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Our History

In 1976, three talented entrepreneurs seeded the Measurement Revolution by launching a little-known startup named National Instruments. Throughout its history, NI has defined that revolution -- the dynamic development of computer-based and networked measurement and automation products -- for its industry.

How did an organization that began in Dr. James Truchard's garage, Jeff Kodosky's kitchen, and Bill Nowlin's den become a multimillion-dollar, multinational story of corporate success employing thousands? By ceaselessly emphasizing the guiding principles of total customer satisfaction, continuous improvement, and extensive innovation. By vigorously stressing the strategic importance of growth and profitability, market definition and leadership, and excellence in hiring and employee retention. These values that initially motivated the ambitions of a trio of enthusiastic engineers now motivate a dedicated, global, professional community to excel.

2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s

2000s

2006
  • NI announces CompactDAQ, a small, simple and affordable system that combines the ease of use and low cost of a data logger with the performance and flexibility of modular instrumentation.
  • NI celebrates 30 years as a company, and 20 years of LabVIEW innovation.
  • NI releases Measurement Studio 8, which gives engineers the power to create Web pages for remote monitoring and control of their test and control applications.
2005
  • NI enters the high-speed product market with its release of the USB-9233 and four other 9x family modules and NI-DAQmx 7.5.
  • NI announces the release of the PCIe-6251 and PCIe-6259, the industry's first data acquisition devices to offer the new, high performance, PCI Express bus.
  • LabVIEW 8 is released, featuring a new project-based environment for developing and managing large-scale applications as well as the latest in Express technology for simplified instrument control.
2004
  • NI announces LabVIEW 7.1, a significant upgrade that offers more capabilities than any previous .1 LabVIEW release and marks the most significant upgrade of the LabVIEW Real-Time Module
  • NI announces CompactRIO, an ultrahigh-performance embedded control and acquisition platform powered by reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology
  • NI expands its data acquisition (DAQ) product line with a new generation of multifunction DAQ products known as the M Series
  • NI expands its PXI modular instrument product line with a new 200 MS/s digitizer and a 200 MS/s arbitrary waveform generator that use the NI Synchronization and Memory Core architecture to double the previously available speed and memory depth
  • NI announces SignalExpress, an interactive software environment for acquiring, comparing, automating, and storing measurement signals
  • NI makes significant progress toward its goal of reaching $1 billion in 2008 with $514 million in annual revenue
2003
  • A culmination of four years of engineering effort, NI releases LabVIEW 7 Express to dramatically simplify the creation of measurement and automation applications and extend LabVIEW to a wider range of targets, from embedded FPGAs to Palm OS and Microsoft Pocket PC PDAs
  • NI introduces a suite of 100 MS/s PXI instruments that increases flexibility and system performance for rapid prototyping and test of mixed-signal devices and systems
  • NI announces the Compact Vision System, an industrial vision system that makes cameras smarter by extending the power of LabVIEW
  • NI announces major software upgrades at NIWeek 2003 with NI TestStand 3.0, Measurement Studio 7.0, and LabWindows/CVI 7.0
  • NI acquires the MATRIXx product line, delivering enhancements on the control design and simulation software
  • NI acquires Hyperception, a leading designer of graphical development tools for digital signal processing (DSP)
  • NI Hungary is among the country's top 10 employers for second consecutive year
2002
  • NI launches Compact FieldPoint to deliver a small, rugged, intelligent platform that extends the reach of LabVIEW software to harsh industrial environments
  • NI opens Hungary manufacturing facility
  • NI announces LabVIEW 6.1, the latest graphical development environment release for test, monitoring, and control applications
  • NI announces NI Switch Executive, the market's first open switch management software
  • NI announces the NI PXI-5660, a powerful combination of spectral measurement software and a broadband 2.7 GHz RF digitizer
  • NI announces the NI PXI-4070 FlexDMM, a full-featured 6½-digit digital multimeter (DMM) in a single-slot 3U PXI module
  • NI announces DIAdem 8.1, the latest version of postacquisition data analysis and report generation software
2001
  • NI commemorates its 25th anniversary and 24th consecutive year of double-digit growth
  • NI announces NI TestStand 2.0 with parallel testing for increased throughput
  • NI announces an 18-slot PXI chassis for high-slot count measurement and automation applications
  • NI announces its first PXI product for precision audio and vibration measurements
  • NI Russia opens
2000
  • NI introduces Measurement Studio, integrating measurement tools for Microsoft Visual C++, Visual Basic, and LabWindows/CVI users
  • Annual NI sales total more than $400 million
  • Dell Computers partners with NI to address the growing market for computer-based measurement and automation with Instrumentation Ready PC Workstations
  • NI Czech Republic, NI Slovenia, and NI South Africa open
  • NI begins construction of the 370,000-square-foot Building C at its North Mopac campus in Austin, Texas

