Business Strategy term project - Essay Example

Agilent Technologies is a leading manufacturer of measurement devices in a variety of industries. It was formed through an IPO (initial public offering) from a spin-off of Hewlett Packard in 1999. The company website states the following about the company: "Agilent Technologies, a spin-off of Hewlett-Packard Company, broke records on Nov. 18, 1999 as the largest initial public offering (IPO) in Silicon Valley history. The US $2.1 billion raised from that IPO was a sharp contrast to the $538 in working capital that founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard began with in 1938.

From a small garage in Palo Alto, California, to employees around the world serving customers in 110 countries It is located in room 5022, just off the Santa Clara Campus's main lobby at 5301 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Santa Clara, Calif..(Agilent,2007).The company's corporate brochure describes itself as: " When measurement matters, engineers, scientists, manufacturers, businesses, researchers, and government agencies rely on Agilent tools and solutions. . No other company offers the breadth and depth of measurement tools and expertise to meet the world's critical requirements for electronic and bio-analytical measurement".

(Corporate Brochure,2007) The 1934 setup company launched its first product after a good amount of R&D as the company's website states, "Bill Hewlett's study of negative feedback results in Hewlett-Packard's first product-the resistance-capacity audio oscillator (HP200A), an electronic instrument used to test sound equipment. The oscillator uses an incandescent bulb as part of its wiring scheme to provide variable resistance, a breakthrough in stability in oscillator design. The principle of feedback provides the foundation for other early HP products such as a harmonic wave analyzer and several distortion analyzers".

(Agilent, 2007) In 1943 ,as the company's website states, "Company enters the microwave field with signal generators developed for the Naval Research Laboratory and a radar-jamming device. A complete line of microwave test products follows World War II, and the company becomes the acknowledged leader in signal generators".2. Identification of the industry and competitors Agilent has been operating in multiple industries as its website clearly states that, " Agilent has a long history of innovation and leadership in the communications, electronics, semiconductor, test and measurement, life sciences and chemical analysis industries".

(Agilent,2007) The Major Competitors for Agilent Technologies are reproduced from Agilent Technologies Fact Book 2007 as under :Source :Agilent Technologies Fact Book, October 2007 Agilent began with measuring instruments way back in 1938 and developed this area as field of