Hewlett-Packard Agrees to Acquire EEsof Inc.

Electronics giant Hewlett-Packard Co. has agreed to acquire a Westlake Village company that develops computer-aided engineering software.

Terms of the agreement with EEsof Inc. were not disclosed.

EEsof, with more than $20 million in annual sales, designs systems used for cellular telephones, wireless computer networks, collision-avoidance radar, defense electronics and satellite communications links.

Hewlett-Packard said the acquisition would give it additional expertise and resources in the rapidly growing communications market.

EEsof has about 170 employees. After the acquisition EEsof will merge with Hewlett-Packard’s high-frequency design software operation. EEsof will remain in Westlake Village and will be renamed Hewlett-Packard EEsof.

After completion of the transaction, which is subject to government approval, EEsof executive vice president and co-founder William H. Childs is expected to remain with the company. EEsof president and chief executive, Charles J. Abronson, who co-founded the firm, will leave but will act as a consultant to Hewlett-Packard for a time.

Palo Alto-based Hewlett-Packard, with $16.4 billion in annual revenue, manufactures measurement and computation products and systems used in industry, engineering, science and education.