Calibration equipment, calibration instrument news, calibration products and test and measurement equipment news from eCalibration.com

Tektronix, Inc. reported net sales of $206.3 million and net earnings from continuing operations, before non-recurring items, of $13.5 million or $0.15 per share, for the first quarter ending August 31, 2002. This compares with net sales of $216.6 million and net earnings from continuing operations, before non-recurring items, of $12.5 million or $0.13 per share, for the same period last year. Including non-recurring items, net income from continuing operations for the first quarter of fiscal year 2003 was $19.8 million or $0.22 per share, as compared with $7.3 million or $0.08 per share, for the same period a year ago.

"Our performance for the quarter was exceptional given the current environment," said Rick Wills, Tektronix Chairman and CEO. "This was largely due to strong demand for the new products we introduced over the last few quarters, an extra week in the quarter to accommodate our fiscal calendar, and continued attention to expense management by our employees around the world."

"Our investment in research and development and our drive to bring new products to market over the last eighteen months enabled us to strengthen our competitive position. Armed with new products in every class of oscilloscope and the fastest logic analyzer, we saw particular strength in demand for our core instruments products," said Wills.

Wills continued, "Looking forward, we continue to prepare for the closing of the Sony/Tektronix acquisition next quarter, a long-term strategic investment announced last year which will give us stronger access to the Japanese market and enable us to leverage engineering resources."

For the second quarter of fiscal 2003, the company expects sales to be down approximately 5% compared to the same period a year ago. Operating margins are expected to be in the mid-single digits, excluding non-recurring items. The company expects non-recurring costs in the second quarter of around $10 million. In addition, the acquisition of Sony/Tektronix will add $5 million - $10 million in sales and result in $.02 - $.04 per share dilution in earnings in the next quarter.

"Although we performed well, our overall markets continue to be soft, with particular weakness in telecommunications, primarily in the optical segment. We have continued to execute well in a very steep downturn, and are positioning the company to emerge stronger by developing industry-leading products, and we remain committed to delivering value to our shareholders," concluded Wills.

The European Organisation for Conformity Assessment (EOTC) is an independent and non-profit making European body whose vision is to contribute towards the achievement of the Single Market within the European Market and contribute towards the world-wide elimination of technical barriers to trade.

The ConformityAssessment.org web-portal has just launched a new category dedicated to the topic of calibration. This new category currently features over 160 websites and 50.000 web-pages dealing specifically with calibration. This is a unique collection of calibration related information that cannot be found anywhere else on the Internet. Calibration can be defined as the set of operations that establish, under specified conditions, the relationship between values of quantities indicated by a measuring instrument or measuring system, or values represented by a material measure or a reference material, and the corresponding values realised by standards.

The European Organisation for Conformity Assessment (EOTC) would like to take this opportunity to invite you to verify your website's entry and if your Calibration related website is not yet listed in the web-portal, you may submit your website through the following link: www.conformityassessment.org/directory/addsite.

"GIDEP in the Workplace" November 5 - 7, 2002 NSWC Corona Division - Norco, CA

Clinics are typically designed with the new GIDEP Representative in mind to learn about the program and how to set up GIDEP at their company/organization. The Clinic may also be beneficial for established GIDEP members to touch base with new and upcoming program initiatives. GIDEP Clinics are held annually here in Corona, CA during the month of November. Attendance is open to registered GIDEP participating companies/agencies. If you are employed by a GIDEP participating company/agency and are interested in attending the Clinic, contact the GIDEP Help Desk for Representative information. Additonal details and Clinic registration are available to registered individuals. The GIDEP Clinic gives the opportunity for registered participants to cover the following:
· "Tips" on conducting GIDEP at their company/organization
· GIDEP Products and Services
· Submitting Data
· Hands-on training w/helpful instructors
· Search techniques for accessing GIDEP data
· Networking with other GIDEP participants
· Meet the GIDEP Program Management, Data Management Team and staff
· Spend some time in sunny, southern California

The 2003 IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology (IMTC) Conference is scheduled for May 20-22, 2003 in Vail, Colorado. This is an annual conference focusing on all technologies, methodologies, and applications in the area of instrumentation and measurement. On the IMTC web site the organizers will post all information about the call for papers, the author's kit, the technical program, the social program, the registration forms, the hotel reservation, and much more. The week before IMTC, some workshops will be organized on specific advanced topics in the instrumentation and measurement areas. Information about these additional events will be published soon.
Visit http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/im/imtc/imtcup/index.html for more details.

