10-K 1 d10k.htm ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K Prepared by R.R. Donnelley Financial -- Annual Report on Form 10-K
Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549


Form 10-K


(Mark One)

  x ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2003

or

  ¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from              to             

Commission File Number: 001-15405


Agilent Technologies, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware   77-0518772

State or other jurisdiction of

Incorporation or organization

 

I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.

Address of principal executive offices: 395 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto, California 94306

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (650) 752-5000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class


 

Name of each exchange

on which registered


Common Stock

par value $0.01 per share

  New York Stock Exchange, Inc.

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None


Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  x    No  ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  x    No  ¨

The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common equity held by non-affiliates as of April 30, 2003, was approximately $5.926 billion. The aggregate market value of the registrant’s common stock held by non-affiliates as of October 31, 2003 was approximately $9.217 billion. As of October 31, 2003, there were 476,149,083 outstanding shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share. Shares of stock held by officers, directors and 5 percent or more stockholders have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Document Description


   10-K Part

Portions of the Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Proxy Statement”) to be held on March 2, 2004, and to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after registrant’s fiscal year ended October 31, 2003 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report    III


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

          Page

PART I

Item 1

   Business    2

Item 2

   Properties    26

Item 3

   Legal Proceedings    27

Item 4

   Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders    27

PART II

Item 5

   Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters    28

Item 6

   Selected Financial Data    30

Item 7

   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations    32

Item 7A

   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk    72

Item 8

   Financial Statements and Supplementary Data    72

Item 9

   Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure    72

Item 9A

   Controls and Procedures    73

PART III

Item 10

   Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant    74

Item 11

   Executive Compensation    74

Item 12

   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management    74

Item 13

   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions    74

Item 14

   Principal Accountant Fees and Services    74

PART IV

Item 15

   Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules, and Reports on Form 8-K    75

Exhibit Index

    

 

 

Caliper is a U.S. registered trademark of Caliper Technologies Corp. LabChip is a registered trademark of Caliper Technologies Corp. in the U.S. and other countries. Affymetrix is a U.S. registered trademark of Affymetrix, Inc.

 

1


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Forward-Looking Statements

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This report contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding trends, cyclicality, seasonality and growth in the markets we sell into, our strategic direction, expenditures in research and development, contracts and remediation, our future effective tax rate, new product introductions, changes to our manufacturing processes, our liquidity position, our ability to generate cash from continuing operations, our expected growth, the potential impact of our adopting new accounting pronouncements, our financial results, the impact of our enterprise resource planning systems implementation, our obligations under our retirement and post-retirement benefit plans, savings from our restructuring programs and the existence or length of an economic recovery that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including those discussed in Item 7 and elsewhere in this report.

 

PART I

 

Item 1.    Business

 

Overview

 

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (“we”, “Agilent” or the “company”), incorporated in Delaware in May 1999, is a global diversified technology company that provides enabling solutions to markets within the communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis industries. We have four primary businesses:

 

  test and measurement;

 

  automated test;

 

  semiconductor products; and

 

  life sciences and chemical analysis.

 

Prior to our initial public offering of 15.9 percent of our stock in November 1999, we were a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Company (“Hewlett-Packard”). Hewlett-Packard distributed the remaining 84.1 percent of our stock to its stockholders on June 2, 2000 in the form of a stock dividend.

 

Our test and measurement, automated test and semiconductor businesses share focus on growth opportunities in the communications and electronics sector, while our life sciences and chemical analysis business focuses on growth opportunities in life sciences, as well as chemical analysis in the environmental, chemical, food and petrochemical markets.

 

We sell our products primarily through our direct sales force, but we also utilize distributors, resellers, telesales and electronic commerce. Of our total net revenue of $6.1 billion in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2003, we generated 36 percent in the United States (“U.S.”) and 64 percent internationally. As of October 31, 2003, we employed approximately 29,000 people worldwide. Our primary research and development (“R&D”) and manufacturing sites are in California, Colorado, Delaware and Washington in the U.S. and in China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

 

2


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Our net revenue by business segment for each of the years ending October 31, 2003, 2002 and 2001 was:

 

     2003

   2002

   2001

     (in millions)

Test and measurement

   $ 2,529    $ 2,612    $ 4,547

Automated test

     755      706      885

Semiconductor products

     1,586      1,559      1,850

Life sciences and chemical analysis

     1,186      1,133      1,114
    

  

  

Total net revenue

   $ 6,056    $ 6,010    $ 8,396
    

  

  

 

More financial information about the business segments is contained in Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 of this report. Hewlett-Packard accounted for approximately 5 percent of our total net revenue in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2003, 8 percent in fiscal year 2002 and 7 percent in fiscal year 2001. These figures include items sold to contract manufacturers who manufacture products on Hewlett-Packard’s behalf.

 

Test and Measurement

 

Our test and measurement business provides standard and customized solutions that are used in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronic equipment and systems and communications networks and services. These solutions include test and measurement instruments and systems, communications service and network monitoring, management, and optimization tools and software design tools and associated services.

 

Our test and measurement business employed approximately 11,900 people as of October 31, 2003. We serve customers in more than 110 countries and sell our products through our direct sales force, distributors, value-added resellers, manufacturer’s representatives, telesales and electronic commerce. Our hardware and software products and solutions are complemented by service and support offerings such as start-up assistance, instrument productivity and application services and instrument calibration and repair. We also offer customization, consulting and optimization services throughout the customer’s product lifecycle. Our test and measurement business generated $2.5 billion in revenue in fiscal 2003, $2.6 billion in revenue in fiscal 2002 and $4.5 billion in revenue in fiscal 2001.

 

Test and Measurement Markets

 

Our test and measurement products compete in two major markets:

 

  communications test; and

 

  general purpose test.

 

Communications Test

 

The markets for Agilent’s communications industry products cover the breadth of communications test; starting with the design and development of network elements and devices, continuing through equipment manufacturing, to installation and maintenance, and finally to service and network management and optimization.

 

Network equipment manufacturers provide products to facilitate the transmission of voice and data traffic, including network and subscriber equipment. This transmission may be in various

 

3


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

forms, such as electronic signals over copper wire, optical signals over fiber cables and radio frequency (“RF”) or microwave signals. The network equipment manufacturers’ customers are the distributors of end-user subscriber devices, including cell phones and personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), as well as communications service providers that deploy and operate the networks and services. To meet their customers’ demands, network component and equipment manufacturers require test and measurement instruments, systems and solutions for the development, production and installation of each network technology.

 

Communications service providers require network equipment that enables their networks and services to operate at increasingly faster speeds while providing rapidly-expanding capacity, up-to-the-minute services, and superior reliability. They must do this in a fiercely competitive environment with drastically reduced operating and capital expenditures, and increased revenue demands. To achieve this, communications service providers require a range of sophisticated test instruments and systems to evaluate network performance and to identify any sources of communications failure.

 

Agilent’s communications service customers require advanced software and systems, known as operations support systems (“OSSs”), to monitor and manage the network infrastructure and services on a continuous, proactive basis to achieve either regulated or customer-specified service levels. Real-time monitoring of the network infrastructure also enables the implementation of additional services, such as fraud detection and intercarrier billing, which enable service providers to capture the greatest revenue from network usage.

 

The overall market for cellular mobility, specifically in handsets, grew in recent years as the levels of wireless penetration in developed countries have increased. Wireless communications in emerging economies continues to develop. To develop cellular telephone equipment, manufacturers require electronic design automation software, test instruments and systems for the development of wireless devices, high-frequency communications circuits and systems. Cellular equipment manufacturers also require advanced, high-frequency test instruments and systems to develop, manufacture and deploy cellular base stations for these wireless networks. In addition, the rapid expansion of the cellular handset market, coupled with subscriber turnover created by the introduction of new technologies, has fueled growth for automated test equipment to test cellular handsets on the factory floor. Investments continue for advanced R&D verification solutions for 2.5G and 3G appliance development and network deployment as the demand for complex wireless data networks increases.

 

Further, as new standards evolve in the wireless industry, new test and measurement equipment and systems have to be developed to enable testing of the new standards in the research, design and development and later in the manufacturing and deployment phases. An example of this is wireless fidelity (“Wi-Fi”), also called 802.11, for wireless local area networking. As the adoption of these new standards becomes mainstream, additional markets are emerging, including larger companies and their network operators. These companies are constantly finding innovative applications for wireless technology, and are providing their customers wireless network access in areas called “hot spots,” such as airports, coffee shops and libraries. The use of wireless test and measurement solutions is quickly being adopted by these larger companies to ensure robust quality of service.

 

In the last several years, producers of networking communications equipment have increased their use of contract manufacturers. Contract manufacturers require test solutions that are designed for faster production and flexible for use in different applications. Recently, mobile phone and appliance producers have also begun to increase their use of contract manufacturers, original design

 

4


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

manufacturers and reference design platforms, including using contract manufacturers for functional test. This requires specialized test products and services to address the particular needs of these high-frequency products.

 

General Purpose Test

 

The electronics industry designs, develops and manufactures a wide range of products, including products produced in high volumes, such as computers, computer peripherals, electronic components, consumer electronics, enterprise servers, storage networks and communications devices including personal digital assistants. The components, printed circuit assemblies and functional devices for these products may be designed, developed and manufactured by electronic components companies, by original equipment manufacturers or by third-party contract manufacturers. For the development and timely commercialization of new technologies, manufacturers require state-of-the-art test instruments, systems and software design tools in order to design products for efficient and cost-effective manufacturing and to validate product performance in a variety of configurations and environments. Manufacturers of electronics products require sophisticated test equipment to operate and perform highly accurate tests from design through manufacturing. They also demand automated functional test systems, which test an electronic device as if it were in use in its final environment.

 

Electronics manufacturing requires standardized test instruments, system components and complete solutions. Aerospace and defense are important markets for standardized electronic equipment because of the high electronic content of advanced defense systems and defense-related communications and surveillance equipment. We believe that defense purchasers will continue to shift from specialized test equipment to Commercial Off-the-Shelf test products and systems and will continue to require solutions that optimize asset utilization and effective Technology Lifecycle Management.

 

Test and Measurement Products

 

Our test and measurement business designs, develops and manufactures test and design products that range from single-unit electronic measurement devices priced under $1,000 to large scale test systems or OSS solutions priced at $1 million and higher.

 

Communications Test

 

We provide testing solutions for fiber optics, transport networks, broadband and data networks, wireless communications, microwave networks and products, installation and maintenance solutions and OSS, including monitoring and network management systems.

 

Fiber Optics.    Our products include optical signal and spectrum analysis instruments in addition to lightwave optical systems such as optical amplifier test, passive component test and jitter test. These items are used by the industry’s leading equipment manufacturers to develop and manufacture reliable optical components and modules. Our products also include tunable laser sources, multi-wavelength meters, photonic all-parameter testers, and high-speed bit-error rate testers that measure key transmission properties of high-speed optical and electrical signals.

 

Transport Networks.    Our OmniBER OTN and the OmniBER XM network simulator provide leading edge capabilities for test next generation SONET/SDH network equipment.

 

Broadband and Data Networks.    Our Network Analyzer product line helps to troubleshoot high-speed local area networks, wide area networks, local area networks (“LAN”) and asynchronous transfer mode networks. Our Router Tester 900 is the industry leader in core edge router performance verification.

 

5


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Wireless Communications and Microwave.    Our RF and microwave test instruments and our Electronic Design Automation (“EDA”) software tools assist in the design and production of cellular handsets and base stations, as well as satellite and aerospace defense systems. Examples of our wireless communications products include specialized versions of RF and microwave network analyzers, spectrum analyzers and signal sources, mobile testers, circuit simulation tools, and system simulation tools. Agilent also offers solutions for centralized wireless LAN monitoring and network optimization. Our AiRMS solution provides remote monitoring of network performance using a series of remote probes deployed in service vehicles and taxicabs. The Agilent N5250A PNA series millimeter-wave network analyzer has frequency coverage from 10 MHz to 110 GHz in a single sweep, which is 44 times faster than the industry standard. This capability enables engineers and system integrators working at millimeter-wave frequencies to take advantage of the performance, connectivity and for ability to characterize 1.0 mm coaxial and on-wafer components, subsystems and systems.

 

Installation and Maintenance Solutions.    Our solutions for installation test enable service providers to install, commission, and activate networks and services more quickly. For example, our 10-Gigabit Field Transmission Test Set allows technicians to test 192 fiber optic channels simultaneously. Agilent has a breadth of solutions for troubleshooting and maintaining optical, wireless, wireline, and large-company networks. These solutions include Fiber Break Locator, Network Tester, Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (“OTDR”), Network Troubleshooting Center, and Framescope. We also market bench-top and handheld measurement devices such as lightwave multimeters, power meters and optical sources.

 

Operations Support Systems.    Our integrated OSS solutions reduce software integration costs and enable high-value service-level management functions not possible with stand-alone systems. We offer a number of industry-proven monitoring and management systems such as acceSS7 for Signaling System 7 networks; NETeXPERT for circuit, packet and hybrid networks; accessFIBER, for fiber optic networks; NgN Analysis System for next-generation telephony and Internet offload networks; Wireless Service Manager for wireless services and networks; and Wireless QoS Manager for mobile data services and networks.

 

General Purpose Test Solutions

 

General Purpose Instruments.    General purpose instruments are used principally by engineers in R&D laboratories, manufacturing, calibration and service for measuring voltage, current, frequency, signal pulse width and other standard electronics measurements. Examples of our general purpose instruments include spectrum analyzers, network analyzers, signal generators, digitizing oscilloscopes, voltmeters and multimeters, frequency counters, bench and system power supplies, and function generators and waveform synthesizers.

 

Modular Instruments and Test Software.    Our modular instruments and test software, including instruments incorporating the VXI bus and modular measurement system software, is used to dynamically configure and reconfigure test systems for designers and manufacturers of electronic devices. Agilent’s new Test Automation Kit N1908A enables engineers developing test systems for low-frequency applications to automatically load drivers, activate, configure and verify test and measurement instruments. This is the industry’s first personal computer (“PC”) standards-based test kit that dramatically shortens test-system set-up and coding, allowing engineers to conduct the first test in one hour or less, where typically it would take several days or weeks.

 

Digital Design Products.    These systems range from simple digital control circuits to complex, high-speed servers incorporating the latest microprocessor technology. Our digital design products include high performance oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, logic-signal sources and data generators. Agilent’s 2.5 to 6 GHz real-time oscilloscopes are the only models in the industry that

 

6


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

offer four full-bandwidth, 20 GSa/s per channel. When these new scopes are paired with the Agilent InfiniiMax active probes at 3.5 to 7 GHz, the new system delivers industry-leading performance, accuracy and probing connectivity. This is used by R&D engineers in the computer, communications and semiconductor industries for validating and verifying the performance of new high-speed digital product designs

 

High-Frequency Electronic Design Tools.    Our high-frequency electronic design automation software tools are used by RF integrated circuit design engineers to model, simulate and analyze communications product designs at the circuit and system levels. Our alliance with Cadence Design Systems extended this core technology to a much larger base of customers.

 

Test and Measurement Customers

 

We market our test and measurement solutions to customers across a broad array of industries. Agilent’s customers include the network equipment manufacturers who design, develop, manufacture and install network equipment, and the service providers who implement, maintain and manage communication networks and services. Many of our customers purchase solutions across several of our major product lines for their different business units. No single customer is material for the test and measurement business.

 

The orders and revenues of the test and measurement business are somewhat seasonal, with our fourth quarter traditionally bringing larger volumes of business and our first quarter generally showing reduced volumes. This is especially true of products that we sell to the aerospace and defense industry as well as those that are linked to consumer spending, including some of our communications test equipment. However, the seasonal impact is tempered by the diversity of the test and measurement business’ products and customers, which span multiple industries.

 

Test and Measurement Sales, Marketing and Support

 

We have a focused sales strategy to strengthen customer satisfaction. Our direct sales force is focused on identifying customer needs and recommending solutions involving the effective use and deployment of our equipment, services, systems and capabilities. Some members of our direct sales force focus on global accounts, providing uniform services on a worldwide basis. Others focus on our more complex products such as our communications OSS monitoring systems, where customers require intensive strategic consultation. Our sales force also specifically targets the contract manufacturer market by collaborating with original equipment manufacturers to specify that contract manufacturers use our test equipment, as well as marketing to contract manufacturers directly.

