Agilent named company of the year by IBO

Agilent Technologies has been named as company of the year for 2010 by Instrument Business Outlook (IBO), a publication for the scientific instrument sector.

The newsletter, which is published by market analyst Strategic Directions International, hailed Agilent for its range of innovative products and major financial growth in the last 12 months.

It praised the speed with which Agilent has been able to fully integrate its new subsidiary Varian, a takeover that has helped the firm achieve year-on-year revenue growth of 73 percent.

IBO also highlighted the role played by Agilent's liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry products in bolstering its presence in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology markets.

Mike McMullen, president of Agilent's chemical analysis group, said: "2010 was a significant year for Agilent as we kept customer satisfaction a top priority while driving the Varian integration … IBO's recognition of these achievements is a rewarding finish to a banner year."

Earlier this month, Agilent announced that Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation health programme president Dr Tachi Yamada has become a member of its board of directors.