For further information contact either the organizers or Robert Myers, IMTC Conference Coordinator, 799 N. Beverly Glen, Los Angeles, CA 90077, USA, Phone: +1-310-446-8280, Fax: +1-310-446-8390, E-mail: bob.myers@ieee.org.

Hexagon Metrology, a business unit within the Hexagon Group, has signed an agreement for the acquisition of the Brazilian metrology distributor and agent Quality Ltda (earlier Quality Technology Ltda). The company currently provides on an agency basis metrology machines and services from Hexagon Metrology and employs some 35 people. The acquisition, which is subject to customary closing conditions, will be made through a newly formed Hexagon company in Brazil.

Quality has acted as a distributor and agent in Brazil for Hexagon Metrology's Italian company DEA since 1999. During this period of time, the company has established a position as the major distributor of metrology machines and services to the Brazilian industry, with a particularly strong position towards the vehicle manufacturers.

The acquisition of Quality is an important step in the strengthening of the Hexagon Metrology's local presence in South America, both regarding sales of new machines as well as the very interesting aftermarket business. The acquisition is expected to contribute to Hexagon's earnings as from closing of the acquisition and consolidation of the company into the Hexagon Group, which is expected to take place on October 1, 2002.

Sypris Contract With the FAA Renewed; Five-Year Contract Valued At $20 Million

Sypris Solutions, Inc. announced that its subsidiary, Sypris Test & Measurement, has been awarded a new five-year contract valued at $20 million to provide both on-site and off-site calibration services to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Work under the contract will commence October 1, 2002. This contract covers Government-owned test, measurement and diagnostic equipment used in maintaining the nation's flight control radar systems at over 400 airports in the United States, the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The calibration services will be provided through the Company's advanced fleet of ISO certified, self-contained mobile calibration laboratories.

Commenting on the announcement, Jeffrey T. Gill, president and chief executive officer of Sypris Solutions, said, "We are pleased to extend our long-term relationship with the FAA for these critical services. Our strategic goal of providing more technology-based outsourced services to both government and corporate entities demands the attention to detail in planning and execution that a contract of this type entails."

H. L. Singer, president and chief executive officer of Sypris Test & Measurement, commented, "We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this contract. Sypris has a long and successful working relationship with the FAA, and we are proud to have been selected to assist them with this important aspect of maintaining the ongoing flight operations of the nation's air traffic system. The FAA sets a high standard for supplier performance, and this award exemplifies its trust in Sypris to consistently provide calibration services necessary to ensure the smooth and safe operation of the nation's airways."

Sypris Solutions is a diversified provider of technology-based outsourced services and specialty products. The Company performs a wide range of manufacturing and technical services, typically under multi-year, sole-source contracts with major corporations and government agencies in the markets for aerospace and defense electronics, truck components and assemblies, and for users of test and measurement equipment.

NCSL 2003 Conference Theme: The Spectrum of Metrology: From the State-of-the-Art to the Everyday

The 2003 Conference is intended to provide a forum for those involved across the entire spectrum of metrology and will provide a unique opportunity to network with other measurement professionals. Please join us in Tampa, Florida August 17-21, 2003 prepared to learn, to teach and to develop new professional relationships with your fellow metrologist.

