Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies Inc. (formerly known as Agilent Electronics) is the world’s leading test and measurement company headquartered in Santa Rosa, California. It delivers cutting-edge electronic measurement solutions, systems, software and services to accelerate innovations in the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets. It has 12,600 employees in locations across Asia, Europe and the United States, servicing customers in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Keysight started investing in Malaysia in 1972 with its first operations in the heart of Georgetown, Penang with 60employees. A year later, its numbers of employees grew 15-fold and the company relocated to the Bayan Lepas Free Trade Zone. Keysight was one of the “Eight Samurais”, the pioneer group of multi-national companies that established Penang’s “Silicon Valley”. To succeed in those early days, Keysight required efficient public infrastructure and administrative processes as well as a robust supply base to support the fast pace of business. In the provision of this early “ease-of-doing-business” environment, MIDA stood out as a significant enabler. In addition, MIDA played a pivotal role in establishing international joint-ventures and partnerships that contributed towards the development of a strong local supply base for Keysight to tap on.

Keysight’s operations in Malaysia transformed rapidly over the years, not only in size and scale, but also in value, expertise and influence as the portfolio of solutions developed and manufactured in Penang grew in sophistication.

Today, it occupies a 42-acre site in Penang’s Free Industrial Zone, with a 1.2 million square-foot state-of-the-art facility. It is one of the core sites for Keysight worldwide, with operations spanning business management, sales, support, marketing, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), supply chain and global infrastructure services. It has a 2,500-strong workforce comprised entirely of Malaysian talents – 90 percent of whom are high-level professionals.

As a high-technology and high-value added operations, Keysight will continue to thrive in Malaysia. The nation’s healthy business ecosystem that is fueled by a wide and diverse talent pool, will drive Keysight’s future growth as the company forges ahead to accelerate breakthrough technologies that will connect and secure the world.