伟大的科学处于一切事物的前沿

惠普公司的历史可以追溯到 1939 年，当时比尔·休利特 (Bill Hewlett) 和戴夫·帕卡德 (Dave Packard) 在加利福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托的一个小车库里创办了惠普公司。他们的同名公司遵循了科技史上最持久的创业模板之一，其他起源于车库的公司还有苹果、亚马逊和谷歌。

六十年后，在新世纪的门槛上，惠普于 1999 年将其测试和测量部门分拆为一家新公司 — Agilent。该企业很快就打破了硅谷历史上最大规模 IPO 的记录。

Agilent 的创立时机似乎很有先见之明，因为在十年之内，第四次工业革命 (4IR) 随着物理、数字和生物世界之间的界限加速模糊，这一现象也随之出现。第四次工业革命和工业 4.0 随着嵌入式连接和无处不在的技术以翻天覆地的方式重塑社会，这些新词并不是唯一试图捕捉时代精神的新词。例如，元宇宙、物联网 (IoT) ，以及大重置 也旨在用语言描述自动化和数据如何结合在一起支撑人类经验的几乎每个方面。

Agilent 在将第四次红外技术融入化学、物理、材料科学（包括纳米技术）等多个领域方面处于领先地位。他们的原子力显微镜 (AFM) 在人工智能数据分析工具的支持下，可以让科学家了解纳米级材料的特性。这意味着这些设备现在可以以前所未有的精度扫描表面，提供以前隐藏的见解，帮助发明家预测材料在分子水平上的行为。这可以为从半导体到可再生能源技术等所有领域带来新材料。

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.