 

Our direct sales force consists of field engineers and systems engineers who often hold advanced degrees and who have in-depth knowledge of the customers’ business and technology needs. Some of our field engineers are account managers for our large accounts, and enhance our understanding of the future needs of these customers. Our systems engineers provide a combination of consulting, systems integration and application and software engineering services, and are instrumental in all stages of the sale, implementation and support of our complex systems and solutions. We also use value-added resellers to address specific market segments.

 

To complement our direct sales force we have agreements with many channel partners around the world. These partners, including value-added resellers, manufacturer’s representatives, and distributors, serve Agilent’s customers across a number of product lines and provide the same level of service and support expected from our direct channel. Our products come with clearly outlined warranties and extended warranties available for an additional cost.

 

7


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Test and Measurement Manufacturing

 

We concentrate our test and measurement manufacturing efforts primarily on final assembly and test of our products. To maximize our productivity and our ability to respond to market conditions, we use contract manufacturers for the production of printed circuit boards, sheetmetal fabrication, metal die casting, plastic molding and standard electronic components. We also manufacture proprietary devices and assemblies, in our own fabrication facilities for competitive advantage.

 

We generally only manufacture products when we have received firm orders for delivery, and do not generally hold large stocks of finished inventory. However, due to the large number of components and products we manufacture, we hold relatively large amounts of raw materials.

 

Test and Measurement Competition

 

The market for test and measurement equipment is highly competitive, and we expect this competition to increase. Our test and measurement business competes with a number of significant competitors in all our major product categories and across our targeted industries. In the general purpose electronic test market, we compete against companies such as Fluke Corporation (a subsidiary of Danaher Corporation), Keithley Instruments, Inc., LeCroy Corporation, National Instruments Corporation and Tektronix, Inc.. In communications test, our primary competitors are Acterna, Aeroflex Incorporated, Anritsu, IXIA, Marconi Communications Ltd., Network Associates, Inc., Rohde & Schwartz, Spirent, Tektronix, Inc., as well as INET Technologies, Inc. and Micromuse Inc. in the communications network monitoring market. Our EDA business also has several software competitors, including Ansoft Corporation, Aplac, Applied Wave Research, Eagleware, and Xpedion.

 

In many of our test and measurement businesses, especially those affected by the telecommunications market downturn, we have seen increasing pricing pressure. However, we compete primarily on the basis of performance or differentiated capabilities and our equipment is not subject to severe discounting.

 

Automated Test

 

Our automated test business provides test system solutions that are used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices and printed circuit assemblies. Our test solutions enable electronics designers and manufacturers to reduce the design to production cycle, lower manufacturing cost of test, confirm the functional quality of their devices and of their manufacturing processes, and accelerate the high-volume delivery of their products.

 

Our automated test business employed approximately 2,300 people as of October 31, 2003. We sell our products through our direct sales force. Our products are complemented by consulting, service and support offerings such as start-up assistance, application services and system calibration and repair. Our automated test business generated $0.8 billion in revenue in fiscal 2003, $0.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2002 and $0.9 billion in revenue in fiscal 2001.

 

Automated Test Markets

 

Agilent supplies a broad range of automated test equipment to both the semiconductor manufacturing markets and the electronic manufacturing markets. Our test systems are used for several different purposes, including wafer-level parametric testing, wafer-sort for memory test, package-level functional test, and structural and electrical test and inspection for printed circuit board assemblies.

 

Demand for automated test equipment is driven both by the increased volume of semiconductor devices produced and by advances in semiconductor performance and function, packaging, and assembly technology.

 

8


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

The development of increasingly faster and more complex semiconductor devices stimulates demand for testers capable of evaluating these high-speed devices. In addition, the continuing integration of functions, such as microprocessor, logic, analog, RF and logic, application specific integrated circuits (“ASICs”), and memory on a single integrated circuit has created a new category of device called system-on-a-chip (“SOC”). These devices in turn require new sophisticated and flexible automated test equipment.

 

In electronics manufacturing, demand is stimulated by new technologies and processes, increasing density and miniaturization of parts. New materials and smaller parts such as ceramic column grid arrays, ceramic ball grid arrays and ultra-miniature resistors or capacitors (“0201s”), decrease test access and make new demands on test and inspection equipment, as do new and evolving manufacturing processes such as the pending introduction of lead-free solder. These challenges require test and inspection equipment that provides increased resolution for the highest call accuracy and a range of solutions to access issues.

 

Automated Test Products

 

Our automated test business designs, develops and manufactures both semiconductor test equipment and electronics manufacturing test equipment. We develop test solutions on a single system architecture and then deliver, over time, enhancements to that architecture that extend its test capabilities. For instance, in 2003 Agilent expanded the capabilities of our 93000 SOC system by increasing its high-speed performance to address new Peripheral Component Interconnect (“PCI”) Express technology, at the same time introducing a low-cost design-for-test series, all on the same platform. Our customers can adapt their 93000 according to their needs without having to buy multiple unique testers.

 

Semiconductor Test Equipment

 

We produce semiconductor test equipment to perform electrical functional testing of the operation of logic, memory, mixed analog and digital signal, RF, microwave and SOC integrated circuits. Our parametric test instruments and systems combine hardware technology and customizable system software, and are used to examine semiconductor wafers during the semiconductor manufacturing process. Our product development efforts are targeted at leading edge technologies, such as SOC high-speed flash memory products and process parametric inspection of 300mm wafers.

 

Our semiconductor test products test a variety of different circuit types. We test both at the wafer level and at final assembly. We are an industry leader in wafer-sort test solutions for flash memory devices, which retain data even when the power is turned off and that are critical for use in digital cameras, cellular phones, PDAs and storage of portable digital audio files. Our flash memory test products can test as many as 144 “sites” of multiple devices in parallel, greatly improving test throughput and lowering test costs for our customers. Our SOC test system can test not only multiple devices at a time, but also multiple functional elements on a given device at the same time. As a result of its scalable platform architecture, this system can be field-upgraded to the latest technology without the customer needing to buy a new system or shut down the production line for an extended time.

 

Our software solutions speed our customers’ time to market, enable their ability to work with new technologies and lower their cost of test. For instance, in 2003 we introduced the Agilent SmarTest Program Generator CTL Browser. This is the industry’s first test program generator to support IEEE P1450.6 Core Test Language (“CTL”), the emerging open standard language for design-for-test. CTL provides a standard means to describe design-for-test structures in SOCs and Intellectual Property Cores. Intellectual Property Cores are wrapped using standards-based

 

9


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

design-for-test structures, then stitched together into a testable SOC by the electronic design automation system. CTL describes how to test the SOC, while the Agilent SmarTest PG CTL Browser makes it readable by humans.

 

Electronics Manufacturing Test Equipment

 

Automated Optical Inspection.    Our automated optical inspection line of products enables automated visual inspection of printed circuit assemblies. These systems are able to locate, with a high degree of repeatability and reliability, misplaced and misaligned parts, gross solder defects and other process faults without the need for a human inspector.

 

Automated X-ray Inspection.    Our leading x-ray inspection products provide a three-dimensional scan of printed circuit board assemblies to identify and isolate quality defects caused by the manufacturing process. Our products can look through a device to identify structural defects in soldering that are not identified by visual inspection and that may not be detected with in-circuit testing.

 

Automated In-Circuit Testing.    Our leading in-circuit testers use a probe fixture that makes electrical contact with the circuit board. These systems make electrical measurements that identify quality defects such as bad and incorrect parts that affect electrical performance, and allow repair of the defects while it is still relatively inexpensive to make the diagnosis and repair.

 

Manufacturing Test System Software.    Our Agilent Quality Tool and Agilent Repair Tool software use the Agilent Intelligent Test Framework that connects and integrates information from the Agilent portfolio of test and inspection equipment. The software provides common tools to enable customers to use information across the manufacturing line for effective process control, repair, and test design.

 

Automated Test Customers

 

We market our automated test solutions to customers across a broad array of industries. Many of our customers purchase solutions across several of our major product lines for their different business units. Generally, our customers are involved in producing digital consumer and wireless products, computation, PC and PC peripherals, wireline communications, and/or enterprise networking/storage. Revenue generated by the automated test business is primarily dependent on two customers. These customers are not material to the company as a whole.

 

By engaging in collaborative, co-development relationships with electronics industry leaders and contract manufacturers, we develop solutions that support next generation technologies and enable these leaders to maximize their performance and continue to lead their industries.

 

The holiday season impacts our automated test business to the extent that we are subject to the cycles of consumer electronics manufacturing. Our customers include manufacturers who produce a wide range of consumer electronics equipment requiring the test of semiconductors and board assemblies.

 

Automated Test Sales, Marketing and Support

 

Our products are distributed using a direct sales force. Some portions of the direct sales force provide general services around the world, while others provide specialized consultation services for particular segments of the automated test business. The members of our direct sales force often have advanced engineering degrees, enabling them to more easily understand our customers’ current and future needs. Manfacturers’ representatives address specific geographic markets. They provide the same level of service and support to Agilent’s customers as is expected from our direct channel.

 

10


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Automated Test Manufacturing

 

Our automated test business has manufacturing facilities in Germany, Ireland, Japan, Singapore and the U.S. We do not maintain a high level of finished goods inventory, due to a combination of product platform strategy and outsourcing. However, for those products that we do manufacture, we hold relatively large amounts of raw materials.

 

Automated Test Competition

 

The market for automated test equipment is highly competitive, and we expect this competition to increase. Our automated test business competes with a number of significant competitors in all our major product categories and across our targeted industries. In the semiconductor test market, we compete primarily against Advantest Corporation and Teradyne. In the electronics manufacturing test market, we compete primarily against Teradyne.

 

In many of our automated test businesses, especially those affected by the telecommunications market downturn, we have seen increasing pricing pressure during the past year. However most of our equipment competes primarily on performance or differentiated capabilities. Other contributing factors include cost of test, system scalability and flexibility, reliability and yield.

 

Semiconductor Products

 

Our semiconductor products business is a leading supplier of semiconductor components, modules and assemblies for high performance electronic and communications systems. We design, develop and manufacture products for the networking and personal systems markets. Our networking products include fiber optic transceivers for sending and receiving data over high-speed networks and ICs for enterprise storage and networking. In 2003 and 2002, about two-thirds of the semiconductor products business came from customers in consumer electronics markets.

 

We believe we are a leading provider of:

 

  fiber optic communications transceiver (transmitter/receiver) modules used for high speed data communications;

 

  controller integrated circuits for Fibre Channel (storage networking) applications;

 

  optocouplers used to isolate sensitive electronic circuitry from high-voltages;

 

  optical encoders for motion control;

 

  light-emitting diodes (“LEDs”) and displays;

 

  ASICs to Hewlett-Packard for its scanners and printers; and

 

  CMOS image sensors and ICs used for optical navigation in computer mice.

 

As of October 31, 2003, our semiconductor products business had approximately 6,800 employees worldwide. Our semiconductor products business generated revenue of $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2003, $1.6 billion in fiscal year 2002 and $1.9 billion in fiscal year 2001.

 

Semiconductor Markets

 

Our semiconductor products business serves the following markets:

 

Networking

 

There is a continued evolution of networks both private (Local Area and Storage Area Networks) and public (metro and wide area networks) to higher speeds and greater bandwidth

 

11


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

driven by the ongoing growth of data traffic. Business-to-consumer and business-to-business e-commerce, the internet, the growing volume of e-mail traffic, the growth of streaming video and audio, the delivery of online services, and peer-to-peer communications are all generating ever greater volumes of electronic data that must be processed, moved and stored. As a result, both private and public network managers drive a continual process of upgrading their networks to higher speeds and increased scalability, albeit at a slower rate than in recent years. Fiber optic transceivers and high-speed digital ICs are the semiconductor technologies that help enable higher speed, higher performance networks.

 

We are the leading supplier of fiber optic transceivers, which convert electronic digital data into light signals for transmission, and convert light signals back into electronic digital form on the receiving end of the communication. We market fiber optic transceivers for both short-range, local area and storage area network applications and long-range, metro and wide area network applications to major data networking and telecommunication vendors.

 

In high-speed digital ICs, we are the leading supplier of controller ICs for Fibre Channel. The Fibre Channel interconnect protocol, a standard for the transfer of information between computers and storage devices defined by the American National Standards Institute, is the leading technology for building storage area networks (“SANs”). In addition, we offer physical layer ICs which connect processing ICs, such as our Fibre Channel controllers, to fiber optic transceivers for data transmission. Finally, we are providing state-of-the-art ASICs and networking ICs for use in next-generation network switches.

 

Personal Systems

 

Products in our Personal Systems business are targeted for use in applications including mobile phones, printers, PC peripherals, and consumer electronics.

 

As in networking, the driving trend in mobile communications is for higher-speed, higher-bandwidth connections to offer subscribers more digital services through their mobile phones. Consumer products that realize the convergence of palm-top computing, mobile telephony, and digital imaging are increasingly appearing on the market. We offer innovative wireless products such as our FBAR duplexers and E-pHEMT power amplifiers, which are helping to enable smaller, more functionally rich mobile telephones. In addition, we supply a wide range of RF and microwave ICs for use in both mobile telephones and mobile telephone infrastructure. We deliver digital camera solutions embedded in next-generation mobile phones and information appliances. We are experiencing rapid growth in our embedded camera module business, and we continue to be the leader in the optical navigation market. Finally, we are a leading supplier of infrared transceiver products for short-range, point-to-point wireless communications to manufacturers of mobile phones, computers, printers, digital cameras, personal digital assistants and pagers.

 

We are a leading supplier to Hewlett-Packard of ASICs for printers, workstations and servers. We provide precision motion control devices for inkjet-based printers and all-in-one products to both Hewlett-Packard and other printer manufacturers. In addition, we provide optical navigation sensors for optical mice to leading PC peripheral manufacturers.

 

We also provide general-purpose optoelectronic products such as LEDs and optocouplers that serve multiple markets including factory automation and transportation.

 

12


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Semiconductor Products

 

Our major product areas include:

 

Networking

 

Fiber Optics.    We market optical transceivers, transmitters and receivers for high-speed data communications for Fast, Gigabit and 10-Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, and Asynchronous Transfer Mode/Synchronous Optical Network (“ATM/SONET”) applications up to 2.5 gigabits per second (OC-48). In addition, we are developing products for dense wave division multiplexing (“DWDM”) optical transport applications.

 

High-Speed Digital Integrated Circuits.    We produce physical layer ICs for high speed network switches and routers, devices that direct network traffic. We produce Fibre Channel protocol-based ICs and subsystems for SANs. We provide core electronics chipsets that support central processing units for selected Hewlett-Packard workstations and servers. We are developing customer-specific ASIC solutions for next-generation data switching products.

 

Personal Systems

 

Radio Frequency and Microwave Communications Devices.    We produce a broad family of RF and microwave communications products, primarily integrated circuits for wireless communications products and infrastructure. Our latest products are the FBAR duplexer, a semiconductor based filter product, and E-pHEMT power amplifiers, a high power-added efficient wireless transmitter solution. Both FBAR and E-pHEMT are targeted for current and future generation mobile phones. We began increasing the production of these two products towards the end of 2003, and we anticipate that they will be among the top growth areas for our semiconductor products business in 2004.

 

Infrared Emitters, Detectors and Transceiver Modules.    We produce a full line of infrared products that enable short range, point-to-point wireless communication between portable and stationary devices, including notebook personal computers, cellular phones, personal digital assistants and digital cameras. In 2003, we delivered the industry’s first infrared transceiver with remote control functionality for consumer electronics devices such as TVs and VCRs. The semiconductor products business also introduced a solution, known as the Ambient Light Photo Sensor, that senses available light and signals whether backlighting for displays and/or keypads is required. By not turning on backlighting when it is not needed, mobile systems can save significant battery life.

 

Printing ASICs.    We provide printing ASICs, which are the central processing ICs for Hewlett-Packard laser printers, inkjet printers and all-in-one products. Agilent is now developing subsystem solutions for Hewlett-Packard printers, aimed at capturing more content of printer components and offering higher integration and shorter time-to-market.

 

Optical Image Sensors and Processors, and Optical Position Sensors.    Our sensor products include embedded camera modules for mobile phones and navigation sensors for optical mice. We also produce optical motion control products used primarily for precision paper handling and positioning in inkjet printers and all-in-one products.

 

LEDs and Optocouplers.    We manufacture and sell a broad range of LEDs, alphanumeric displays and optocouplers. LEDs are semiconductor devices that emit light when an electrical signal is applied. Optocoupler products are devices that provide both electrical insulation, for protection, and signal isolation, to prevent distortion of data, between differing electrical environments.