As Metrologists, Scientists, and Engineers, we can lose site of where metrology often takes place. When many of us hear the word metrology, we think of the lab-coat-adorned scientist working in a state-of-the-art laboratory, performing what we sometimes call "black art" and attempting to measure what has never been measured. While this is metrology, we must remember that "the science of measurement" takes place at many levels and takes many forms. For example, a technician calibrating a scale in a warehouse, a specially designed in-process gage used to control a machining line, or the analysis of wastewater to ensure that we are not impacting the environment - all of these involve the science of measurement. The spectrum of metrology is very broad and encompasses a range of sciences, techniques, tools and levels of accuracy. One does not need to measure microinches or at the parts-per-million level to perform metrology. In many instances, metrology that touches our everyday lives is the metrology that makes the final decision as to whether the product meets our requirements. At the end of the day, metrology covers a continuum of measurements performed from the highest-level laboratories to the gasoline pump, and each level presents unique challenges and rewards.

If you are interested in volunteering for the 2003 Workshop & Symposium, please contact the Conference Director, Bill Wightman, at (407) 333-9288.

NIST's noise metrology project has completed the testing of the 1 to 4 gigahertz portion of its coaxial radiometer and has reopened the noise-temperature measurement service for that frequency band. This marks the completion of a multiyear effort to restore and extend noise-temperature measurement services for co-axial and waveguide noise sources. It means that noise temperatures of noise sources now can be measured at virtually any frequency from 1 to 65 gigahertz, as well as at two low-frequency points at 30 and 60 megahertz. Customers for the service include the military, manufacturers of noise sources and manufacturers of amplifiers who need to measure the noise performance of their products.

With the expanded service, noise sources with common coaxial connectors can be measured up to 40 gigahertz, and waveguide noise sources can be measured from 8.2 to 65 gigahertz, with the exception of the 26.01 to 26.5 gigahertz range of the WR-42 band. Noise sources with noise temperatures from about 50 to 15,000 Kelvin and reflection co-efficients up to 0.2 can be measured. The typical expanded uncertainty in the measurements ranges from about 0.9 to about 1.8 percent, depending on frequency and connector type, for noise sources with noise temperatures from 1,000 to about 12,000 Kelvin and a reflection coefficient of less than about 0.1.

For more information about this service, contact Jim Randa, (303) 497-3150, randa@boulder.nist.gov.

Integrated Service Solutions, Inc. Announces Opening of New In-House Metrology Lab

Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of calibration, validation, engineering, and preventive/correctve maintenance service solutions to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry announced the completion of its in-house Metrology Lab.

The addition of the Metrology Lab enables Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., to deliver unparalleled service, fast turnaround and complete documentation trails while never losing focus on its reputation of delivering world class customer satisfaction.

"The Metrology Lab was a logical expansion of our business," explained Integrated Service Solutions' President Joseph Uricchio. "Our customers have come to associate our technical expertise and services with renowned customer care. This same loyal customer base has increasingly made it known that they were looking to us to provide a cost-effective alternative to calibration outsourcing."

The proven technical expertise of Vice President of Technology, Joseph Morwald and Metrology Lab Manager, Mike Salton serves the company well. Morwald was the driving technology force behind the addition of the Metrology Lab for Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., of which he is cofounder. Morwald is a strong technical asset with more than 14 years of service experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device industries. He is a recognized industry expert in sterilization, calibration and metrology services aas well as high purity water and steam systems.

"With the addition of the Metrology lab, our loyal customer base and strong infrastructure, we are better able to serve our customers," said Uricchio. "The facility is state of the art and will allow us to service the needs of our customers with speed and accuracy. Everyone at Integrated Service Solutions shares a common goal of delivering the highest quality service possible. The addition of the Metrology Lab makes this even more evident."

For more information regarding Integrated Service Solution, Inc. please contact Catherine Peetros at c.peetros@integratedservicesolutions.com.

Acculab Measurement Standards, Inc. is pleased to announce that during the months of August and September they will be enhancing their quality system through the integration of a new metrology database.

