SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 20, 2005 - Agilent Technologies Inc. said on Thursday it agreed to acquire closely held Wavics, a Korean maker of power amplifiers for cellular telephones.

Agilent said Wavics' technology would boost Agilent's position in the market for power amplifiers, enabling customers to design smaller handsets with more features and longer talk time.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, and financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Wavics was founded in 2000 and has two locations in Korea, one in Seoul and the other in Ansan. It employs about 55 people, who will continue their employment with the company once the acquisition is completed.

Wavics' patented CoolPAM power amplifier technology cuts down battery power consumption in mobile phone handsets.

Agilent said it plans to combine this new power amplifier capability with its miniature FBAR (film bulk acoustic resonator) filters to create higher-performance cell phones that are smaller in size.

Shares of Agilent rose 19 cents to close at $22.25 on the New York Stock Exchange.