 

13


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Lighting Joint Venture.    We are engaged in a global joint venture, Lumileds, with Philips Electronics. Lumileds develops, manufactures and sells LEDs, modules, products and systems for a broad spectrum of lighting applications, including automotive lighting, high-brightness traffic signals, contour lighting and signs, outdoor illumination and white LEDs for both indoor and outdoor applications.

 

Semiconductor Customers

 

We sell to a broad array of customers in networking and personal systems. We sell to original equipment manufacturers directly, as well as contract manufacturers.

 

Our semiconductor technology licensing and supply arrangements with Hewlett-Packard limit our ability to sell products to other companies, subject to restrictions contained in the exhibits to our Master Patent Ownership and License Agreement with Hewlett-Packard and our ICBD Technology Ownership and License Agreement with Hewlett-Packard, which are exhibits to this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Through sales of ASICs, storage area networking components and motion-control products, Hewlett-Packard accounted for approximately 20 percent of our semiconductor products revenue in fiscal year 2003, 33 percent of our semiconductor products revenue in fiscal year 2002 and approximately 31 percent in fiscal year 2001.

 

Historically, we have not seen seasonality in our business. However, as we move toward more consumer-centric products, most specifically solutions for mobile phones, we expect to see an increase in the seasonality of our business.

 

Semiconductor Sales, Marketing and Support

 

Our semiconductor sales organization consists of approximately 300 employees who have responsibility for emerging accounts or for large, global accounts. Our sales force has specialized product and service knowledge that enables it to sell specific offerings at key levels throughout a customer’s organization. We also have a direct sales team that focuses on supporting major contract manufacturers. In addition to our direct sales force, we generate approximately 30 percent of our revenue through our relationships with key electronic distributors worldwide. We also provide a broad range of products and applications-related information to customers and channel partners via the Internet.

 

Semiconductor Manufacturing

 

The majority of our silicon and gallium arsenide wafer fabrication is done in the U.S. and Singapore, while our assembly and test operations are in Malaysia, and Singapore. In addition to these facilities, we utilize a network of contract manufacturers throughout Asia for semiconductor fabrication, packaging and test.

 

Our manufacturing strategy has been to outsource more mature technologies while using our in-house manufacturing fabrication, assembly and test capabilities to develop new products. Our production facilities have developed several quality-management processes designed to increase productivity. We have developed proprietary automated test systems, particularly in optical, LED and microwave test.

 

For selected customers, we maintain finished goods inventory near or at customer manufacturing sites to support their just-in-time production. In 2003, we negotiated extended payment terms for most of the materials that we purchased.

 

14


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Semiconductor Competition

 

The markets for our semiconductor products are intensely competitive, and we expect competition to increase. Our ability to compete effectively depends on a number of factors, including:

 

  product reliability and performance in operation;

 

  price;

 

  power consumption;

 

  compliance with standards;

 

  product size and integration; and

 

  time to market.

 

In the fiber-optic products market, our principal competitors are Finisar, Infineon and JDS Uniphase. In the market for high-speed digital ICs, our principal competitors are IBM, LSI Logic, Texas Instruments and Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation. Our principal competitors in RF wireless are Renesas, RF Micro Devices, and SkyWorks. In the market for infrared products, our principal competitor is Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. We compete with companies including LSI Logic, Motorola and STMicroelectronics for printer ASICs. Principal competitors in our LED businesses include Lite-on, Inc., Nichia, Osram, Stanley Electronic Co. Ltd., and Toshiba.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis

 

Our life sciences and chemical analysis business provides application-focused solutions that include instruments, software, consumables and services that enable customers to identify, quantify and analyze the physical and biological properties of substances and products. Our seven key product categories include: microarrays, microfluidics, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, software and informatics and related consumables, reagents and services.

 

We employed approximately 3,700 people as of October 31, 2003 in our life sciences and chemical analysis business. This business generated revenue of $1.2 billion in fiscal 2003, $1.1 billion in fiscal 2002 and $1.1 billion in fiscal 2001.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Markets

 

We estimate that the markets that we serve represent approximately 25 percent of the total available life sciences and analytical instrumentation market. Primarily, our life sciences and chemical analysis business serves the following markets:

 

Life Sciences

 

Our life sciences markets account for approximately 40 percent of revenue from our life sciences and chemical analysis business. Agilent’s life sciences solutions are used by academic researchers, government institutes and pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies in every phase of the drug development process. The drug development process includes research into the basic causes and understanding of disease, drug discovery, drug development, drug manufacturing and quality assurance/quality control (“QA/QC”). Within the life sciences, we focus on the following areas: gene expression, proteomics and pharmaceutical analysis (drug development, manufacturing and QA/QC).

 

Gene Expression.    Biological researchers today can study organisms and diseases based on genetic material. Gene expression researchers use devices called microarrays to measure the activity

 

15


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

levels of many genes in a cell simultaneously for the purpose of understanding and characterizing disease, identifying drug targets and identifying patterns of gene activity that correlate to the potential toxicity or effectiveness of a drug. This is a double-digit growth market in which both our microarray and microfluidics solutions are sold.

 

Proteomics.    When a drug enters the body, one or more proteins is usually its target. Proteomics is a new and growing field with the goal of identifying, characterizing and analyzing proteins on a high-volume scale. Proteomics is also important to the large-scale manufacture of protein-based therapies in development by biotech companies. Protein scientists currently apply traditional protein analysis technologies such as liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, as well as newer microfluidics technologies. We provide solutions in all of these areas and are investigating new technologies for proteomics research.

 

Pharmaceutical Analysis.    Pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies develop and manufacture drugs under strict regulatory guidelines intended to ensure the quality of products developed and given to patients, and to ensure the security and quality of information given to regulatory agencies. We provide liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry solutions for the analysis of chemicals, and provide compliance services and data systems designed to further enable compliance with relevant regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) and other regulatory agencies.

 

Chemical Analysis

 

Our chemical analysis markets account for approximately 60 percent of revenue from the life sciences and chemical analysis business. Agilent’s chemical analysis solutions are used by corporations, government organizations and academic researchers to detect, characterize, quantify and analyze chemicals and biological entities that could impact human health, both those found in the environment and those created in the manufacturing of products. Within chemical analysis, we focus primarily on the following areas: environmental, petrochemical, homeland security and forensics, and bioagriculture and food safety.

 

Environmental.    Our gas chromatography, liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry solutions are used by the environmental market for applications such as laboratory and field analysis of chemical pollutants in air, water, soil and solid waste. Environmental industry customers include all levels of government, the industrial and manufacturing sectors, engineering and consulting companies, commercial testing laboratories and colleges and universities. We are seeing increased international demand for environmental instrumentation in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Petrochemical.    The natural gas and petroleum refining markets use our products to measure and control the quality of their finished products and to verify the environmental safety of their operations. We sell gas chromatographs, liquid chromatographs and mass spectrometers into these markets. Petroleum refiners use our measurement solutions to analyze crude oil composition, perform raw material analysis, verify and improve refining processes and ensure the overall quality of gasoline, fuels, lubricants and other products. Our gas chromatographs are used to monitor consistent quality in the delivery of natural gas.

 

Homeland Security and Forensics.    Our liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry solutions are used by health and forensics laboratories in the U.S. and abroad, particularly in the analysis of evidence associated with crime or with the detection and identification of biological and chemical warfare agents. This instrumentation is either used in static or mobile laboratories. Customers include local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies and health laboratories.

 

16


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Bioagriculture and Food Safety.    Food safety industries apply the same general technologies for chemical analysis as the pharmaceutical and environmental markets, including gas and liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Additionally, bioagriculture industries seek to improve crops and foods by conducting research on these organisms using microarray and microfluidics solutions.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Products

 

A key factor in all of our life sciences and chemical target markets is the need for new products that increase customer productivity and provide high quality data that enables decision making.

 

Microarrays

 

Since announcing the launch of our DNA microarray program for the life sciences in December 1999, we have become the second leading supplier of microarray solutions. Using our refined inkjet manufacturing process, we make both oligonucleotide (“oligo”) and cDNA microarrays. This unique inkjet process is highly flexible and accurate, enabling the faster manufacture of new and custom high-density microarrays with highly uniform spot shape.

 

In 2003, we introduced new 60-mer oligonucleotide microarray kits for Rat, Rice/Rice Blast, Human 1B, and Mouse. We also shipped a Whole Human Genome microarray to our customers for testing and evaluation. The intent is to sell this product commercially in January 2004. This new microarray is based on a new double-density format, which can accommodate 44,000 features on a single 1” x 3” glass slide. We also introduced multiple reagent kits, including a Low RNA Input Fluorescent Linear Amplification Kit that requires only miniscule amounts of RNA.

 

We released a new version of our feature extraction software, which reduces the time required to extract microarray data by allowing researchers to process both Agilent and non-Agilent 1” x 3” slide microarrays on the Agilent microarray scanner. In conjunction with Rosetta Biosoftware, we introduced the Rosetta LuminatorTM system version 2.0 with improved data management and analysis features.

 

Microfluidics

 

The Agilent 2100 bioanalyzer instrument systems that we developed in collaboration with Caliper® Technologies is the first commercial microfluidics solution for the analysis of a wide range of biological molecules, including DNA, RNA, proteins and cells. The microfluidics chip allows sample quality assessment to be done in a fraction of the usual time using less sample and reagents. This technology could eventually replace traditional gel electrophoresis in many applications.

 

In 2003, Agilent and Caliper introduced two new LabChip® kits, the Protein 50 LabChip kit and the RNA 6000 LabChip kit. The Protein 50 LabChip kit provides automated sizing and quantitation of small proteins. The RNA 6000 Pico LabChip kit enables automated quality control of very low amounts of RNA, making it useful for the analysis of microdissected samples, such as those used in cancer research.

 

Gas Chromatography

 

We produce gas chromatography systems, both portable and stationary. A gas chromatograph (“GC”) is used to separate any gas, liquid or solid molecules that can be vaporized in order to determine the quantity and identity of the molecules present. As a market leader in gas chromatography, we continue to expand its applications with new columns and supplies, as well as product and software enhancements.

 

17


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

In 2003, we introduced the 6820 GC, the first gas chromatograph to be fully developed in, manufactured in, and tailored specifically for China. The new GC includes a Chinese-language display and a Chinese-language version of Agilent’s Cerity Networked Data System (“NDS”) software with full-scale Chinese keyboard control.

 

Liquid Chromatography

 

A liquid chromatograph (“LC”) or a high performance liquid chromatograph (“HPLC”) is used to separate molecules of a liquid mixture to determine the quantity and identity of the molecules present. Used when gas chromatography is not an option, these instruments are modular in construction and can be configured to form instruments that perform specific analyses. As a leader in liquid chromatography, we continue to expand its applications with new LC and HPLC columns and provide ongoing product and software enhancements.

 

In 2003, we introduced two separation systems for proteomics applications, both based on the market-leading 1100 Series HPLC platform: the Agilent Nanoflow LC system and the Agilent Micro-Fraction Collection system. The Agilent Nanoflow LC system is designed for single or multidimensional chromatographic separation of peptides and proteins. The Agilent Micro-Fraction Collection system can separate small protein samples at low flow rates and allows for the subsequent collection of very small fraction volumes.

 

Mass Spectrometry

 

A mass spectrometer (“MS”) identifies and quantifies chemicals based on a chemical’s molecular mass and, in many cases, on characteristic patterns of fragment masses that result when a molecule is broken apart. Mass spectrometry is an important tool in analyzing proteins and other biological entities that undergo transformations because it enables the understanding and characterization of their many different states. MS systems are typically used in combination with gas or liquid chromatographs.

 

In 2003, we expanded our mass spectrometry portfolio with several new and upgraded instruments. Our new Liquid Chromatograph/Mass Selective Detector Time-of-Flight (“LC/MSD TOF”) mass spectrometer provides mass accuracy while reducing the complexity of instrument use. We also introduced a new ion trap mass spectrometer, the Agilent 1100 Series LC/MSD Trap XCT, which is 10 times more sensitive than its predecessor. To further enhance the performance of our ion trap MS systems, we introduced a new orthogonal nanospray ion source that provides greater electrospray sensitivity. We also upgraded our 1100 Series LC/MSD VL and SL quadrupole mass spectrometers with new optics and pump systems.

 

In GC/MS, we developed the first commercial GC/MS system to feature a solid inert ion source. Designed to integrate seamlessly with Agilent gas chromatographs, the Agilent 5973 inert MSD is up to three times more sensitive than typical GC/MS systems for the analysis of active compounds.

 

We introduced the Agilent 7500cs Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (“ICP-MS”) with a high-detection capability reaction cell. The 7500cs ICP-MS provides high performance, reliability and sensitivity in trace metal analysis.

 

Software and Informatics

 

Across all of our technology platforms, we use software for controlling the instrument and the informatics solutions used to capture and analyze the instrument data. In 2002, we embarked on an expansion of the informatics solutions we offer our life sciences and chemical analysis customers.

 

In 2003, we introduced the Spectrum Mill MS Proteomics Workbench, a high-throughput data analysis software suite that processes the enormous volumes of MS data generated by proteomics research ten times faster than other approaches.

 

18


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

We shipped new versions of our Cerity Networked Data System for Pharmaceutical QA/QC with enhancements in support of IT infrastructures and additional languages.

 

Consumables, Reagents and Services

 

We also offer a broad range of consumable products, which support our top-ranked LC, GC and MS technology platforms. These consumable products include chemical and biological reagents, instrument replacement parts, brand-specific chromatography columns and consumable supplies to meet our customers’ analysis needs. All of our products, which include generic and proprietary supplies, are designed to work together.

 

Our support services include all of our chemical and bioinstrumentation analysis hardware and software maintenance, troubleshooting, repair and training. Special service bundles have also been designed to meet the specific analysis instrument needs of various industries.

 

In 2003, we introduced the new Multiple Affinity Removal System (“MARS”) column, the first product that enables the simultaneous removal of six high-abundance proteins from human blood serum, removing them so researchers can identify less abundant proteins.

 

We developed several additional new HPLC columns. Our new Poroshell columns are designed for ultra-fast protein separations, while our new ZORBAX Solvent Saver columns help researchers to reduce laboratory waste and solvent costs. In June, we introduced 1.8 µm-particle ZORBAX Rapid Resolution High Throughput columns that double the efficiency of a 3.5 µm column.

 

In the services area, we introduced the Agilent Network Qualification Services, which facilitate pharmaceutical regulatory compliance by establishing documented evidence that the laboratory network is designed, installed and functioning according to defined needs and specifications.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Customers

 

We sell our products and services to a broad array of customers in each of the markets we serve. We have roughly 25,000 customers and no one customer is material. Our top 25 customers account for approximately 22 percent of revenue within our life sciences and chemical analysis businesses.

 

The life sciences and chemical analysis business is susceptible to seasonality in its orders and revenues primarily based on U.S. government and large pharmaceutical company budgets. The result is that our first and fourth fiscal quarters tend to deliver the strongest profits for this group. However, general economic trends, new product introductions and competition might overshadow this trend in any given year.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Sales, Marketing and Support

 

Our sales and support delivery channels are aligned by key markets. We market our products to our customers through our direct sales force, an inside-sales force, e-commerce, value-added resellers, manufacturers’ representatives and distributors. Additionally, we are optimizing our worldwide distribution capabilities to address high-growth opportunities such as the environmental, food safety and pharmaceutical markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

We use our direct sales force to market our solutions to all of our pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical accounts, large- and medium-sized chemical customers and environmental accounts. An inside-sales force and sales agents handle many of the telephone-based sales transactions and so supplement our direct sales force by providing broader geographic coverage and coverage of smaller accounts. Our active value-added reseller program augments our ability to provide more complete solutions to our customers. We sell our consumable products through distributors, telesales and electronic commerce.