This web based query tool will allow ACCULAB customers the convenience of immediate access to their calibration system records and data over the internet using a browser. Utilizing a password and PIN number ACCULAB customers will soon be able to review their complete equipment database, query and view an assortment of reports (i.e., "Due for Calibration" report, "Past Due" report, "Calibration Results" report, "Out of Tolerance" report, etc.) Also, the capability to view/print certificates of calibration right from the customer's browser is possible.

This calibration service enhancement is being made available at no additional cost and should prove to be of immense benefit in the quality and compliance programs of ACCULAB's customers. Please contact Acculab Measurement Standards, Inc. at www.acculabcal.com for more information.

Fluke Corporation, the global leader in Electronic Test Tools, announced it has acquired through its parent corporation, Danaher, Santa Cruz, California-based Raytek Corporation, the leader in noncontact infrared (IR) temperature measurement instrumentation.

"Fluke Corporation and Raytek share many similarities including market leadership, strong brand preference, talented engineering staffs and a reputation for quality and reliability," noted Jim Lico, president of Fluke. "Fluke has been selling infrared products manufactured by Raytek for several years, so we know firsthand the high quality and workmanship that goes into their products."

Founded in 1963, Raytek designs, manufactures, markets and services a complete line of infrared noncontact temperature measurement instruments used by industrial, process control and maintenance professionals. Infrared thermometry is used for quality assurance and troubleshooting. It offers many advantages over contact thermometry by providing accurate measurements of: moving targets; hazardous or inaccessible objects (high-voltage parts, objects at a distance); and high temperatures (greater than 1300 degrees C). Infrared thermometry measurements can be made without risk of contamination and mechanical effect on the object being measured.

Raytek, whose products are sold in over 60 countries around the world, had revenues in excess of $50 million in 2001. Raytek's worldwide headquarters is in Santa Cruz, CA, European headquarters in Berlin, Germany, South American headquarters in Sorocaba, Brazil, and Central American headquarters in Puebla, Mexico. Raytek has also established strategic business units in the United Kingdom, Japan, China and France. Fluke will retain the Raytek brand name as well as its locations and staff around the world. There are no immediate plans to change the company's sales structure. Raytek's current President, Cliff Warren, will report directly to Lico.

"Raytek has worked to increase the reliability of infrared sensor technology and reduce size and cost since its founding," said Warren. "This has allowed us to become the market leader in temperature measurement tools for use in industrial and research applications. By joining the Fluke Corporation we have access to tremendous resources that will benefit our customers. This includes Fluke's world-class engineering, manufacturing and marketing expertise. We share a similar mission in striving to develop instruments which improve the productivity, reliability and efficiency of our customer's processes. Our product line integrates nicely with Fluke."

"We believe that with the combined technical and manufacturing capabilities of these companies, Fluke will have the strongest handheld measurement and diagnostic product line in the world," noted Lico. "We plan to build on the strengths they've created in temperature measurement technology. The combination of Fluke and Raytek will increase our ability to reach and serve global customers through superior selling, support and distribution capabilities."

The International Dimensional Workshop 2003 (IDW2003) will run from May 12th to the 16th of 2003 and will be held at the Nashville Marriott Hotel near the Nashville Airport.

The workshop will kick off on Monday the 12th with training sessions and a National Requirements Day for Dimensional Metrology sponsored by the NSWC Corona Measurement Science and Technology Laboratory, the Oak Ridge Metrology Center and the NCSL International. Representatives from the DOD metrology organizations will make presentations to the Industry Representatives present. A forum and one on one sessions with the DOD representatives are also planned.

The IDW itself will kick off on Tuesday the 13th with a keynote speech by Dr. Robert Hocken from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte who will present the theme of the workshop: The Uncertainty of Measurement Uncertainty.

16 Speakers, 50 Exhibitors will present the latest in technology and services available to the Dimensional Metrology community. The workshop will finish on Thursday and Friday with a 2 day Gage Block Seminar being taught by Dr. Ted Doiron of NIST.