1990s

1999
  • NI announces MXI-3 for PC Control of PXI/CompactPCI systems
  • The LabVIEW Real-Time Module delivers constant, reliable operations for mission critical and embedded applications
  • The NI online store lists prices in multiple currencies
  • Annual sales total more than $300 million
  • The company Web site name changes to ni.com
  • NI New Zealand, NI Greece, NI India, NI Portugal, and NI Poland open
1998
  • NI completes construction of the 232,000-square-foot Building B at its North Mopac campus in Austin, Texas
  • NI Malaysia opens
  • NI announces LabVIEW Version 5.0 with multithreading, an ActiveX container, and distributed computing tools
  • The IVI Foundation is formed to make interchangeable instruments possible
  • NI TestStand, a ready-to-run test executive, leverages the popularity of LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI for high-volume manufacturing
  • NI opens its online store for business
  • NI announces DataSocket and remote device access (RDA) technologies for sharing data across networks
  • NI announces Flex ADC technology to revolutionize high-precision measurements
1997
  • NI acquires motion control products
  • FieldPoint products lower cost for distributed data collection in rugged factory environments
  • PXI launches, creating an open industry standard for modular computer-based systems
  • NI China and NI Brazil open
1996
  • Lookout software expands market opportunities to include PC-based factory floor automation
  • BridgeVIEW software brings the power of LabVIEW to industrial automation
  • NI announces computer-based instruments
  • NI announces machine vision products
  • Annual sales total more than $200 million
  • NI Israel opens
1995
  • NI completes construction of the 140,000-square-foot Building A on its new North Mopac campus in Austin, Texas
  • ComponentWorks enhances scientific programming environment for Microsoft Visual Basic
  • Initial public offering (IPO) of NI stock begins on March 15, 1995
  • NI holds its first customer and partner event, NIWeek, in Austin, Texas
  • NI Europe and NI Mexico open
1994
  • NI adopts credit card-sized hardware that brings portability to field scientists
  • PCI plug-in boards boost performance of PC-based data acquisition solutions
  • NI launches a Web site, Instrumentation Web, at www.natinst.com as a natural extension of its direct sales model and an information source for engineers and scientists
  • NI breaks ground on the 72-acre campus of the company's headquarters at 11500 North Mopac Expressway in Austin, Texas
  • NI Singapore, NI Korea, and NI Hong Kong open
1993
  • NI launches LabWindows/CVI
  • Annual sales total more than $100 million
  • NI Austria and NI Taiwan open
1992
  • NI announces LabVIEW for Windows-based PCs and UNIX Workstations
  • NI launches SCXI
  • NI Canada, NI Finland, and NI Norway open
1991
  • NI launches the National Instruments Alliance Partner program, leveraging the success of third-party developers and systems integrators
  • Netherlands, NI Denmark, NI Spain, NI Australia, NI Sweden, and NI Belgium open
1990
  • NI ships LabVIEW and LabWindows Version 2.0
  • NI receives its first patent
  • NI Switzerland and NI Germany open
  • Company headquarters move into the 136,095-square-foot Bridgepoint facility

1980s

1989
  • NI Italy opens
1988
  • NI announces its first products for VXI
  • NI announces MXI
  • NI announces its first plug-in DAQ boards for IBM PC users
  • NI France and NI U.K. open
  • Both the United States and European branches adopt direct sales models
1987
  • NI announces LabWindows Version 1.0 for DOS
  • NI releases the first plug-in data acquisition (DAQ) hardware device for Macintosh users
  • The first international branch office opens in Tokyo, Japan
1986
  • NI announces LabVIEW, the award-winning graphical development software package that revolutionizes the way engineers and scientists work
  • NI celebrates its first million-dollar month
  • 100th employee joins NI
1985
  • NI receives the IBM Quality Award for the PC-based GPIB interface
1983
  • NI announces its first product to connect instruments to IBM PCs
  • Jeff Kodosky begins research for flagship LabVIEW software
1982
  • Company headquarters move to a 10,000-square-foot facility at 12109 Technology Boulevard in Austin, Texas (eventually grows to fill 56,000 square feet)
1981
  • NI reaches $1 million in annual sales
1980
  • Jeff Kodosky and Bill Nowlin join NI as full-time employees
  • NI ships $300,000 in products and earns $60,000 in profits
  • The Marketing Group in Dallas, Texas designs the first version of the company logo with the NI eagle
  • Company headquarters move to a 5,000-square-foot space

1970s

1979
  • Dr. Truchard joins NI as a full-time employee
1978
  • Company headquarters move to a 600-square-foot facility
  • NI places its first ad in EDN magazine for the GPIB11-1
1977
  • NI announces its first GPIB product to connect scientific instruments to microcomputers
  • Kelly Air Force Base of San Antonio, Texas, becomes the first NI customer with its GPIB purchase
  • Company headquarters move from a garage to a 300-square-foot office
  • NI launches its first logo
1976
  • Work on the first product begins in the garage of NI President, CEO, and Cofounder, Dr. James Truchard in Austin, Texas

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