 

19


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

We offer a wide range of startup, operational, educational and compliance support services for our chemical analysis measurement and data handling systems. We deliver our support services to customers in a variety of ways, including on-site assistance with repair or exchange of returned products, telephone support and self-diagnostic services provided over the Internet. We also offer special industry-focused service bundles that are designed to meet the specific needs of hydrocarbon processing, environmental, pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers to keep instruments fully operational and compliant with the respective industry requirements.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Manufacturing

 

Our manufacturing supports our diverse product range and customer-centric focus. We assemble highly configurable products to individual customer orders and make standard products to stock. We employ advanced manufacturing techniques and supply chain management systems to reduce costs and manufacturing cycle times. We selectively use partners to provide manufacturing capabilities outside our core competencies, such as the manufacture of quadrupole and printed circuit assemblies and the delivery of shipment logistics. We have manufacturing facilities in California and Delaware in the U.S., China, Germany and Japan. We utilize just-in-time manufacturing, and so typically do not maintain a high level of inventory. Our products typically come with standard warranties, and extended warranties are available for additional cost.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Competition

 

The markets for analytical instruments in which we compete are characterized by evolving industry standards and intense competition. Our principal competitors in the life sciences arena include: Applied Biosystems, Amersham Bioscience, Invitrogen, Waters, Thermo Electron and Affymetrix®. Our principal competitors in the chemical analysis arena include: Shimadzu Corporation, Varian, Perkin Elmer Corp., Thermo Electron and Applied Biosystems. Agilent competes on the basis of product performance, reliability, support quality, applications expertise and global channel coverage.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Government Regulation

 

The analysis products and related consumables marketed by our chemical analysis business are subject to regulation in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) under the Toxic Substances Control Act, and by government agencies in other countries under similar laws. The Toxic Substances Control Act regulations govern, among other things, the testing, manufacture, processing and distribution of chemicals, the testing of regulated chemicals for their effects on human health and safety and import and export of chemicals. The Toxic Substances Control Act prohibits persons from manufacturing any chemical in the U.S. that has not been reviewed by EPA for its effect on health and safety, and placed on an EPA inventory of chemical substances. Therefore, we must continually adapt our chemical analysis products to changing regulations. If we fail to comply with the notification, record-keeping and other requirements in the manufacture or distribution of our products, the EPA can obtain an order from a court that would prohibit the further distribution or marketing of a product that does not comply or we could face fines, civil penalties or criminal prosecution.

 

Agilent Technologies Laboratories (“Agilent Labs”)

 

Agilent Labs, based in Palo Alto, California, with satellite offices in China; Fort Collins, Colorado; and Scotland, is our central research organization. Agilent Labs engages in two types of research: 1) applied research that leads to technology that can be transferred to our existing businesses in communications, life sciences, and electronics, and 2) research that creates new businesses that are outside of our current markets but within our fields of interest. Agilent Labs also provides technology integration across our company.

 

20


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Agilent Labs employs approximately 300 people. Approximately 70 percent of Agilent Labs’ employees are members of the technical staff, and about 70 percent of the technical staff have advanced degrees that cover a wide range of scientific fields, including biology, bioinformatics, chemistry, computer science, electrical engineering, image processing, materials science, mathematics, optoelectronics, photonics, physics, physiology, semiconductor technology and systems integration.

 

The following discussions of Research and Development, Backlog, Intellectual Property, Materials, Environmental, International Operations and Acquisition and Disposal of Material Assets include information common to all four of our segments.

 

Research and Development

 

Research and development expenditures were $1,051 million in 2003, $1,250 million in 2002 and $1,358 million in 2001, the vast majority of which was company-sponsored. We anticipate that we will continue to have significant R&D expenditures in order to maintain our competitive position with a continuing flow of innovative, high-quality products and services.

 

Backlog

 

We believe that backlog orders are not a meaningful indicator of future business prospects. Backlog, as we define it, generally only represents cumulative outstanding orders that are scheduled for delivery within a six-month period. Therefore backlog is not a material indicator of our future medium- to long-term business prospects. We believe that our incoming orders in any given period are more indicative of short-term revenue trends. See “Results of Continuing Operations” in Item 7 of this report.

 

Intellectual Property

 

Our general policy has been to seek patent and other intellectual property protection for those inventions and improvements likely to be incorporated into our products and services or to give us a competitive advantage. While we believe that our licenses, patents and applications have value, in general no single patent or license is in itself essential. In addition, there can be no assurance that any of our proprietary rights will not be challenged, invalidated or circumvented, or that our rights will provide significant competitive advantages.

 

Materials

 

Our manufacturing operations employ a wide variety of semiconductors, electromechanical components and assemblies and raw materials such as plastic resins and sheet metal. Each of our segments purchases materials from thousands of suppliers on a global basis. No single supplier is material, although some of the parts that require custom design work are not readily available from alternate suppliers due to their unique design or the length of time necessary for design work. Our long-term relationships with our suppliers allow us to proactively manage technology road maps and product discontinuance plans and monitor their financial health. Even so, some suppliers may still extend their lead times, limit supplies, increase prices or cease to produce necessary parts for our products. If these are unique components, we may not be able to find a substitute quickly, or at all. To address the potential disruption in our supply chain, we use a number of techniques, including qualifying multiple sources of supply, redesign of products for alternative components and purchase of incremental inventory for supply buffer.

 

Environmental

 

Our R&D, manufacturing and distribution operations involve the use of hazardous substances and are regulated under international, federal, state and local laws governing health and safety and

 

21


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

the environment. We apply strict standards for protection of the environment and worker health and safety to sites inside and outside the U.S., even if not subject to regulation imposed by foreign governments. We believe that our properties and operations at our facilities comply in all material respects with applicable environmental laws and worker health and safety laws; however, the risk of environmental liabilities cannot be completely eliminated and there can be no assurance that the application of environmental and health and safety laws to Agilent will not require us to incur significant expenditures. We are also regulated under a number of international, federal, state and local laws regarding recycling, product packaging and product content requirements. These laws are gradually becoming more stringent and may in the future cause us to incur significant expenditures.

 

Some of our operations are located on properties that are known to have subsurface contamination undergoing remediation by Hewlett-Packard. Hewlett-Packard has agreed to retain the liability for the contamination, perform the required remediation and indemnify us with respect to claims arising out of the contamination. The determination of the existence and cost of any additional contamination caused by us could involve costly and time-consuming negotiations and litigation. While we expect that Hewlett-Packard will meet its remediation and indemnification obligations in this regard, there can be no guarantee that it will do so. Under our agreement with Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett-Packard will have access to these properties to perform the remediation. Hewlett-Packard has agreed to minimize interference with on-site operations at those properties during the course of the remediation, but there can be no guarantee that our operations will not be interrupted or that we will not be required to incur unreimbursed costs associated with the remediation. Remediation could also harm on-site operations and the future use and value of the properties.

 

In addition, some of these properties are undergoing remediation by Hewlett-Packard under an order of an agency of the state in which the property is located. Although Hewlett-Packard has agreed to indemnify us with respect to that subsurface contamination, it is possible that one or more of the governmental agencies will require us to be named on any of these orders. The naming of our Company will not affect Hewlett-Packard’s obligation to indemnify us with regard to these matters.

 

We are liable and are indemnifying Hewlett-Packard for any contamination found at all facilities transferred to us by Hewlett-Packard excluding the properties undergoing remediation. In addition, we are indemnifying Hewlett-Packard for any liability associated with past non-compliance with environmental laws regulating ongoing operations at all properties transferred to us by Hewlett-Packard, as well as at sold or discontinued businesses that related to our businesses. While we are not aware of any material liabilities associated with such indemnified matters, there is no guarantee that such contamination or regulatory non-compliance does not exist, and will not expose us to material liability in the future.

 

We are being indemnified by Hewlett-Packard with respect to all environmental liabilities for which Hewlett-Packard accrued a reserve and we are not aware of any material and probable environmental liabilities being assumed by us which are not subject to the indemnity.

 

International Operations

 

Our net revenue originating outside the U.S., as a percentage of our total net revenue, was approximately 64 percent in fiscal 2003, 61 percent in fiscal 2002 and 60 percent in fiscal year 2001, the majority of which was from customers other than foreign governments. Approximately 11 percent of our revenue in the last three years was derived from Japan. Revenues from external customers are generally attributed to countries based upon the location of the Agilent sales representative. Long-lived assets located outside of the U.S., as a percentage of our total long-lived assets, was approximately 57 percent in fiscal year 2003, 62 percent in fiscal year 2002 and

 

22


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

44 percent in fiscal year 2001. Approximately 21 percent of our long-lived assets were located in Japan in fiscal year 2003, approximately 13 percent in fiscal year 2002 and approximately 17 percent in fiscal year 2001.

 

Most of our sales in international markets are made by foreign sales subsidiaries. In countries with low sales volumes, sales are made through various representatives and distributors. However, we also sell into international markets directly from the U.S.

 

Our international business is subject to risks customarily encountered in foreign operations, including interruption to transportation flows for delivery of parts to us and finished goods to our customers, changes in a specific country’s or region’s political or economic conditions, trade protection measures, import or export licensing requirements, unexpected changes in tax laws and regulatory requirements, difficulty in staffing and managing widespread operations, differing labor regulations and differing protection of intellectual property. We are also exposed to foreign currency exchange rate risk inherent in our sales commitments, anticipated sales, and assets and liabilities denominated in currencies other than the local functional currency, and may also become subject to interest rate risk inherent in any debt we incur, or investment and finance receivable portfolios we hold. The U.S. and international response to recent terrorist activities could exacerbate these risks. For example, there may be an increased risk of political unrest in regions where we have significant manufacturing operations such as Southeast Asia. However, we believe that our international diversification provides stability to our worldwide operations and reduces the impact on us of adverse economic changes in any single country. Financial information about our international operations is contained in Note 20, “Segment Information,” of the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 of this report.

 

Acquisition and Disposal of Material Assets

 

On January 5, 2001, we acquired Objective Systems Integrators, Inc. (“OSI”) for approximately $716 million. OSI was a provider of next-generation operations-support-system software for communications service providers and has become part of our test and measurement business. In January 2000, April 2000 and January 2001, we acquired Yokogawa Electric Corporation’s 25 percent equity interest in Agilent Technologies Japan, Ltd. for approximately $521 million. In addition to the OSI and Yokogawa acquisitions, we acquired several other companies since our incorporation that were not material. More information about these acquisitions is contained in Item 7 and Note 7, “Acquisitions and Sale of Assets,” to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 of this report.

 

In the fourth quarter of 2000, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with CIT Group Inc. (“CIT,” formerly Tyco Capital Corporation) to sell them substantially all of our leasing portfolio over the course of 2000 and 2001. We also entered into a vendor financing arrangement with CIT whereby CIT will provide equipment financing and leasing services to our customers on a global basis. More information about these agreements is contained in Item 7 and Note 7, “Acquisitions and Sale of Assets,” to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 of this report.

 

In February 2001, we sold a parcel of surplus land in San Jose, California for $287 million in cash.

 

On August 1, 2001, Agilent completed the sale of its healthcare solutions business to Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement for a total purchase price of $1.7 billion, as more specifically discussed in Item 7 and Note 6, “Discontinued Operations,” to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 15 of this report.

 

23


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Executive Officers of the Registrant

 

The names of our executive officers and their ages, titles and biographies as of December 16, 2003, appear below.

 

Edward W. Barnholt, 60, Mr. Barnholt has served as Agilent’s President and Chief Executive Officer and as a director since May 1999 and also as Chairman of the Board since November 2002. Before being named Agilent’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Barnholt served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Hewlett-Packard Company’s Measurement Organization from 1998 to 1999, which included the business organizations that have become Agilent. From 1990 to 1998, he served as General Manager of Hewlett-Packard Company’s Test and Measurement Organization. He was elected a Senior Vice President of Hewlett-Packard Company in 1993 and an Executive Vice President in 1996. He is a director of KLA-Tencor Corporation.

 

Adrian T. Dillon, 49, has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since December 2001. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Dillon served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial and Planning Officer of Eaton Corporation from April 1997 to December 2001. Mr. Dillon held various management positions at Eaton Corporation from 1979 to 1997.

 

Jean M. Halloran, 51, has served as our Senior Vice President, Human Resources since August 1999. From 1997 to 1999, Ms. Halloran served as Director of Corporate Education and Development for Hewlett-Packard. Prior to assuming this position, from 1993 to 1997, Ms. Halloran acted as human resources manager for Hewlett-Packard’s Measurement Systems Organization. Ms. Halloran joined Hewlett-Packard in 1980 in the Medical Products Group, where she held a variety of positions in human resources, manufacturing and strategic planning.

 

Didier Hirsch, 52, has served as our Vice President and Controller since April 2003. Prior to assuming that position, Mr. Hirsch served as Vice President and Treasurer from September 1999 to April 2003. In 1996, Mr. Hirsch became Director of Finance and Administration of Hewlett-Packard Europe, Middle East, and Africa. In 1993, Mr. Hirsch became Director of Finance and Administration of Hewlett-Packard Asia Pacific. Mr. Hirsch joined Hewlett-Packard Company in 1989 as Director of Finance and Administration of Hewlett-Packard France.

 

D. Craig Nordlund, 54, was named our Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary in May 1999 and serves as an officer or director for a variety of Agilent subsidiaries. He is also a director of the Addison Avenue Federal Credit Union. Mr. Nordlund served as Associate General Counsel and Secretary of Hewlett-Packard Company from 1987 to 1999.

 

Young K. Sohn, 47, has served as our Senior Vice President and General Manager, Semiconductor Products Group since August 2003. Prior to assuming that position, Mr. Sohn was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Oak Technology, from February 1999 to August 2003. Before joining Oak Technology, from January 1993 to February 1999, Mr. Sohn held a variety of management positions at Quantum Corporation, including President of its Hard Drive Group, Vice President of Marketing for the Desktop Division, and President of the Asia-Pacific region. From August 1983 to January 1993, Mr. Sohn held a number of management positions at Intel Corporation. Mr. Sohn serves on the Boards of Directors of Cymer Corporation and Synnex Technology, Inc.

 

William P. Sullivan, 53, has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer since March 2002. Mr. Sullivan also has overall responsibility for our Electronic Products and Solutions Group, our largest business group. Prior to assuming his current position, he served as Senior Vice President, Semiconductor Products Group from August 1999 to March 2002. From

 

24


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

February 1998 to August 1999, he served as Vice President and General Manager of Hewlett-Packard’s Components Group. In 1997, Mr. Sullivan served as General Manager of Hewlett-Packard’s Communication Semiconductor Solutions Division and from 1995 to 1997, he was General Manager of Hewlett-Packard’s Optical Communication Division. From April 1991 to February 1995, Mr. Sullivan served as Research and Development Manager for Hewlett-Packard’s Optical Communication Division.

 

Jack P. Trautman, 53, has served as our Senior Vice President and General Manager, Automated Test Group since May 2002. Prior to assuming that position, Mr. Trautman served as Vice President and General Manager of Communications Management Solutions Business Unit from 2001 to 2002. He served as General Manager of the Data Protection Unit of Hewlett-Packard from 2000 to 2001. Mr. Trautman was the General Manager of Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Peripherals Bristol Division in Bristol, England from 1997 to 2000. Mr. Trautman joined Hewlett-Packard in 1974 and held a number of managerial positions over the years.

 

Chris Van Ingen, 57, has served as our Senior Vice President and General Manager, Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis Group since May 2001. Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Van Ingen held a number of positions at Hewlett-Packard including, Chemical Analysis Group Sales and Marketing Manager from 1996 to April 2001, the Americas Marketing Center Manager from 1989 to 1996, Product Marketing Manager at Little Falls Division from 1986 to 1989, and Sales Support Manager at Little Falls Division from 1984 to 1986.

 

Thomas E. White, 46, has served as our Senior Vice President and General Manager, Communications Solutions Group since August 1999. From 1997 to August 1999, Mr. White served as Vice President and General Manager of the Communications Solutions Group of Hewlett-Packard. From 1996 to 1997, he served as General Manager of Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Peripherals Bristol Division and, beginning in 1994, he served as General Manager for Hewlett-Packard’s Telecommunications Systems Division, South Queensferry, Scotland.

 

Investor Information

 

We are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Therefore, we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Such reports, proxy statements and other information may be obtained by visiting the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 450 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20549 or by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains an Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically.

 

You can access financial and other information at our Investor Relations website. The address is www.investor.agilent.com. We make available, free of charge, copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after filing such material electronically or otherwise furnishing it to the SEC.

 

Our Corporate Governance Standards, the charters of our Audit and Finance Committee, our Compensation Committee, our Executive Committee and our Nominating/Corporate Governance Committee and our Standards of Business Conduct (including code of ethics provisions that apply to our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, controller and senior financial officers) are available on our website at www.investor.agilent.com under “Corporate Governance Policies.” These items are also available in print to any stockholder who requests them by calling (877) 942-4200 in the U.S. and Canada, and (402) 573-9919 outside the U.S. and Canada.

