Milestones
Company Timeline
Throughout its history, NI has created award-winning, innovative products that simplify the jobs of engineers and scientists worldwide.
Test & Measurement World: Best in Test
World’s Best Multinational Workplaces
2013 Awards
Technology Awards
Electronic Products: 2012 Product of the Year
Winner: NI PXIe-5644R RF vector signal transceiver
Test & Measurement World: Best in Test
Winner: Data Acquisition - Stand-alone NI CompactDAQ
Test & Measurement World: Best in Test
Winner: RF/MW - NI PXIe-5644R RF vector signal transceiver
Corporate Awards
FORTUNE: 100 Best Companies to Work For
14th Consecutive Year
Glassdoor.com
#8: Best Places to Work 2013
History
1970s
1976
Work on the first product begins in the garage of NI president, CEO, and cofounder, Dr. James Truchard, in Austin, Texas1977
NI announces its first GPIB product to connect scientific instruments to microcomputers, and Kelly Air Force Base of San Antonio, Texas, becomes the company’s first customer1979
Dr. Truchard joins NI as a full-time employee1980s
1986
NI announces LabVIEW graphical system design software1987
NI opens its first international office in Japan1988
NI announces its first plug-in data acquisition boards for IBM PC users1990s
1994
NI launches its website, Instrumentation Web, at www.natinst.com1995
Initial public offering (IPO) of NI stock begins on March 151997
NI launches PXI, creating an open industry standard for modular computer-based systems2000s
2001
NI opens first overseas manufacturing facility in Debrecen, Hungary2004
NI introduces NI CompactRIO, a high-performance embedded control and acquisition platform powered by reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology2009
For the 10th consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine names NI to its annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For2010s
