing 'a spark of insight,' and was variously referred to by company CEO Edward Barnholt, who presided over the unveiling, as 'a pebble cast into a still pool, an idea that starts out small but ripples out to touch a broader audience.' Some members of the press corps imagined they detected a resemblance between the new name and logo and that of another company, a suggestion firmly rejected by Barnholt.

Agilent, the outcome of HP's decision to realign into two independent companies, is made up of HP's former measurement and component businesses. HP retains the original name and $39.5B computer and imaging businesses. From its inception, Agilent will be the world's leading provider of test and measurement solutions and communications components for the communications, electronics, life sciences, health care and semiconductor markets. It starts with about 43,000 employees in more than 40 countries, and a capability of providing products and services in more than 100 countries. During FY98, its revenue contribution to HP was $7.6B.

Agilent will be headquartered in Palo Alto, on what was the original HP site (not the famed garage). Because the new company is in the silent period preceding an IPO, no details were available regarding future plans and strategies.