 

25


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Item 2.    Properties

 

Our corporate headquarters and Agilent Technologies Laboratories are located in Palo Alto, California. In total, we have 18 primary sites. Of these primary sites, 11 are located in the U.S. and the remaining 7 are located in China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Nearly all of our primary functions are conducted at multi-building campuses. We have consolidated our operations during the last year, and as a result, most of our major sites that were listed as “Primarily Owned” last year are now listed as “Owned”.

 

Site


  

Major Activity


   Owned/ Leased

Palo Alto, CA, U.S. — Corporate Headquarters

   Corporate Administration    Owned

Palo Alto, CA, U.S. — Agilent Laboratories

   R&D    Primarily Owned

Santa Clara, CA, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D, Sales and Administration    Owned

San Jose, CA, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D    Owned

Rohnert Park, CA, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D    Owned

Santa Rosa, CA, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D    Owned

Loveland, CO, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D, and Marketing,    Owned

Fort Collins, CO, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D    Owned

Colorado Springs, CO, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D, Marketing, and Sales and Administration    Owned

Wilmington, DE, U.S. (Little Falls Area)

   Manufacturing, R&D, and Administration    Owned

Spokane, WA, U.S.

   Manufacturing, R&D, and Marketing    Owned

Shanghai, China

   Manufacturing, R&D    Leased

Boeblingen, Germany

   Manufacturing, R&D, and Marketing    Owned

Waldbronn, Germany

   Manufacturing, R&D    Owned

Hachioji, Japan

   Manufacturing, R&D, Marketing, and Sales and Administration    Owned

Penang, Malaysia

   Manufacturing    Owned

Yishun, Singapore

   Manufacturing, R&D, Marketing, Sales and Administration    Primarily Owned

South Queensferry, United Kingdom

   Manufacturing, R&D    Owned

 

As of October 31, 2003, we owned or leased a total of approximately 17.1 million square feet of space worldwide. Of that, we owned approximately 12 million square feet and leased the remaining 5.1 million square feet. Our sales and support facilities occupied a total of approximately 2.1 million square feet. Our manufacturing plants, R&D facilities and warehouse and administrative facilities occupied approximately 15 million square feet. Information about each of our businesses appears below:

 

Test and Measurement.    Our test and measurement business has manufacturing and R&D facilities in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Additionally, we have marketing centers in Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., and sales offices throughout the world.

 

26


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Automated Test.    Our automated test business has manufacturing and R&D facilities in Germany, Ireland, Japan, Singapore and the U.S.

 

Semiconductor Products.    Our semiconductor products business operates manufacturing and R&D facilities in Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the U.S. Additionally, we have marketing centers in Germany, Malaysia Singapore and the U.S., and sales offices throughout the world.

 

Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis.    Our life sciences and chemical analysis business has manufacturing facilities in China, Germany, Japan and the U.S. Additionally, we have marketing centers in Germany, Japan, Singapore and the U.S., and sales offices throughout the world.

 

Item 3.    Legal Proceedings

 

In November 2001, a securities class action, Kassin v. Agilent Technologies, Inc., et al., Civil Action No. 01-CV-10639, was filed in United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “Southern District Court of New York”) against certain investment bank underwriters for our initial public offering (“IPO”), Agilent and various of our officers and directors at the time of the IPO. On February 19, 2003 the Southern District Court of New York issued a ruling dismissing claims against Agilent based upon Section 10 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, but denying the motion to dismiss as to claims against Agilent founded upon Section 11 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. This case is similar to numerous other cases filed in the Southern District Court of New York concerning the IPO market of the late 1990’s.

 

A proposal has been made for the settlement and release of claims against the issuer defendants, including Agilent. The settlement is subject to a number of conditions, including approval of the proposed settling parties and the court. Under the terms of the proposed settlement, plaintiffs would dismiss and release all claims against the Agilent defendants. In exchange, the company would agree to assign or surrender certain potential claims, and plaintiffs would be assured that they will achieve a minimum recovery in the litigation (including amounts recovered from the underwriters). If any cash payment becomes necessary to fulfill the terms of that assurance, payment would be made by the company’s insurers, and not by Agilent. Agilent has elected to participate in the proposed settlement. Under our separation agreements with Hewlett-Packard, Hewlett-Packard agreed to indemnify us for a substantial portion of IPO-related liabilities. If the settlement does not occur, and the litigation against the company continues, Agilent believes it has meritorious defenses and intends to defend the case vigorously.

 

We are involved in lawsuits, claims, investigations and proceedings, including, but not limited to, patent, commercial and environmental matters, which arise in the ordinary course of business. Other than the matter described above, there are no matters pending that we expect to be material in relation to our business, consolidated financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Item 4.    Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders

 

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2003, there were no matters submitted to a vote of securities holders, through the solicitation of proxies or otherwise.

 

27


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

PART II

 

Item 5.    Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters

 

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol “A.” For the 2003 and 2002 fiscal years, the New York Stock Exchange reported the high and low prices per quarter as follows:

 

Fiscal 2003


   High

   Low

First Quarter (ended January 31, 2003)

   $ 20.30    $ 13.19

Second Quarter (ended April 30, 2003)

   $ 16.82    $ 11.30

Third Quarter (ended July 31, 2003)

   $ 22.64    $ 15.48

Fourth Quarter (ended October 31, 2003)

   $ 26.48    $ 20.31

 

Fiscal 2002


   High

   Low

First Quarter (ended January 31, 2002)

   $ 33.30    $ 22.06

Second Quarter (ended April 30, 2002)

   $ 38.00    $ 24.83

Third Quarter (ended July 31, 2002)

   $ 31.25    $ 16.00

Fourth Quarter (ended October 31, 2002)

   $ 18.88    $ 10.50

 

As of November 28, 2003, there were 67,128 stockholders of record of common stock. The closing share price for our common stock on November 28, 2003, as reported by the New York Stock Exchange, was $28.28.

 

We have not paid any dividends to date, and we currently intend to retain any future income to fund the development and growth of our business. We do not anticipate paying any cash dividends in the foreseeable future.

 

On July 20, 2001, we issued 1,461,196 shares of Agilent common stock as consideration for all of the shares of Sirius Communications N.V. The shares were issued in reliance on Regulation S of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

28


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

 

The following table summarizes information about our equity compensation plans as of October 31, 2003. All outstanding awards relate to our common stock.

 

Plan category


   Number of Securities
to be Issued upon
Exercise of
Outstanding Options,
Warrants and Rights


   Weighted-average
Exercise Price of
Outstanding
Options, Warrants
and Rights


   Number of Securities
Remaining Available for
Future Issuance under
Equity Compensation Plans
(Excluding Securities
Reflected in Column (a))


 
     (a)    (b)    (c)  

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders

   51,550,210    $ 29    101,085,485 (1), (2), (3)

Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders

            
    
  

  

Total

   51,550,210    $ 29    101,085,485  
    
  

  


(1) Includes 25,223,883 of securities authorized and available for issuance in connection with the Agilent Technologies, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “423(b) Plan”).

 

(2) Shares authorized for issuance in connection with the 423(b) Plan are subject to an automatic annual increase of the lesser of one percent of the outstanding common stock of Agilent or an amount determined by the Compensation Committee of our Board of Directors. In no event shall the number of shares authorized for issuance in connection with the 423(b) Plan exceed 75 million shares.

 

(3) We issue securities under our equity compensation plans in forms other than options, warrants or rights. Under the Agilent Technologies, Inc. 1999 Stock Plan, (the “Stock Plan”), we may issue Stock Awards, including but not limited to restricted stock and restricted stock units, as that term is defined in the Stock Plan. No more than 10 percent of the total shares available for issuance under the Stock Plan will constitute restricted stock awards. Under the Agilent Technologies, Inc. 1999 Non-Employee Director Stock Plan (the “1999 Non-Employee Director Stock Plan”), we may issue Special Compensation, as that term is defined in Section 7 of the 1999 Non-Employee Director Stock Plan.

 

29


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Item 6.    Selected Financial Data

 

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

(Unaudited)

 

    Years Ended October 31,

    2003

    2002

    2001

    2000

  1999

    (in millions, except per share data)

Consolidated Statement of Operations Data (1, 2, 3, 4):

                                   

Net revenue

  $ 6,056     $ 6,010     $ 8,396     $ 9,361   $ 6,830

(Loss) income from continuing operations before taxes

  $ (690 )   $ (1,547 )   $ (477 )   $ 1,018   $ 463

(Loss) income from continuing operations

  $ (1,790 )   $ (1,022 )   $ (406 )   $ 672   $ 306

Income from discontinued operations, net of taxes

                6       85     206

(Loss) gain from the sale of discontinued operations, net of taxes

          (10 )     646          
   


 


 


 

 

(Loss) income before cumulative effect of accounting changes

    (1,790 )     (1,032 )     246       757     512

Cumulative effect of adopting SFAS No. 133, net of taxes

                (25 )        

Cumulative effect of adopting SAB 101, net of taxes

                (47 )        

Cumulative effect of adopting SFAS No. 142

    (268 )                    
   


 


 


 

 

Net (loss) income

  $ (2,058 )   $ (1,032 )   $ 174     $ 757   $ 512
   


 


 


 

 

Net (loss) income per share — Basic:

                                   

(Loss) income from continuing operations

  $ (3.78 )   $ (2.20 )   $ (0.89 )   $ 1.49   $ 0.81

Income from discontinued operations, net

                0.01       0.19     0.54

(Loss) gain from the sale of discontinued operations, net

          (0.02 )     1.41          

Cumulative effect of adopting SFAS No. 133, net

                (0.05 )        

Cumulative effect of adopting SAB 101, net

                (0.10 )        

Cumulative effect of adopting SFAS No. 142

    (0.57 )                    
   


 


 


 

 

Net (loss) income

  $ (4.35 )   $ (2.22 )   $ 0.38     $ 1.68   $ 1.35
   


 


 


 

 

Net (loss) income per share — Diluted:

                                   

(Loss) income from continuing operations

  $ (3.78 )   $ (2.20 )   $ (0.89 )   $ 1.48   $ 0.81

Income from discontinued operations, net

                0.01       0.18     0.54

(Loss) gain from the sale of discontinued operations, net

          (0.02 )     1.41          

Cumulative effect of adopting SFAS No. 133, net

                (0.05 )        

Cumulative effect of adopting SAB 101, net

                (0.10 )        

Cumulative effect of adopting SFAS No. 142

    (0.57 )                    
   


 


 


 

 

Net (loss) income

  $ (4.35 )   $ (2.22 )   $ 0.38     $ 1.66   $ 1.35
   


 


 


 

 

Weighted average shares used in computing basic net (loss) income per share

    473       465       458       449     380

Weighted average shares used in computing diluted net (loss) income per share

    473       465       458       455     380

 

30


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements
     October 31,

     2003

   2002

   2001

   2000

   1999

     (in millions)

Consolidated Balance Sheet Data (1, 4):

                                  

Working capital

   $ 1,983    $ 2,899    $ 2,797    $ 2,476    $ 1,275

Total assets

   $ 6,297    $ 8,203    $ 7,986    $ 8,330    $ 5,364

Senior convertible debentures

   $ 1,150    $ 1,150    $    $    $

Stockholders’ equity

   $ 2,824    $ 4,627    $ 5,659    $ 5,265    $ 3,382

(1) Consolidated financial data and notes for all periods present our healthcare solutions business as a discontinued operation. See Note 6, “Discontinued Operations” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report.

 

(2) Loss from continuing operations for the year ended October 31, 2003 includes a pre-tax restructuring charge of $372 million, including a pre-tax asset impairment charge of $15 million, and a non-cash charge recorded during the third quarter of 2003 to establish a tax valuation allowance of $1.4 billion. The $1.4 billion included $0.4 billion of tax benefits recorded during the first six months of 2003 resulting in approximately $1.0 billion net tax provision recorded within provision for taxes for the year ended October 31, 2003; the valuation allowance essentially eliminated our net deferred tax assets. Loss from continuing operations for the year ended October 31, 2002 includes a pre-tax restructuring charge of $474 million including a pre-tax asset impairment charge of $163 million. Loss from continuing operations for the year ended October 31, 2001 includes a pre-tax gain of $269 million relating to the sale of surplus land in California, inventory charges of $460 million, a pre-tax restructuring charge of $154 million primarily relating to severance expenses and a pre-tax asset impairment charge of $74 million for our customer support software. Income from continuing operations for the year ended October 31, 1999 includes a pre-tax asset impairment charge of $51 million. See Note 14, “Restructuring and Asset Impairment,” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report.

 

(3) Consolidated statement of operations data for the year ended October 31, 2001 and 2000 includes the impact of the sale of our portfolio of lease assets to CIT Group Inc. (formerly known as Tyco Capital Corporation). In 2001, net proceeds from this sales transaction were $287 million and we recognized $254 million in net revenue from continuing operations and $131 million in cost of products from continuing operations. In 2000, net proceeds from this sales transaction were $234 million and we recognized $197 million in net revenue from continuing operations and $83 million in cost of products from continuing operations. See Note 7, “Acquisitions and Sale of Assets” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report.

 

(4) The historical financial data for 1999 was carved out from the historical financial information of Hewlett-Packard using the historical results of operations and historical bases of the assets and liabilities of the Hewlett-Packard businesses that comprise our company. We began accumulating retained income on November 1, 1999. Therefore, the historical financial data presented for 1999 is not indicative of our future performance and does not reflect what our consolidated financial position and results of operations would have been had we operated as a separate, stand-alone entity during those periods.

 

31


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Item 7.    Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

 

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. This report contains forward-looking statements including, without limitation, statements regarding trends, cyclicality, seasonality and growth in the markets we sell into, our strategic direction, expenditures in research and development, contracts and remediation, our future effective tax rate, new product introductions, changes to our manufacturing processes, our liquidity position, our ability to generate cash from continuing operations, our expected growth, the potential impact of our adopting new accounting pronouncements, our financial results, the impact of our enterprise resource planning systems implementation, our obligations under our retirement and post-retirement benefit plans, savings from our restructuring programs and the existence or length of an economic recovery that involve risks and uncertainties. Our actual results could differ from the results contemplated by these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including those discussed in Item 7 and elsewhere in this report.

 

Overview

 

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (“we”, “Agilent” or the “company”), incorporated in Delaware in May 1999, is a global diversified technology company that provides enabling solutions to markets within the communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis industries. Prior to our initial public offering of 15.9 percent of our stock in November 1999, we were a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hewlett-Packard Company (“Hewlett-Packard”). Hewlett-Packard distributed the remaining 84.1 percent of our stock to its stockholders on June 2, 2000 in the form of a stock dividend.

 

On August 1, 2001 we completed the sale of our healthcare solutions business to Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. The results of the healthcare solutions business are presented as discontinued operations for all periods in the consolidated financial statements included herein. See Note 6, “Discontinued Operations” in Item 15 of this report.

 

Our fiscal year end is October 31. Unless otherwise stated, all years and dates refer to our fiscal year.

 

Reclassifications

 

Amounts in the consolidated financial statements as of and for the years ended October 31, 2002 and October 31, 2001 have been reclassified to conform to the presentation used in 2003.

 

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

 

The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions believed to be reasonable. Although these estimates are based on management’s best knowledge of current events and actions that may impact the company in the future, actual results may be different from the estimates. Our critical accounting policies are those that affect our financial statements materially and involve difficult, subjective or complex judgments by management. Those policies are revenue recognition, restructuring and asset impairment charges, inventory valuation, retirement and post retirement plan assumptions, valuation of long-lived assets and accounting for income taxes.

 

Revenue recognition.    We enter into agreements to sell products (hardware and/or software), services, and other arrangements (multiple element arrangements) that include combinations of products and services. Revenue from product sales, net of trade discounts and allowances, is recognized provided that persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has

 

32


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

occurred, the price is fixed or determinable, and collectibility is reasonably assured. Delivery is considered to have occurred when title and risk of loss have transferred to the customer. Revenue is reduced for estimated product returns and distributor price protection, when appropriate. For sales that include customer-specified acceptance criteria, revenue is recognized after the acceptance criteria have been met. For products that include installation, if the installation meets the criteria to be considered a separate element, product revenue is recognized upon delivery, and recognition of installation revenue is delayed until the installation is complete. Otherwise, neither the product nor the installation revenue is recognized until the installation is complete. Revenue from services is deferred and recognized over the contractual period or as services are rendered and accepted by the customer. When arrangements include multiple elements, we use objective evidence of fair value to allocate revenue to the elements and recognize revenue when the criteria for revenue recognition have been met for each element. The amount of product revenue recognized is affected by our judgments as to whether an arrangement includes multiple elements and if so, whether vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value exists for those elements. Changes to the elements in an arrangement and the ability to establish vendor-specific objective evidence for those elements could affect the timing of the revenue recognition. Most of these conditions are subjective and actual results could vary from the estimated outcome, requiring future adjustments to revenue.

