La grande science à l’avant-garde de… tout

Tout commence en 1939 lorsque Bill Hewlett et Dave Packard créent HP dans un petit garage à Palo Alto, en Californie. Leur entreprise éponyme suit ce qui est aujourd'hui l'un des modèles entrepreneuriaux les plus durables de l'histoire de la technologie, comme d'autres entreprises qui ont vu le jour modestement dans les garages, notamment Apple, Amazon et Google.

Soixante ans plus tard, au seuil d'un nouveau siècle, HP a séparé ses divisions de test et de mesure en 1999 sous la forme d'une nouvelle société : Agilent. En peu de temps, l'entreprise bat des records en devenant la plus grande introduction en bourse de l'histoire de la Silicon Valley.

Le moment de la création d'Agilent semble prémonitoire car en l'espace d'une décennie, la Quatrième révolution industrielle (4IR) arrive avec un brouillage accéléré des frontières entre les mondes physique, numérique et biologique. 4IR et Industrie 4.0 ne sont pas les seuls néologismes qui tentent de saisir l'esprit du temps, alors que la connectivité intégrée et les technologies omniprésentes remodèlent la société de manière sismique. Par exemple, le métavers, l'Internet des objets (IoT), et la Grande réinitialisation visent également à mettre en mots la manière dont l’automatisation et les données se combinent pour soutenir presque tous les aspects de l’expérience humaine.

Agilent s'avère être un leader précoce dans l'intégration des technologies 4IR dans de nombreux domaines, de la chimie et de la physique à la science des matériaux, en passant par la nanotechnologie. Leurs microscopes à force atomique (AFM), lorsqu'ils sont alimentés par des outils d'analyse de données d'IA, donnent aux scientifiques un aperçu des propriétés des matériaux à l'échelle nanométrique. Cela signifie que les appareils peuvent désormais scanner des surfaces avec une précision sans précédent, offrant des informations jusqu'alors cachées pour aider les inventeurs à prédire le comportement des matériaux au niveau moléculaire. Cela peut conduire à de nouveaux matériaux pour tout, des semi-conducteurs aux technologies d’énergie renouvelable.

Agilent quickly became a trailblazer in integrating 4IR technologies into fields like chemistry, physics, and material science. For example, their Atomic Force Microscopes (AFMs), powered by AI-driven data analysis, allow scientists to examine materials at the nanoscale with unprecedented precision. These insights help predict material behavior, paving the way for breakthroughs in semiconductors, renewable energy, and more.

Agilent’s impact extends far beyond materials science. Their 228 life science solutions, from A-Line liquid chromatography fittings to ZORBAX columns, support critical research in patient diagnostics, food safety, and environmental testing. Their technologies have played a pivotal role in decoding the human genome, contributing to the Human Genome Project using microarrays and targeted sequencing tools that enable personalized medicine.

Agilent’s technologies address some of the world’s most pressing issues. Their Gas Chromatograph systems with Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) help monitor air pollution in cities like Beijing and Shanghai, leading to significant reductions in harmful emissions. In rural India, GC-MS systems enhance pesticide detection in drinking water by 40%, while communities along Germany’s Rhine River experience a 50% reduction in pesticide residues.

Food safety is another critical area where Agilent excels. Their Liquid Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS) solutions detect pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli with greater speed and sensitivity, enabling faster recalls and reducing the incidence of foodborne illnesses.

Agilent’s commitment to sustainability is equally impressive. The company has committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, aligning with the Paris Agreement and the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

Behind Agilent’s groundbreaking technologies is a massive universe of data, managed seamlessly with the help of NetApp and intelligent data infrastructure. Rich Wong, Agilent’s Data Management Architect, explains, “Our engineers produce a lot of data. My team serves that data quickly and securely. It’s all about helping our R&D teams do their jobs more efficiently.”

NetApp^® FlexCache^® technology enables Agilent’s global teams to collaborate on a unified data repository, reducing latency and bandwidth costs. Their hybrid cloud model allows seamless workload placement across public clouds, including AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure, offering flexibility and efficiency.

NetApp ONTAP^® operating system simplifies data management, while NetApp Console provides a single control plane for Agilent’s multicloud data estate. “We chose NetApp because of operational simplicity,” says Wong. “My team can manage everything from a single console without logging into multiple systems.”

NetApp ONTAP advanced features fortify Agilent’s data security strategy:

1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Confirms only authorized users access data, adding a critical layer of defense.
2. Multi-Admin Verification (MAV): Requires higher-level admin approval for major changes, preventing accidental or malicious data alterations.
3. Autonomous Ransomware Protection (ARP): AI-powered detection at the storage layer identifies and mitigates threats before they cause damage, enabling quick recovery in case of an attack.

NetApp Data Infrastructure Insights further enhances Agilent’s security with real-time visibility across their hybrid cloud. The Storage Workload Security feature tracks user activity to simplify compliance reporting and enables faster detection of patterns and anomalies that could signal a threat.

“NetApp helps us identify potential threats and take action automatically,” says Wong. “From a security perspective, having the least access to the most data is key.”

Agilent’s partnership with NetApp goes beyond a typical vendor relationship. “We work hand in hand, exchanging ideas and strategies,” says Wong. This collaboration ensures Agilent’s data infrastructure delivers the stability, uptime, and security needed to support their mission of improving lives through science.

With NetApp’s Six Nines Data Availability Guarantee (99.9999% uptime) and Ransomware Recovery Guarantee, Agilent’s data is always available, secure, and ready to power the next breakthrough.

Agilent’s promise of Trusted Answers is built on a foundation of innovation, sustainability, and a commitment to improving the quality of life for people everywhere. Together with NetApp, they’re advancing great science at the forefront of everything.