If you would like to be considered to present a paper at IDW2003 please contact Ed Pritchard.

There will be 50 exhibit spaces available for $700 each. The 2002 exhibitors will have right of first refusal and then the spaces will be opened on first come first served basis. The exhibit spaces will be 8 X 10 feet and will include 20 amps of power, a skirted table and 2 chairs. There will be draping behind and between booth spaces and each booth will have with your company name on the back of the booth. Payment will be due January 1st, 2003, but you need to make your reservations early to insure your exhibit space at next year's workshop.

Details and additional information may be obtained from the Workshop Director, Ed Pritchard at the e-mail or phone number below. Phone: 865-574-4261, Fax: 865-574-2802 E-mail: pritchardew@y12.doe.gov

Electro Rent Corporation announced that net income for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2002 was $13.1 million, or $0.53 per diluted share. For fiscal 2001, net income was $30.7 million, or $1.24 per diluted share. Revenue for fiscal 2002 declined to $147.9 million from $211.2 million for the prior year.

For the three months ended May 31, 2002, net income was $4.1 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, on revenue of $33.8 million. At year end, Electro Rent re-evaluated its accrued liability for income taxes, and reduced income tax expense by approximately $2.0 million, or about $0.08 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2001, net income was $5.6 million, or $0.23 per diluted share, on revenue of $48.6 million.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Daniel Greenberg said, "We did what we needed to do during the year to sustain our competitive position, and protect the resources necessary to keep our options open for the future, and maintain profitability during the most difficult year for the business in Electro Rent's 35-year history.

"We reduced employee count to approximately 425 people, down 29% from where it stood at the end of fiscal 2001. We brought SG&A expense down each quarter, so that by the fourth quarter SG&A was $11.0 million compared to $15.4 million for the fourth quarter of the prior year. We made the painful reductions in personnel that were required to run our business with the reduced revenue we were forced to live with, without harming our core competencies.

"We also dramatically reduced our purchases of both test and measurement and data processing equipment during fiscal 2002 to just $39 million from $86.8 million for fiscal 2001, and continued to dispose of excess equipment, as we worked to bring our equipment pool into better alignment with the reduced pace of activity.

"These greatly reduced equipment purchases and continued equipment sales, together with the cash flow provided by the company's net income and a reduction in accounts receivable, contributed to a dramatic increase in our cash position, which nearly doubled to $115.6 million at May 31, 2002 from $61.1 million at May 31, 2001. Cash has increased further since then, and now represents almost half of our total assets. We have no funded debt. Electro Rent's financial strength gives us tremendous flexibility to reinvest in the business, or to repurchase the company's shares." Greenberg noted that the company currently is authorized to repurchase up to 1,181,000 shares of its common stock in open market or private transactions.

The book value of Electro Rent's equipment pool was $119.7 million at May 31, 2002 compared to $167.5 million at May 31, 2001. Electro Rent Corporation (www.ElectroRent.com) is one of the largest nationwide organizations devoted to the short-term rental and leasing of personal computers, workstations and general purpose electronic test equipment.

FDA Unveils New Initiative To Enhance Pharmaceutical Good Manufacturing Practices

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on August 21, 2002 that it is undertaking a significant new initiative to enhance the regulation of pharmaceutical manufacturing and product quality and to bring a 21st century focus to this FDA responsibility.

The initiative focuses on FDA's current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) program and will cover veterinary and human drugs, including human biological drug products such as vaccines.

"Americans expect that their medicines will be of the highest quality, and assuring that quality is one of FDA's core missions," said FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Lester M. Crawford. "FDA's regulatory and quality control systems for pharmaceutical products have become a gold standard for the world, and we Americans should be proud that the quality of the medicines we have available to us and our animals is second to none. Any system can be improved upon, however, and with this risk-based, highly integrative cGMP initiative we intend to do just that. We know we can make even a very good system better. Publicizing today this blueprint for action is just the first step."

