Constant Innovation Key to Performance

The analytical instrument business in the late 1990's could be compared with the dynamics of the semiconductor industry, where Moore's Law dictates that increases in chip density bring increased speed and capabilities every 18 months. These were the observations of Allen J. Lauer, Varian Associates, Inc. (3050 Hansen Way, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1000; Tel: 800/544-4636 or 650/493-4000), executive vice president and head of its Instruments business, in recent remarks to securities analysts. (Gordon E. Moore, originator of Moore's Law, is a founder and chairperson emeritus of Intel Corp. He recently retired from the board of directors of Varian after serving for 15 years.) Varian is a …