Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and Acqiris SA today announced they have signed an agreement for Agilent to acquire Acqiris SA, a privately held company that provides high-speed digitizers and analyzers used in commercial, industrial and government electronics markets. The transaction is subject to standard closing conditions. Financial details were not disclosed.
Acqiris’ products include a broad offering of digitizers, time-to-digital converters and waveform analyzers with high resolution and high-speed performance. The company also offers software, integration and development support as well as long-term maintenance and support to help reduce time-to-market and to lower cost of ownership. Acqiris’ focus has been on technological innovation, and the company has pioneered a number of breakthroughs in the data acquisition and generation field.
“Acqiris’ expertise in high-speed digitizers and analyzers builds on our current product portfolio and technical capabilities,” said Ron Nersesian, vice president and general manager of Agilent’s Wireless Business Unit. “Their broad high-speed offering significantly contributes to our ability to meet the ongoing demand from our customers for in-product test to accelerate time-to-market and reduce cost. Acqiris’ digitizers strengthen our synthetic instrument offerings.”
“This acquisition by Agilent is a key strategic decision that will allow Acqiris to expand our opportunities while strengthening our support to our existing customers,” said Viktor Hungerbuhler, Acqiris CEO.
Founded in 1998, Acqiris is based in Geneva, Switzerland, with a worldwide sales channel. All 60 Acqiris employees are expected to join Agilent.
About Acqiris
Acqiris combines the skill and talent of its physicists and engineers with the feedback and expertise of its customers to provide data conversion products with superior measurement fidelity, minimum power consumption, reduced size and maximum data throughput. Acqiris’ products include CompactPCI, PCI, PXI, VXI, VME and OEM digitizers, time-to-digital converters and waveform analyzers with GS/s performance used for applications as diverse as hard disk drive test (HDD), semiconductor technology, radar, automated test equipment, physics and astronomy. More information is available at www.acqiris.com.
About Agilent Technologies
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 18,500 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenue of $5.1 billion in fiscal year 2005. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and is subject to the safe harbors created therein. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, information regarding Acqiris’ technological expertise and its enhancement of our product portfolio, information regarding the contribution Acqiris would make to Agilent’s ability to address customer demands, and the ability of Agilent to provide improved products, services and support to its customers following the closing. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause Agilent’s results to differ materially from management’s current expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to risks associated with the ability to effectuate the acquisition on a timely basis, risks associated with changes in demand for Agilent’s and Acqiris’ products and risks associated with the development generally of Agilent’s overall strategic objectives.
In addition, other risks that Agilent faces in running its operations include the ability to execute successfully through business cycles; ongoing competitive, pricing and gross margin pressures; the impact of geopolitical uncertainties on our markets and our ability to conduct business; the ability to improve asset performance to adapt to changes in demand; the ability to successfully introduce new products at the right time, price and mix and other risks detailed in Agilent’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended October 31, 2005 and its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended July 31, 2006. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs and assumptions of Agilent’s management and on currently available information. Agilent undertakes no responsibility to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement.
Note to Editors
Further technology, corporate citizenship and executive news is available on the Agilent news site at www.agilent.com/go/news.
Editorial Contacts
Michele Drake, Agilent Corporate
+1 408 345-8396
[email protected]
Janet Smith, Agilent
+1 970 679 5397
Christian Galeuchet, Acqiris
+41 22 884 3465