 

Restructuring and asset impairment charges.    We recognize a liability for restructuring costs at fair value only when the liability is incurred. The three main components of our restructuring plans are related to workforce reductions, the consolidation of excess facilities and asset impairments, primarily property, plant and equipment. Workforce-related charges are accrued when it is determined that a liability has been incurred which is generally after individuals have been notified of their termination dates and expected severance payments. Plans to consolidate excess facilities result in charges for lease termination fees and future commitments to pay lease charges, net of estimated future sublease income. We recognize charges for consolidation of excess facilities when we have vacated the premises. Asset impairment charges are based on an estimate of the amounts and timing of future cash flows related to the expected future remaining use and ultimate sale or disposal of buildings and equipment. These estimates were derived using the guidance of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets” (“SFAS No. 144”), Staff Accounting Bulletin 100, “Restructuring and Impairment Charges” (“SAB 100”), Emerging Issues Task Force 94-3, “Liability Recognition for Costs to Exit an Activity (Including Certain Costs Incurred in a Restructuring)” (“EITF 94-3”) and lastly, SFAS No. 146 “Accounting for Exit or Disposal Activities” (“SFAS No. 146”) which is effective for exit and disposal activities initiated after December 31, 2002. If the amounts and timing of cash flows from restructuring activities are significantly different from what we have estimated, the actual amount of restructuring and asset impairment charges could be materially different, either higher or lower, than those we have recorded.

 

Inventory Valuation.    We assess the valuation of our inventory on a quarterly basis and periodically write down the value for estimated excess and obsolete inventory based upon estimates about future demand and actual usage. Such estimates are difficult to make under current economic conditions. The excess balance determined by this analysis becomes the basis for our excess inventory charge. Our marketing department plays a key role in our excess inventory review process by providing updated sales forecasts, managing product rollovers and working with manufacturing to maximize recovery of excess inventory. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional write-downs may be required. If actual market conditions are more favorable than anticipated, inventory previously written down may be sold, resulting in lower cost of sales and higher income from operations than expected in that period.

 

Retirement and post retirement plan assumptions.    Retirement and post retirement benefit plans are a significant cost of doing business and yet represent obligations that will be ultimately settled far in the future and therefore are subject to estimation. Pension accounting is

 

33


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

intended to reflect the recognition of future benefit costs over the employee’s approximate service period based on the terms of the plans and the investment and funding decisions made by us. We are required to make assumptions regarding such variables as the expected long-term rate of return on assets and the discount rate applied to determine service cost and interest cost to arrive at pension income or expense for the year. As of October 31, 2003, the expected long-term rate of return in the U.S. was 8.75 percent, and ranged from 5.0 to 7.50 percent for our plans outside the U.S. We have analyzed the rates of return on assets used and determined that these rates are reasonable based on the plans’ historical performance relative to the overall markets in the countries where the plans are effective. Management will continue to assess the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets assumption for each plan based on relevant market conditions as prescribed by accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. and will make adjustments to the assumptions as appropriate. Discount rate assumptions were based on the prevailing market long-term interest rates at the measurement date. We are also required to make assumptions for the long-term health care cost trend rates for our post retirement benefit plans. If any of our assumptions were to change, our benefit plan expenses would also change. A one percent decrease in the estimated return on plan assets would result in increased pension expense of $5 million for 2004 in the U.S. and $9 million for 2004 for all plans outside the U.S. Retirement and post retirement benefit plan expense is allocated to cost of sales, research and development and selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statement of operations. We incurred expenses of $187 million in 2003, $122 million in 2002 and $81 million in 2001 for our retirement and post retirement plans. We expect expenses of approximately $144 million in 2004 for our retirement and post retirement plans.

 

Workforce-related events such as restructuring cause curtailment and settlement gains or losses when they have a material impact on the average future working lifetime or total number of participants in our retirement and postretirement plans. Our restructuring programs have resulted in material changes to our plan demographics in the U.S. and several other countries in 2002 and 2003. The curtailment and settlement gains and losses related to each event are separately identified in Note 15, “Retirement Plans and Post Retirement Benefits” to the consolidated financial statements in Item 15 of this report.

 

Valuation of long-lived assets.    We have assessed the recoverability of long-lived assets, including intangible assets, by determining whether the carrying value of such assets will be recovered through undiscounted future cash flows according to the guidance of SFAS No. 144 and discounted future cash flows according to the guidance of SFAS No. 142 “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” (“SFAS No. 142”). The process of evaluating the potential impairment of goodwill and other intangibles is highly subjective and requires significant judgment. We estimate expected future cash flows of our various businesses which operate in a number of markets and geographical regions. We then determine the carrying value of these businesses. We exercise judgment in assigning and allocating certain assets and liabilities to these businesses. We make these estimates consistent with the way we forecast, plan and run our businesses. We then compare the carrying value including goodwill and other intangibles to the discounted future cash flows. If the total of future cash flows is less than the carrying amount of the assets, we recognize an impairment loss based on the excess of the carrying amount over the fair value of the assets. Estimates of the future cash flows associated with the assets are critical to these assessments. Changes in these estimates based on changed economic conditions or business strategies could result in material impairment charges in future periods. We performed the required transitional impairment test upon our adoption of SFAS No. 142 in the first quarter of 2003 and wrote-off $268 million of goodwill.

 

The process of evaluating the potential impairment of long-lived assets such as our property plant and equipment according to SFAS No. 144 is also highly subjective and requires significant judgment. In order to estimate the fair value of long-lived assets, we typically make various assumptions about the future prospects for the business that the asset relates to, consider market factors specific to that business and estimate future cash flows to be generated by that business.

 

34


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Based on these assumptions and estimates, we determine whether we need to take an impairment charge to reduce the value of the asset stated on our balance sheet to reflect its estimated fair value. Assumptions and estimates about future values and remaining useful lives are complex and often subjective. They can be affected by a variety of factors, including external factors such as the real estate market, industry and economic trends, and internal factors such as changes in our business strategy and our internal forecasts. Although we believe the assumptions and estimates we have made in the past have been reasonable and appropriate, changes in assumptions and estimates could materially impact our reported financial results.

 

Accounting for Income Taxes.    Significant management judgment is required in determining our provision for income taxes and in determining whether deferred tax assets will be realized in full or in part. When it is more likely than not that all or some portion of specific deferred tax assets such as net operating losses or foreign tax credit carryforwards will not be realized, a valuation allowance must be established for the amount of the deferred tax assets that are determined not to be realizable. Realization is based on our ability to generate sufficient future taxable income. During the third quarter of 2003, we recorded a non-cash charge to establish a tax valuation allowance of $1.4 billion, which included approximately $0.4 billion of tax benefits recorded during the first six months of 2003, resulting in approximately $1.0 billion net tax provision recorded within provision for taxes for 2003; the valuation allowance essentially eliminated our net deferred tax assets. The valuation allowance was determined in accordance with the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 109 “Accounting for Income Taxes” (“SFAS No. 109”), which requires an assessment of both positive and negative evidence when determining whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will be recoverable in future periods; such assessment is required on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis. Cumulative losses incurred in the U.S. and the U.K. in recent years represented sufficient negative evidence under SFAS No. 109 to require a full valuation allowance in these jurisdictions. We intend to maintain a full valuation allowance until sufficient positive evidence exists to support its reversal. We expect future pre-tax income in fiscal 2004 will be recognized at a lower rate because future income taxes in the U.S. and the U.K will be offset against reversals of the valuation allowance to effectively eliminate any tax charge in those jurisdictions. Additionally, to the degree we have pre-tax losses in the U.S. and U.K., no tax benefit will be recognized until such time as the valuation allowance is reversed. Income taxes will continue to be recorded for various jurisdictions subject to the need for further valuation allowance in those jurisdictions.

 

We have not provided for U.S. federal income and foreign withholding taxes on a portion of our non-U.S. subsidiaries undistributed income as of October 31, 2003 because we intend to reinvest such income indefinitely. If management decides to remit this income to the U.S. in a future period, our provision for income taxes may increase materially in that period.

 

We are subject to ongoing tax examinations of our tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities in various jurisdictions. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes.

 

Cyclical and Seasonal Business and General Economic Conditions

 

The sales of our products and services are dependent, to a large degree, on customers whose industries are subject to cyclical trends in the demand for their products. Shifts in the semiconductor market, electronics industry, computer industry and telecommunications markets, as well as rapidly shifting global economic conditions, have had and will have significant impacts on our businesses.

 

In those industry segments where we are a capital equipment provider, our revenue is driven by the capital expenditure budgets and spending patterns of our customers, who often delay or

 

35


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

accelerate purchases in reaction to changes in their businesses and in the economy. We expect some portions of our businesses to remain cyclical in the foreseeable future. Given that a high proportion of our costs are fixed, variability in revenue as a result of these business cycles could disproportionately affect our quarterly and annual results. However, we are moving towards a more variable cost structure through the use of outsourcing partners and instituting variable pay programs for our employees in order to reduce the proportion of our costs that have typically been fixed in nature.

 

Additionally, we estimate that approximately 40 percent of our revenue is generated either directly from sales of components incorporated in consumer electronics, such as cell phones, cameras, games, personal computers, and printers, or indirectly from sales of test and measurement equipment used to design or manufacture and test such components or products. Sales of these consumer electronic products are concentrated during the holiday season. This seasonal pattern means that we typically experience higher revenues and orders during our fourth quarter as manufacturers ramp up production and then decline in our first quarter. We also see larger volumes of business in our fourth quarter for products that we sell to the aerospace and defense industry and the U.S. government and generally experience reduced volumes during our first quarter.

 

In 2001, an economic downturn reduced consumer and capital spending in most of the markets that we serve. This economic downturn continued through 2002 and has stabilized throughout 2003. More recently we have seen signs of an economic upturn, although it is uncertain as to how strongly this may be sustained in the markets we serve over the next year. Orders and revenue in our semiconductor products, automated test and life sciences business segments during 2003 increased compared to 2002. However, this is offset by the continued decline in the wireline telecommunication and general purpose test markets within our test and measurement group and a recovery in these markets is not expected for some time. In 2003, total net revenue was flat compared to 2002, but decreased 28 percent from 2001. Orders followed the same trend. In 2003, orders were flat compared to 2002, but decreased by six percent from 2001.

 

Restructuring and Asset Impairment

 

Summary

 

We currently have three restructuring plans – one initiated in the fourth quarter of 2001 (the “2001 Plan”), a second initiated in the fourth quarter of 2002 (the “2002 Plan”), and a third initiated in the first quarter of 2003 (the “2003 Plan”) after it became clear that the actions taken in fiscal 2001 and fiscal 2002 would not be sufficient to return the company to profitability.

 

All of our plans were designed to reduce costs and expenses in order to return the company to profitability. As of the end of 2003, we have reduced our workforce by approximately 15,000 people (approximately 13,400 from involuntary terminations and approximately 1,600 from net attrition) to 29,000 employees.

 

Our plans to consolidate excess facilities resulted in charges for lease termination fees and losses anticipated from sub-lease agreements. We have exited, or plan to exit in the near future, more than 110 production, support and sales facilities in the U.S., Korea, Japan, U.K. and other countries, representing more than 4.3 million square feet, or about 22 percent of our worldwide property. As of October 31, 2003, we had vacated approximately 90 percent of this space, however we will continue to make lease payments on some of this space over the next five years. We lease most of these buildings from third parties, and the closures impacted all segments. In most cases, we are exiting administrative office buildings housing sales and administrative employees. However, a small number of production facilities were closed as a result of our plans to consolidate manufacturing into fewer sites.

 

36


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Actions for all plans have been focused on segments that were impacted most severely by the market downturn – primarily our test and measurement and semiconductor products groups – but actions have also been taken to reduce the costs associated with support services such as finance, information technology, workplace services and to a lesser extent our other business segments. Cost reductions were initiated by moving manufacturing and some of our global shared services operations sites to lower cost regions, reducing the number of properties, particularly sales and administrative sites, and by reducing our workforce through involuntary terminations and selected outsourcing of manufacturing and administrative functions. Our strategy is to move towards a more variable operating cost structure.

 

We have executed all key actions under our 2001 Plan, although there may be changes in estimates for the consolidation of excess facilities due to changes in market conditions from those originally expected at the time the charges were recorded. Our 2002 Plan is substantially complete. We are continuing to see the estimated savings of $350 million per quarter ($300 million from the 2001 Plan and $50 million from the 2002 Plan) that was initially projected. The 2003 Plan is still being implemented, however, we have already begun to realize the expected $125 million reduction in quarterly operational costs. We expect to incur further restructuring costs and increase the savings related to the 2003 Plan in the first half of 2004.

 

The 2001 Plan

 

As a result of the economic downturn we announced a plan and reduced our workforce by approximately 8,400 jobs and reduced costs across all functions, primarily manufacturing and selling, general and administrative costs, including sales and marketing. Research and development activities were terminated on some product development initiatives, none of which were individually or in total significant to our future revenues or profitability. We also took actions to reduce the number of employees at production facilities that had experienced declining demand, such as those making equipment for the long-haul wireline business. This plan was designed to reduce costs across almost all of our administrative and support services, including sales and marketing, and to focus our production activities on those products that we believed would return us to profitability, such as those in life sciences, semiconductor test and wireless telecommunications. Our plan impacted the test and measurement group and the semiconductor products group and had little direct impact on the automated test and life sciences and chemical analysis groups except as the plan related to support services reductions across all of our businesses. We reduced production capacity dramatically for communications test product lines and for product lines in networking, especially long-haul networks. We also reduced production capacity for some personal systems, general purpose and semiconductor test product lines.

 

The three main components of the 2001 Plan related to workforce reductions, consolidation of excess facilities and impairments of property, plant and equipment. The impairments of machinery and equipment in our production facilities that we have closed or scaled back have been recognized. We have executed all key actions under this plan, however we will continue to make lease payments over the next five years.

 

Asset impairment charges relate to fixed assets and were determined using estimates of the expected future cash flows generated from those assets. Impairments were recorded for machinery and equipment in production facilities that we were closing or scaling back, such as for the long-haul wireline business and for leasehold improvements in leased facilities that we planned to exit. One production facility in Kobe, Japan accounted for approximately $60 million of the $129 million of asset impairment charges in 2002. In order to determine the amount of the impairment, under the held-for-use model in accordance with SFAS No. 121, we estimated the cash flows that would result from our continued use of the building until we expect to vacate it and also estimated the sales

 

37


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

proceeds that we expected to be able to realize. The resulting impairment was approximately 80 percent of the net book value of the facility, primarily due to the decline in the local property market.

 

In 2002, we also took a $53 million charge for exiting a number of leased facilities. During 2003 we recorded an additional $15 million in net charges and adjustments due primarily to reductions in our estimate of expected sublease income. Due to the length of some of the lease terms and the uncertainty of the real estate market, we expect to make periodic adjustments to the accrual balance to reflect changes in our estimates, and to reflect actual events as they occur.

 

The cost of the 2001 Plan through October 31, 2003 was $526 million; $154 million in 2001, $357 million in 2002 and $15 million in 2003.

 

A summary of restructuring activity for the 2001 Plan through October 31, 2003 is shown in the table below:

 

    

Workforce

Reduction


   

Consolidation

of Excess

Facilities


   

Impairment of

Assets,

Property, Plant

and Equipment


    Total

 
     (in millions)  

Beginning balance at July 31, 2001

   $     $     $     $  

Total charge

     117       20       17       154  

Cash payments

     (65 )                 (65 )
    


 


 


 


Ending balance at October 31, 2001

     52       20       17       89  

Total charge

     175       53       129       357  

Asset impairment

                 (146 )     (146 )

Cash payments

     (210 )     (10 )           (220 )
    


 


 


 


Ending balance at October 31, 2002

     17       63             80  

Total charge and adjustment (a)

           24       (9 )     15  

Asset impairment

                 9       9  

Cash payments

     (17 )     (25 )           (42 )
    


 


 


 


Ending balance at October 31, 2003

   $     $ 62     $     $ 62  
    


 


 


 



(a) Represents primarily changes in estimates relating to consolidation of excess facilities arising from a decline in real estate market conditions and an adjustment recorded within property, plant and equipment, net.