This initiative is designed to improve public health promotion and protection by focusing on three major goals that will augment FDA's pharmaceutical product quality assurance programs across the board.
The first goal will be to enhance the focus of the agency's cGMP requirements more squarely on potential risks to public health, by providing additional regulatory attention and agency resources on those aspects of manufacturing that pose the greatest potential risk.
The second goal will be to help ensure that FDA's essential work in establishing and enforcing pharmaceutical product quality standards does not impede innovation and the introduction of new manufacturing technologies in the pharmaceutical industry.
The third goal will be enhancing the consistency and predictability of FDA's approach to assuring production quality and safety among the FDA's centers and field components.

FDA cannot accomplish these goals alone. Given the global nature of pharmaceutical production today, FDA fully intends to undertake this initiative in close concert and consultation with its regulatory counterparts internationally. In addition, the success of this initiative is strongly dependent on active participation and input from manufacturing quality control experts from industry, academia, government, and consumer groups, and FDA will be actively soliciting such participation as the initiative progresses.

More than 40 years ago, Congress instructed FDA to require that all drugs be produced according to current good manufacturing practice. This requirement came in response to significant concerns about substandard drug manufacturing practices at that time, and it brought modern quality assurance and control principles to drug manufacturing. In announcing this cGMP initiative, Dr. Crawford emphasized that it will be overseen by a steering committee that includes representatives from all the affected FDA centers: the Office of Regulatory Affairs, the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the Center for Veterinary Medicine, and the Office of the Commissioner. He noted in addition that this task will be driven by the latest science and technology and will strengthen the public health protection achieved by FDA's regulation of pharmaceutical manufacturing. He added that FDA remains committed to strong enforcement of the existing regulatory requirements, even as we are examining and revising our approach to these programs. He also pointed out that this work may take time - potentially up to two years, or more, for certain aspects of this initiative.
For more information go to http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2002/NEW00829.html.

Integrated Service Solutions, Inc. Purchases Calibration Competitor ATS

Integrated Service Solutions™, Inc., a service solutions provider to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry announced the completion of its acquisition of the assets of Apical Technical Services, Inc., Warrington, Pennsylvania.

In announcing the acquisition of the business and assets, Joseph Uricchio, President of Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., said, "The purchase is a major step in the expansion of our business. We are very pleased to have the resources of Apical Technical Services, Inc., become part of our organization, and we are very enthusiastic about the contributions ATS will make to our vision of providing high-quality service at industry-leading prices. There are numerous market opportunities that surround this acquisition and we look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship."

The move signals Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., strategy for growth. Combined, the inherent synergies between these two businesses allow Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., to add strong resources to its calibration capabilities and validation services.

Reese Barnum, former owner and president of ATS, will join Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., and assume the responsibilities of Technical Director, Field Calibration Services. Reese, a navy veteran, brings more than 25 years of field calibration and management experience in the pharmaceutical sector. His background also includes assignments overseas with the U.S. Government as a service calibration technician.

For more information regarding Integrated Service Solutions, Inc., please contact Catherine Peetros, Director of Marketing & Communications at 610-287-3433 or E-mail: c.peetros@integratedservicesolutions.com

Troemner Introduces Temperature Calibration Services

Troemner is pleased to announce that its new temperature calibration laboratory is now operational. It is Troemner's focus to provide the highest level of temperature calibration services utilizing the latest equipment and training from ASL/ISOTECH. Primary, fixed-point calibrations, secondary, comparison calibration services and systems calibration services are available. Application has been made for NIST/NVLAP certification.

Since 1838, Troemner has provided specialty weights and calibration services. Today we are one of the world's largest manufacturers of precision weights and a leading supplier of calibration/certification services - weight, pipette, thermal mass flow and now temperature. We seek the highest levels of accreditation, including ISO/IEC 17025 and NIST/NVLAP, for all our calibration disciplines.

