Traveling through the 1970s: The birth of a test and measurement giant in a garage
What is a garage for? Park your car? Of course there are other uses. Companies like Amazon, Google, Disney, and Apple all started in garages.
The rise of 5G, IoT, and AI in recent years has driven changes in the test and measurement industry, and test systems are making a critical shift toward "software-defined systems." As a global leader in automated test and automated measurement systems, NI has been committed to driving innovation in the test and measurement industry for more than 40 years.
How did NI develop?
Get on the time machine and follow the editor to review it together.
Early 1970s
Three teachers from UT-Austin (University of Texas at Austin) (Dr. James Truchard, respected as Dr. T in the industry), Jeff Kodosky and Bill Nowlin) worked in the Applied Research Laboratory on a project. They used early computer technology to collect and analyze data. At that time, the testing and analysis methods were very inefficient. Therefore, with their adventurous spirit, they decided to develop a new tool to make testing simple, easy and efficient.
1976
In Dr. T's garage, the three began to develop their first product and began to prepare to set up a company. Initially, they had ideas such as Longhorn Instruments and Texas Digital, but by chance, they finally chose the name National Instruments.
1977
NI's first full-time employee, Kim Harrison-Hosen, made her debut. She handles all orders and customer inquiries on her own and is a very, very important member of the company.
1978
NI finally has an "official" office, 600 square feet, located at 9513 Burnet Road in Austin, Texas.