 

The 2002 Plan

 

On August 19, 2002, we announced our intention to further reduce our workforce by 2,500 to achieve a quarterly operating cost structure of approximately $1.6 billion. This plan primarily affected the manufacturing and field operations serving the wireline markets that are components of our test and measurement group as well as information technology support services.

 

As part of the 2002 Plan we have reduced our workforce by approximately 2,400 as of October 31, 2003. Similar to the 2001 Plan, this reduction impacted all regions, all expense categories and most of our segments particularly our test and measurement and semiconductor products segments. We continued to reduce the number of employees at production facilities that experienced declining demand, outsourced selective operations and also reduced the number of

 

38


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

employees that provided information technology support services as we streamlined our operations with the implementation of our new information systems. We expect that the 2002 Plan will be completed by the first quarter of 2004.

 

We have incurred total asset impairment charges of $39 million. Asset impairment charges of $34 million recognized in 2002 relate to machinery and equipment, primarily owned by the semiconductor products group in Singapore. The equipment had been purchased in support of communications research but as a result of our restructuring plans we have decided to sell the equipment and conduct the research using existing equipment in the U.S. Asset impairment charges of $5 million recognized in 2003 primarily related to semiconductor products machinery and equipment that will be abandoned. The equipment had been purchased to support a manufacturing facility whose operations will be moved as a result of our plans to consolidate our excess facilities. However, no material charges for the consolidation of excess facilities have yet occurred under the 2002 Plan.

 

The cost of the 2002 Plan through October 31, 2003 was $166 million; $117 million in 2002 and $49 million in 2003.

 

A summary of restructuring activity for the 2002 Plan through October 31, 2003 is shown in the table below:

 

    

Workforce

Reduction


   

Impairment of

Assets,

Property, Plant

and Equipment


    Total

 
     (in millions)  

Beginning balance at July 31, 2002

   $     $     $  

Total charge

     83       34       117  

Asset impairment

           (34 )     (34 )

Cash payments

     (15 )           (15 )
    


 


 


Ending balance at October 31, 2002

     68             68  

Total charge

     44       5       49  

Asset impairment

           (5 )     (5 )

Cash payments

     (98 )           (98 )
    


 


 


Ending balance at October 31, 2003

   $ 14     $     $ 14  
    


 


 


 

The 2003 Plan

 

On February 21, 2003, we announced our intention to further reduce our quarterly operational costs to a level of $1.45 billion as part of the 2003 Plan. In order to accomplish this, we announced a workforce reduction of approximately 4,000 jobs in addition to previously-announced cuts.

 

As part of the 2003 Plan we have reduced our workforce by approximately 4,300 as of October 31, 2003, primarily in our U.S. operations. Reductions were made across all businesses with significant reductions in our test and measurement and semiconductor products groups. We continued to reduce the number of employees at production facilities and employees that provide support services across all businesses. We have also reduced the number of research and development employees as we continue to look for opportunities to align our business with available markets.

 

As we execute on all of our plans, we have continued to consolidate excess facilities. We have and plan to exit administrative office buildings, research and development facilities, and move

 

39


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

manufacturing to lower cost regions. Our plan to consolidate excess facilities resulted in increased charges of $13 million for lease termination fees and losses anticipated from sub-lease agreements primarily located in Europe.

 

As part of the 2003 Plan, we incurred asset impairment charges of $57 million for fixed assets primarily owned by our semiconductor products segment. Impairments were recorded for machinery, equipment and buildings used in research and development or production that are impacted by our plans to consolidate excess facilities or are no longer needed due to over capacity. During the third quarter, we closed a production facility in the U.K. and have substantially vacated the remaining buildings on that site except for a minor portion of the facility, which will be used for research and development. We are progressing as planned through our transition towards reestablishing production in Singapore and have entered into an agreement to sell the site to a third party. In accordance with SFAS No. 144, we measured the assets at their fair value based on the sales agreement less the cost to sell. We recorded an impairment of $27 million as a result of the significant decline in the U.K. property market.

 

Although we are still implementing the 2003 Plan, we have realized the expected $125 million reduction in quarterly operational costs from the reductions in salary and benefit expenses due to the workforce reductions under the 2003 Plan. As of October 31, 2003, the cost of the 2003 Plan was $308 million.

 

A summary of restructuring activity for the 2003 Plan through October 31, 2003 is shown in the table below:

 

    

Workforce

Reduction


   

Consolidation of

Excess Facilities


   

Impairment of

Assets,

Property, Plant
and Equipment


    Total

 
     (in millions)  

Total charge

   $ 238     $ 13     $ 57     $ 308  

Asset impairments

                 (57 )     (57 )

Cash payments

     (234 )     (4 )           (238 )
    


 


 


 


Ending balance at October 31, 2003

   $ 4     $ 9     $     $ 13  
    


 


 


 


 

Summary information for combined plans

 

The restructuring accrual for all plans, which totaled $89 million as of October 31, 2003 and $148 million as of October 31, 2002 (for the 2001 and 2002 Plans only), is recorded in other accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet and represents estimated future cash outlays. Lease payments are expected over the next 5 years. Other payments, primarily severance, are expected within a one-year period. We have met our expected savings goals for all of our restructuring plans. Future charges should be primarily associated with our 2003 Plan.

 

As our restructuring plans were all intended to return Agilent to profitability given predicted revenue amounts, we are unable to estimate the amount and timing of future restructuring charges.

 

40


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

A summary of the statement of operations impact of the charges resulting from the all of the restructuring plans is shown below.

 

     Years ended October 31,

     2003

   2002

   2001

     (in millions)

Cost of products and services

   $ 111    $ 210    $ 79

Research and development

     66      56      17

Selling, general and administrative

     195      208      58
    

  

  

Total restructuring and asset impairment charges

   $ 372    $ 474    $ 154
    

  

  

 

Other asset impairment charges

 

In July 2003, we recorded an impairment charge pursuant to SFAS No. 144 of approximately $10 million for intangible assets (representing developed technology and customer relationships) in our test and measurement business as a result of a decline in the projected cash flows. The impairment charge has been recorded in cost of sales and selling, general, and administrative in the consolidated statement of operations.

 

In June 2001, we recorded a $74 million asset impairment charge with respect to our decision to cancel the development of a software system for our customer support activities. We entered into an agreement with Hewlett-Packard to extend our use of their legacy customer support systems in place of the one that we were developing. In 2002, we began to develop a new Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) system independent from Hewlett-Packard.

 

We also incurred asset impairment charges primarily to write down investments that we hold on a cost basis to their fair value. Impairment charges related to these asset impairments were $15 million in 2003, $24 million in 2002 and $8 million in 2001. These impairment charges were recorded in cost and expenses and other income (expense), net in the consolidated statement of operations.

 

New Accounting Pronouncements

 

Adoption of New Pronouncements

 

On November 1, 2002, we adopted SFAS No. 144, “Accounting for the Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets,” (“SFAS No. 144”), which amends existing accounting guidance on asset impairment and provides a single accounting model for long-lived assets to be disposed of. Among other provisions, the standard changes the criteria for classifying an asset as held-for-sale. The standard also broadens the scope of businesses to be disposed of that qualify for reporting as discontinued operations, and changes the timing of recognizing losses on such operations. The initial impact of adopting SFAS No. 144 was not material to our consolidated financial statements.

 

On January 1, 2003, we adopted SFAS No. 146, “Accounting for Costs Associated with Exit or Disposal Activities,” (“SFAS No. 146”), which nullifies Emerging Issues Task Force (“EITF”) 94-3, “Liability Recognition for Certain Employee Termination Benefits and Other Costs to Exit an Activity (including Certain Costs Incurred in a Restructuring)”. SFAS No. 146 requires that a liability be recognized for restructuring costs only when the liability is incurred, that is, when it meets the definition of a liability in the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB’s”) conceptual framework. SFAS No. 146 also establishes fair value as the objective for initial measurement of liabilities related to exit or disposal activities and is effective for exit or disposal activities that are

 

41


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

initiated after December 31, 2002. The adoption of SFAS No. 146 did not have a material impact on our results of operations, financial position or cash flows, although it has impacted the timing of recognition of costs associated with restructuring activities in our 2003 Plan. (See Note 14, “Restructuring and Asset Impairment” of this report.)

 

On January 1, 2003, we adopted FASB Interpretation No. 45, “Guarantor’s Accounting and Disclosure Requirements for Guarantees, Including Indirect Guarantees of Indebtedness of Others” (“FIN 45”). FIN 45 requires that upon issuance of a guarantee, we must disclose and may be required to recognize a liability for the fair value of the obligation we assume under that guarantee. The initial recognition and measurement requirement of FIN 45 is effective for guarantees issued or modified after December 31, 2002. As of October 31, 2003, there were no material guarantees issued or modified by us after December 31, 2002. The disclosure requirements of FIN 45, applicable to our product warranty liability and certain guarantees issued before December 31, 2002, were effective for our first quarter report and all subsequent quarterly and annual reports. As of October 31, 2003 and October 31, 2002, our product warranty liability was $71 million and $72 million (see Note 13, “Guarantees” of this report).

 

On February 1, 2003, we adopted FASB Interpretation No. 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities” (“FIN 46”). FIN 46 addresses consolidation by business enterprises of variable interest entities. Under this interpretation, certain entities known as Variable Interest Entities (“VIEs”) must be consolidated by the primary beneficiary of the entity. The primary beneficiary is generally defined as having the majority of the risks and rewards arising from the VIE. For VIEs in which a significant (but not majority) variable interest is held, certain disclosures are required. We have not entered into any arrangements or made any investments which qualify as a VIE in the period from January 31, 2003 to October 31, 2003. Effective August 1, 2003, we have also applied the accounting and disclosure rules set forth in FIN 46 for VIEs acquired before January 31, 2003. The adoption of FIN 46 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

On February 1, 2003, we adopted SFAS No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation — Transition and Disclosure — an amendment of SFAS No. 123” (“SFAS No. 148”). This statement amends SFAS No. 123, to provide alternative methods of transition for a voluntary change to the fair value based method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation. In addition, this statement amends the disclosure requirements of SFAS No. 123 to require disclosures in both annual and interim financial statements about the method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation and the effect of the method used on reported results. The adoption of SFAS No. 148 did not have any impact to our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows as our adoption of this standard involved disclosures only; see Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 5, “Stock-Based Compensation” of this report for those disclosures.

 

On July 1, 2003, we adopted SFAS No. 149, “Amendment of Statement 133 on Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities” (“SFAS No. 149”). SFAS No. 149 amends and clarifies accounting for derivative instruments including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts and hedging activities under SFAS No. 133. The adoption of SFAS No. 149 did not have any impact to our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

On August 1, 2003, we adopted EITF Issue 00-21, “Revenue Arrangements with Multiple Deliverables,” (“EITF 00-21”), which requires companies to determine whether an arrangement involving multiple deliverables contains more than one unit of accounting. We have applied the provisions of EITF 00-21 for sales arrangements entered into after August 1, 2003. In applying EITF 00-21, revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables should be divided into separate units of accounting if the deliverables in the arrangement meet certain criteria. Arrangement consideration

 

42


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

should be allocated among the separate units of accounting based on their relative fair values. The adoption of EITF 00-21 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

On August 1, 2003, we adopted SFAS No. 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity” (“SFAS No. 150”). SFAS No. 150 establishes standards for the classification and measurement of financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. The adoption of SFAS No. 150 did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

 

Acquisitions

 

On January 5, 2001, we acquired Objective Systems Integrators, Inc. (“OSI”) for approximately $716 million. Of this total, $690 million was cash and the remainder represents the fair value of options granted. Using the purchase method of accounting in accordance with Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 16, “Business Combinations” (“APB No. 16”), the purchase price was allocated to tangible and intangible assets including goodwill. The original goodwill balance of $593 million was being amortized over three years. At the time of acquisition, OSI was a leading provider of next-generation operations-support-system software for communications service providers and has become part of our test and measurement business. The net book value of goodwill associated with this acquisition at October 31, 2002 was $234 million. In the first quarter of 2003, we implemented SFAS No. 142 and wrote-off this goodwill. See Note 12, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets”.

 

In addition to the OSI acquisition, we acquired several other companies during 2002 and 2001, which were not significant to our consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. These acquisitions were accounted for under the purchase method of accounting as defined in APB No. 16 or SFAS No. 141 depending on the date of acquisition. The results of operations of the acquired companies were included prospectively from the date of acquisition and the acquisition cost was allocated to the acquired tangible assets and liabilities and identifiable intangible assets based on fair values at the date of acquisition. Residual amounts were recorded as goodwill. In-process research and development write-offs have been insignificant.

 

Unaudited pro forma statement of operations information has not been presented because the effects of these acquisitions were not material on either an individual or an aggregated basis.

 

Discontinued Operations

 

On August 1, 2001, we completed the sale of our healthcare solutions business to Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. (“Philips”) pursuant to an Asset Purchase Agreement for a total purchase price of $1.7 billion. Philips paid initial proceeds of $1.6 billion to us on August 1, 2001, with further payments following pursuant to the terms of the Asset Purchase Agreement dated as of November 17, 2000, as amended and supplemented by the Amendment and Supplemental Agreement, dated as of August 1, 2001 (collectively, the “Asset Purchase Agreement”). The total purchase price was subject to adjustment based on the determination of the final purchased net assets and on our performance of integration services for Philips.

 

Our consolidated financial statements reflect our healthcare solutions business as discontinued operations in accordance with Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 30 “Reporting the Results of Operations—Reporting the Effects of Disposal of a Segment of a Business, and Extraordinary, Unusual and Infrequently Occurring Events and Transactions” (“APB No. 30”). The financial position, results of operations and cash flows of our healthcare solutions business have

 

43


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

been classified as discontinued, and prior periods have been restated, including the reallocation of general overhead charges to our three remaining business segments. We recorded an after-tax gain of $646 million in 2001 and an after-tax loss of $10 million in 2002 as a result of the sale to Philips. In 2002, adjustments were made to the gain as a result of purchase price adjustments to reflect the final purchased net assets and additional costs that were not anticipated at the time of the sale.

 

We signed an agreement with Philips, dated as of May 15, 2002, finalizing the purchase price adjustments from the sale. The adjustments did not result in a material adjustment to the gain on sale. Since August 1, 2001, we received all of the $100 million withheld by Philips from the total purchase price at the time of the sale plus adjustments for the final purchased net assets. For incremental fees, we provided support services to Philips after August 1, 2001 and a portion of these fees offset costs that include an element of fixed costs which are recognized in selling, general and administrative expenses in 2001 and 2002. As of October 31, 2002, we have completed our contractual obligation to provide services to Philips.

 

Under the Asset Purchase Agreement, we are restricted from competing in the development, manufacturing, selling or servicing of certain medical products for five years after the sale. We do not expect any material impact on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows from this non-compete agreement because we do not intend to engage in those specified businesses.

 

Asset Sales

 

Sale of Leasing Portfolio

 

In the fourth quarter of 2000, we entered into an asset purchase agreement with CIT Group Inc. (“CIT,” formerly Tyco Capital Corporation) pursuant to which we sold them substantially all of our leasing portfolio (the “CIT Group Sale”) over the course of 2000 and 2001. There was no impact on our consolidated cash flows and results of operations for the CIT Group Sale in 2003 and 2002. The impact on our consolidated cash flows and results of operations of the CIT Group Sale in 2001 is shown below.

 

    

Year Ended

October 31, 2001


     (in millions)

Net proceeds from the CIT Group Sale

   $ 287

Product revenue

     254

Cost of products

     131

 

We also entered into a vendor financing arrangement with CIT whereby CIT will provide equipment financing and leasing services to our customers on a global basis. This agreement has been in place since the fourth quarter of 2000.

 

In addition to the CIT Group Sale and the sale of the healthcare solutions business, we sold assets related to portions of our businesses to third parties during 2002 and 2001. Gross proceeds from these dispositions were $31 million in 2002 and $13 million in 2001. Gains from the dispositions, included in other income (expense), net, in the consolidated statement of operations, were $15 million in 2002 and $9 million in 2001. There were no cash proceeds or gains from these dispositions in 2003.