For additional information regarding Troemner products and their calibration/certification services please contact www.troemner.com.

Agilent Technologies Reports Third Quarter Results Below Expectations

Agilent Technologies Inc. reported orders of $1.46 billion and revenue of $1.39 billion for the quarter ended July 31, 2002. On an operating earnings-before-goodwill (EBG) basis, the company lost $143 million, or $0.31 per share. This compares with prior company expectations of an EBG loss of $0.10 to $0.20 per share on revenues of $1.50 to $1.60 billion. After $95 million of non-cash goodwill and amortization charges and $78 million of restructuring expenses, the net third quarter loss was $228 million, or $0.49 per share.

"During the quarter, Agilent 'went live' with our new company-wide ERP system, which covers over 50 percent of Agilent's volume and virtually all of our financial processes," said Agilent President and Chief Executive Officer Ned Barnholt. "The disruptions associated with that new system have been more extensive than we expected.

"The good news is that, at this point, we believe the ERP implementation is stable, and we are confident we can meet anticipated customer requirements. Unfortunately, during the quarter we lost roughly a week's worth of normal production because of unexpected difficulties ramping the system, or roughly $105 million in revenues and $70 million in operating profits. Excluding this estimated impact, Agilent's third quarter EBG loss would have been about $0.22 per share on revenues of about $1.50 billion." Barnholt noted that total net orders were 10 percent above one year ago despite the ERP-related difficulties and, after adjusting for that impact, were about flat with second quarter levels. Order cancellations were stable again in the third quarter at about $90 million and well below last year's $240 million. Balance sheet improvements also continued in the third quarter, with $90 million generated from lower working capital requirements. Capital spending, at $58 million, was down more than $200 million from last year.

"Operationally, we continue to drive toward profitability, and we are confident we will achieve the previously announced $1.2 billion in annualized savings from our restructuring programs by year-end," said Barnholt. "However, continued year-over-year growth in three of our businesses -- Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis, Semiconductor Test, and Semiconductor Products -- has been largely offset by continued declines in our businesses serving the wireline telecom markets. In every business, pricing pressures remain intense, impacting realized cost savings.

"Today, Agilent's quarterly cost structure is about $1.65 billion. We have plans to reduce costs by another $50 million per quarter by further reducing costs in those businesses most impacted by weak telecom markets, and by realizing savings from our ongoing IT systems investments. We will continue to make the new product investments that have been our growth engine for many years."

New NIST Reference Material Benefits Users of Raman Spectroscopy

The capability to identify chemical substances easily and accurately at a crime scene or other location outside a laboratory, without handling the material or opening containers, would be a boon for many in science. A new NIST standard that reduces calibration costs as much as 20-fold represents a major step toward making such a tool practical.

A small piece of chromium-doped glass, Standard Reference Material (SRM) 2241 will enable users to calibrate the output of Raman spectrometers, long used in basic research and now drawing broader interest as components get cheaper. Raman spectroscopy reveals the chemical composition of a sample by illuminating it with a laser and then identifying color changes in a very small amount of the scattered light. The technique is simple enough to use in the field, and unlike some competing methods, can be used to measure samples through transparent containers.

Currently, full calibration of these instruments is so expensive that many Raman spectrometer users skip it and, therefore, may get inaccurate results. Intensity calibration equipment costs as much as $10,000; a NIST calibration costs about $2,000 and needs to be redone regularly. By contrast, the new SRM costs about $500 and can be used repeatedly.

Intended for use with red lasers (operating at 785 nanometers), SRM 2241 is the first in a series of four glasses that NIST plans to make for Raman spectrometers. These future SRMs will be designed for use with blue, green and near-infrared laser excitation, all of which are commonly used in research and industrial applications.

For technical information, contact Steven Choquette, (301) 975-3096, steven.choquette@nist.gov. For details on SRM 2241, including ordering, call (301) 975-6776 or send an e-mail to srminfo@nist.gov.