Acquisition Strengthens Agilent's Nanomeasurements Portfolio
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2008--Agilent
Technologies Inc. today announced that it has acquired the Nano
Instruments business unit of MTS Systems Corp. The acquisition will
strengthen Agilent's portfolio of instrumentation for imaging,
characterizing and quantifying nanomechanical material properties.
Financial details were not disclosed.
Based in Oak Ridge, Tenn., Nano Instruments is a leading supplier
of nanoindentation systems and related equipment as well as supporting
software. The G200 and G300 nanoindentation systems and the Nano UTM
(Universal Testing Machine) system are used in applications such as
verifying the structural integrity of semiconductor devices, coatings
and thin films. Nano Instruments' customers are typically academic and
industrial researchers involved in materials sciences, semiconductor
and life sciences.
Nanoindentation is an adjacent market to atomic force microscopy;
Agilent currently sells atomic force microscopes (AFMs). Both
nanoindentation systems and AFMs are used to measure and characterize
materials for hardness, elasticity and viscosity at the nanometer
scale; research laboratories that use AFMs typically have a
nanoindentation system in close proximity.
"Nano Instruments has great depth of experience and a
well-deserved reputation for excellence in nanoindentation," said Bob
Burns, vice president of Agilent's Nanotechnology Measurements
Division. "With Agilent's robust sales channel and global
infrastructure, we anticipate growing the Nano Instruments business
and offering a more complete nanomeasurement product portfolio to our
customers worldwide."
The Nano Instruments business is joining Agilent's Materials
Science Solutions Unit, within Agilent's Life Sciences and Chemical
Analysis business. The unit was formed in 2007 under the leadership of
Mike Gasparian, vice president and general manager. MSSU's focus is to
provide microscopy, particle analysis and optical spectroscopy
solutions for the materials testing, life sciences and chemical
analysis markets, as well as to advance nanotechnology. Other recent
acquisitions in this business unit include TILL Photonics (microscopy)
and Colloidal Dynamics (particle analysis).
"I'm looking forward to working with the other groups within
Agilent to share our technology and enhance the nanoindentation
product roadmap," said Warren Oliver, general manager and co-founder
of Nano Instruments, who has joined Agilent. From a technology,
product, people and culture perspective, our two companies are a great
fit.
Oliver and John Pethica co-founded Nano Instruments in 1983. The
business was then acquired by MTS Systems Corp. in 1998. The Nano
Instruments business has about 45 employees, who have joined Agilent.
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 19,000
employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net
revenue of $5.4 billion in fiscal year 2007. Information about Agilent
is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.
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CONTACT: Agilent Technologies Inc.
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SOURCE: Agilent Technologies Inc.