 

Sale of San Jose Land

 

In February 2001, we sold a parcel of surplus land in San Jose, California for $287 million in cash, resulting in a pre-tax gain of approximately $269 million. In August 2001, we invested the

 

44


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

proceeds in the leasehold of several municipal properties in southern California for a total value of $289 million. In 2002, we received $237 million in non-refundable prepaid rent related to the investment in leaseholds as described above.

 

Foreign Currency

 

Our revenues, costs and expenses, and monetary assets and liabilities are exposed to changes in foreign currency exchange rates as a result of our global operating and financing activities. We hedge net cash flow and balance sheet exposures that are not denominated in the functional currencies of our subsidiaries on a short term and anticipated basis. We do experience some fluctuations within individual lines of the consolidated statement of operations and balance sheet as our hedging program is not designed to offset the currency movements in each category of revenues, expenses, monetary assets and liabilities. However, movements in exchange rates net of our hedging activities had no material effect on our net loss in the periods presented. For example, the weakening of the U.S. dollar throughout 2003 led to an increase in revenue of approximately $140 million, which primarily affected Europe and Asia Pacific. However, this was offset by an increase to cost of sales of approximately $60 million and an increase to operating expenses of approximately $85 million. Our hedging activities resulted in an increase of cost of sales of approximately $12 million.

 

Effective November 1, 2001, we determined that the functional currency for many of our subsidiaries outside the U.S. changed from the U.S. dollar to local currency based on the criteria of SFAS No. 52 “Foreign Currency Translation”. This change did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position as of November 1, 2001.

 

Indemnifications

 

Indemnifications to Hewlett-Packard Company

 

We have given multiple indemnities to Hewlett-Packard Company in connection with our activities prior to our spin-off from Hewlett-Packard for the businesses that constituted Agilent prior to the spin-off. These indemnifications cover a variety of aspects of our business, including, but not limited to, employee, tax, intellectual property and environmental matters. The agreements containing these indemnifications have been previously disclosed as exhibits to our registration statement on Form S-1 filed on August 16, 1999. In our opinion, the fair value of these indemnifications is not material.

 

Indemnifications to Koninklijke Philips Electronics, N.V. (“Philips”)

 

In connection with the sale of our healthcare solutions business to Philips on August 1, 2001, we indemnified Philips for various matters, including product liability issues arising within two years of the sale agreement. In our opinion, the fair value of these indemnifications is not material.

 

Indemnifications to Officers and Directors

 

Our corporate by-laws require that we indemnify our officers and directors, as well as those who act as directors and officers of other entities at our request, against expenses, judgments, fines, settlements and other amounts actually and reasonably incurred in connection with any proceedings arising out of their services to Agilent. In addition, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each director and each board-appointed officer of Agilent which provides for indemnification of these directors and officers under similar circumstances and under additional circumstances. The indemnification obligations are more fully described in the by-laws and the indemnification agreements. See Exhibits 3.2 and 10.7 of this document. We purchase standard insurance to cover claims or a portion of the claims made against our directors and officers. Since a maximum obligation is not explicitly stated in our by-laws or in our indemnification agreements and

 

45


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

will depend on the facts and circumstances that arise out of any future claims, the overall maximum amount of the obligations cannot be reasonably estimated. Historically, we have not made payments related to these obligations, and the fair value for these obligations is zero on the consolidated balance sheet as of October 31, 2003.

 

Other Indemnifications

 

As is customary in our industry and as provided for in local law in the U.S. and other jurisdictions, many of our standard contracts provide remedies to our customers and others with whom we enter into contracts, such as defense, settlement, or payment of judgment for intellectual property claims related to the use of our products. From time to time, we indemnify customers, as well as our suppliers, contractors, lessors, lessees, companies that purchase our businesses or assets and others with whom we enter into contracts, against combinations of loss, expense, or liability arising from various triggering events related to the sale and the use of our products and services, the use of their goods and services, the use of facilities and state of our owned facilities, the state of the assets and businesses that we sell and other matters covered by such contracts, usually up to a specified maximum amount. In addition, from time to time we also provide protection to these parties against claims related to undiscovered liabilities, additional product liability or environmental obligations. In our experience, claims made under such indemnifications are rare and the associated estimated fair value of the liability is not material.

 

Results of Continuing Operations

 

The loss from continuing operations increased for a third year to $1,790 million in 2003 from $1,022 million in 2002 and $406 million in 2001. The increase in loss from 2002 to 2003 of approximately $768 million was primarily due to our provision for income taxes for 2003 which included a $1,022 million net tax provision related to our valuation allowance charge, which was offset by a reduction of $326 million of goodwill amortization charges. The increase in loss from 2001 to 2002 of approximately $616 million related to a significant decrease in revenues as a result of the weak economy, which primarily affected our key market segments and $320 million in additional restructuring charges offset by a $386 million reduction in inventory charges in 2002.

 

In the fourth quarter of 2003, we saw signs of a market upturn in several of our business segments. The fourth quarter orders of $1,731 million represented our highest level of orders since the first quarter of 2001. Prior to the fourth quarter, orders were stagnant for the past ten quarters at a level around $1,430 million on the average. We remain cautiously optimistic about our recent growth in orders and believe that a recovery in the economy will be gradual.

 

We realigned our businesses in response to weakened economic conditions. We have achieved our goal of reducing our quarterly operating cost structure to $1.45 billion. As long as revenue amounts do not fall below $1.45 billion in the long term, we believe that we will be able to sustain operational breakeven. This goal was primarily accomplished through savings generated from our restructuring plans. We have reduced our workforce to 29,000 employees from a peak of 44,000 in April 2001. We have also consolidated excess manufacturing facilities, moved many of our global shared services to lower cost regions and have outsourced selective functions and processes. We have also reduced our indirect spending by approximately $160 million. This reduction was accomplished by decreasing the number of vendors with whom we do business in order to maximize vendor discounts and by putting in place new policies that provide stricter guidelines for handling business expenses such as travel, mobile phone services and usage, consulting covered by professional service agreements, supplies and equipment. Overall, we have decreased our operating expenses from 2002 by 19% on a dollar basis despite a $45 million increase in major information technology project costs. We are committed to maintaining this cost structure as a percentage of revenue on average throughout the business cycle. Costs incurred for the implementation of our

 

46


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) and Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) projects were $180 million in 2003 and $146 million in 2002. We believe that we will further reduce our costs once we complete our systems implementation and are able to eliminate some of the costs associated with maintaining multiple systems. We will be focusing on reducing our costs of products and services and have moved towards a more variable cost structure through the use of outsourcing partners and instituting variable pay programs for our employees. We continue to invest in our future by maintaining significant investments in research and development.

 

Orders and Net Revenue

 

     Years Ended October 31,

  

2003 over 2002

% Change


   

2002 over 2001

% Change


 
     2003

   2002

   2001

    
     (in millions)             

Orders

   $ 6,084    $ 6,013    $ 6,414    1  %   (6 )%
    

  

  

            

Net Revenue:

                                 

Products

   $ 5,240    $ 5,234    $ 7,485        (30 )%

Services and other

     816      776      911    5  %   (15 )%
    

  

  

            

Total net revenue

   $ 6,056    $ 6,010    $ 8,396    1  %   (28 )%
    

  

  

            
     Years Ended October 31,

  

2003 over 2002

Ppts Change


   

2002 over 2001

Ppts Change


 
     2003

   2002

   2001

    

% of Total Net Revenue:

                                 

Products

     87%      87%      89%        (2 )

Services and other

     13%      13%      11%        2  
    

  

  

            

Total

     100%      100%      100%         
    

  

  

            
     Years Ended October 31,

  

2003 over 2002

% Change


   

2002 over 2001

% Change


 
     2003

   2002

   2001

    
     (in millions)             

Americas

   $ 2,347    $ 2,553    $ 3,913    (8 )%   (35 )%

Europe

     1,214      1,154      1,772    5  %   (35 )%

Asia Pacific

     2,495      2,303      2,711    8  %   (15 )%
    

  

  

            

Total net revenue

   $ 6,056    $ 6,010    $ 8,396    1  %   (28 )%
    

  

  

            

 

Although we saw signs of a recovery in several of our end markets during the fourth quarter of 2003, orders in 2003 were flat compared to 2002. Quarterly orders were flat at a level of approximately $1,500 million from 2002 through the third quarter of 2003. During the fourth quarter of 2003, we saw a marked increase to $1,731 million, our best performance since the first quarter of 2001. Orders for semiconductor products, automated test, and life sciences and chemical analysis have reached their highest level since the early part of 2001. However, orders for our test and measurement business’ general purpose test and wireline test markets remain weak. Orders in 2003 have been driven by an increase in orders from cell phone manufacturers and consumer demand for components that are included in consumer electronics, such as cell phones, cameras, games, personal computers, printers and test and measurement solutions used in the design and manufacturing of consumer electronics. Orders in 2002 declined compared to 2001 primarily due to continued weakness in telecommunications markets, which primarily affected our test and measurement business, but the decline was partially offset by orders growth in our semiconductor products and life sciences and chemical analysis businesses.

 

47


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Net revenue in 2003 was flat compared to 2002. Quarterly revenues in 2003 were flat throughout the third quarter at a level of $1,450 million. Similar to the trend in orders, we saw a sizable increase in net revenue over the third quarter of 2003 during our seasonally high fourth quarter, reaching $1,675 million. Net revenues in our automated test, semiconductor products and life sciences and chemical analysis segments increased, however this growth was offset by the continued decline in the wireline telecommunications market in our test and measurement segment. Geographically, revenue increased in Europe and Asia Pacific and declined in the U.S., Canada, Latin America (collectively referred to as the “Americas”). The decrease in the Americas was primarily a result of our customers shifting their production facilities from Americas to Asia Pacific. Growth in our Asian and European markets also contributed to the revenue increase in those regions. We expect to see further growth in Asia Pacific as companies expand their capacity and as more contract manufacturers move to these lower cost regions. We also expect to see a modest improvement in the Americas as the economy in the U.S. recovers and the excess supply of used equipment is depleted. Net revenue declined in 2002 as compared to 2001 primarily due to continued weakness in key market segments, particularly wireless and wireline telecommunications, as well as pricing pressures from both customers and competitors in the face of a weak economy. Declines in the Americas and Europe were higher than in Asia Pacific in part due to our customers buying infrastructure products in Asia.

 

Services and other includes revenue generated from servicing our installed base of products, warranty extensions and consulting in all years, in addition to operating lease revenue in 2001. In 2003, service and other revenue increased slightly from 2002 as a result of customers servicing their installed base of products as opposed to purchasing new products. Continued slow markets in communications drove declines in product revenue in 2002; declines in service revenue for 2002 were driven by reduced contract renewal rates as an increasingly large portion of our customers have elected to receive service on a time-and-materials basis.

 

Costs and Expenses

 

     Years Ended
October 31,


   

2003 over 2002

Ppts Change


   

2002 over 2001

Ppts Change


As a % of Net Revenue


   2003

    2002

    2001

     

Cost of products as a percentage of product revenue

   61 %   64 %   62 %   (3 )   2

Cost of services and other as a percentage of services and other revenue

   70 %   65 %   52 %   5     13

Total costs as a percentage of total net revenue

   62 %   64 %   61 %   (2 )   3

Research and development

   17 %   21 %   16 %   (4 )   5

Selling, general and administrative

   32 %   41 %   32 %   (9 )   9

 

Cost of products and services and other as percentage of net revenue was relatively flat from 2002 to 2003. Cost of services and other as a percentage of services and other revenue increased by 5 percentage points while cost of products as a percentage of product revenue decreased slightly from 2002. The increase in cost of services and other was driven by increased materials consumption for our service and support businesses, especially in our automated test segment. Cost of products decreased on a dollar basis primarily due to net incremental restructuring savings of $310 million, and a reduction of inventory charges. This decrease was offset by unfavorable mix and volume impacts and the unfavorable currency impact due to the weakening of the U.S. dollar. We will be focusing on moving to a more variable cost structure through the use of selective outsourcing and our variable pay programs for our employees. Cost of products and services as a percentage of net revenue increased in 2002 compared to 2001, despite decreases in the actual dollar amounts of costs, due to the steep decline in revenue we experienced in 2002. Our fixed costs relating to

 

48


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

continued overcapacity increase as a percentage of net revenue with any decline in net revenue. Savings in dollar terms were primarily from reduced inventory charges of $386 million and net incremental restructuring savings of approximately $194 million.

 

Inventory charges totaled $11 million in 2003, $74 million in 2002, and $460 million in 2001. The abnormally high charges in 2001 were the result of the rapid and steep market decline that year, which caused excess inventory of then-current products and made older products obsolete. Inventory charges in 2001 spanned the vast majority of our products and particularly impacted raw materials. Inventory charges in 2002 reflected continuing weakness in some of our largest markets, particularly in the telecommunications market. We have seen a significant decline in inventory charges in 2003 compared to 2002 primarily due to our efforts to effectively manage our inventory levels.

 

Research and development expenses as a percentage of net revenue decreased by 4 percentage points as a direct result of net incremental savings from our restructuring efforts of approximately $220 million and decreased indirect spending of approximately $95 million in 2003. These savings were offset by increased costs due to the weakening of the U.S. dollar of approximately $30 million. Research and development expenses as a percentage of net revenue increased in 2002 compared to 2001 as a direct result of decreased revenue. Our research and development efforts focus on potential new products and product improvements covering a wide variety of technologies in communications, electronics, life sciences and chemical analysis, none of which is individually significant to our operations. At our central research facility, Agilent Laboratories, we conduct five types of research and development: basic research, which contributes to the fundamental understanding of areas anticipated to be important in the very long term; foundation technologies research, which enables fundamental advances across all businesses; communications research, which creates technologies to enable pervasive access to information; life sciences research, which enables new measurement solutions to facilitate the development of next-generation pharmaceuticals and molecular diagnostics; and measurement research, which provides critical advances in test and measurement electronics and systems. The research at Agilent Laboratories represents less than 10% of Agilent’s consolidated spending on research and development and is intended to be relatively high in technical risk and to be the foundation for future products over a longer time horizon, generally five to ten years out. The majority of our research and development is nearer term and occurs in Agilent’s four business segments. This research and development is aimed at improving the more than 20,000 products already in production and on new product releases. Because of the large number of new and existing products and research and development projects across all of our businesses and at Agilent Laboratories, it is difficult to quantify the impact of any specific products or projects. We are committed to bringing new products to the market and have focused our development efforts on key strategic opportunities in order to align our business with available markets and position ourselves to capture market share when the economy recovers.

 

Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenue decreased 9 percentage points in 2003 compared to 2002. Selling and general and administrative expenses declined primarily due to a decrease in goodwill amortization and impairments of $326 million. The decline was also driven in part by a decline in indirect spending of $55 million, and incremental net restructuring savings of approximately $170 million, which were partially offset by increased costs due to the weakening of the U.S. dollar. Selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of net revenue increased in 2002 compared to 2001, despite reductions in overall spending, due to the significant decline in net revenue. Overall our spending on selling, general and administrative expenses in 2002 was $250 million lower than in 2001 as a result of savings from the 2001 Plan, despite an increase of approximately $89 million in expense for our ERP and CRM systems.

 

At October 31, 2003, our headcount was 29,000 compared to 36,000 in 2002 and 41,000 in 2001. We expect to recognize additional net savings from restructuring savings throughout the first half of 2004.

 

49


Table of Contents
Index to Financial Statements

Loss from Operations

 

     Years Ended October 31,

   

2003 over 2002

Change


  

2002 over 2001

Change


     2003

    2002

    2001

      
     (in millions)           

Loss from operations

   $ (725 )   $ (1,607 )   $ (778 )   55%    (107)%

Operating (deficit) margin

     (12 )%     (27 )%     (9 )%   15 points    (18) points

 

The loss from operations in 2003 was $725 million, a decrease of approximately $882 million. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in goodwill amortization and impairments of $326 million, decreased spending on indirect expenses of approximately $160 million, decreased inventory charges of $63 million and net incremental savings from our restructuring plans.

 

Our increased loss from operations in 2002 compared to 2001 was a direct result of the decline in revenue that we experienced, as well as increases in restructuring and asset impairment charges related to restructuring. The increase of $829 million in our loss from operations in 2002 was less than 35 percent of our total revenue decline of $2,386 million.

 

Other Income (Expense), Net

 

     Years Ended October 31,

  

2003 over 2002

% Change


   

2002 over 2001

% Change


 
     2003