---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SMCC/Tektronix/National Instruments Alliance SunFLASH Vol 45 #3 September 1992 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMCC, TEKTRONIX AND NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS FORM ALLIANCE FOR TEST AND MEASUREMENT SOLUTIONS "Open Measurement Solutions" Product Line Expected to Result in $30 Million In Revenues In First Year MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- September 1, 1992 -- Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), Tektronix, Inc., and National Instruments Corp. today announced that they have formed an alliance to develop, market and sell a new line of integrated test and measurement systems called Open Measurement Solutions. Based on industry-standard products, these solutions will comprise SPARCstation and SPARCserver systems from SMCC; VXI and GPIB test instrumentation from Tektronix; and LabVIEW graphical application software and instrument controller hardware from National Instruments. Open Measurement Solutions will be targeted at industries such as aerospace, automotive, telecommunications and electronic design automation (EDA). The three companies expect nearly $30 million in combined worldwide revenue in the first year as a result of the agreement. The new alliance is one of the first such collaborations of its kind. Its members will collaborate to ensure that their products work optimally together, offering customers the most comprehensive -- yet open and flexible -- test and measurement solutions in the industry. Unlike products from other vendors, these systems can be linked easily to equipment from other companies. This ensures that users will not be locked into proprietary products from a single vendor and that systems can be easily expanded to meet future needs. In addition, Open Measurement Solutions will further the promise of concurrent engineering, because users will be able to carry out key engineering functions -- from product design to testing and manufacturing -- on a workstation. For example, SPARC systems from SMCC that run the Solaris operating environment are already used heavily in EDA applications. When combined with the easy-to-use LabVIEW software and high-performance Tektronix instrumentation, these systems can now be used for high-performance test applications as well. Furthermore, the built-in networking capabilities of Sun workstations will allow users in different departments to share information, speeding the product development process and getting products to market faster. The new product line not only gives users the benefit of leading technology, it also gives them the security of products that are high-volume industry standards. With a 40 percent market share -- more than twice its nearest competitor -- SMCC is the industry's top workstation vendor. The company has an installed base of more than 600,000 units. Tektronix is a world leader in VXI instrumention for avionics, telecommunications and electronic testing applications. LabVIEW from National Instruments is the industry's most popular application development software for test applications. Distribution Channels Support Customers can buy Open Measurement Solutions products through three channels, depending on the level of integration they need. Customers who require complete test and measurement systems can contact the Tektronix Integration Center, which will configure standard solutions based on products from the three companies. Second, products can be purchased through selected third-party system integrators and value-added resellers (VARs) that can add further customization to meet users' requirements. Finally, customers who wish to assemble their own test and measurement solutions can purchase products separately from each of the three companies, knowing that the products have been tuned to work together. Members of the three companies' sales forces will be cross-trained to sell solutions. Because many sales situations will require a "team selling" approach, the sales and field technical staffs of each company will work closely together. In addition, the companies' engineering and support teams will also coordinate efforts. End-user support contracts will be provided through National Instruments. In all cases, the structure of the alliance is transparent to customers, who have a single point of contact for sales and support. Customers worldwide can begin ordering Open Measurement Solutions from the new alliance now. For more information, customers can contact Tektronix, Inc., P.O. Box 1520, Pittsfield, MA 01202 or call 1-800-426-2200, Ext. 111. Tektronix, Inc., is a leading manufacturer of electronic products and systems in the areas of test and measurement, computer graphics and television systems. Revenues in fiscal year 1992 totalled $1.3 billion from worldwide sales. National Instruments, headquartered in Austin, Texas, for 16 years, manufactures the LabVIEW and LabWindows software and hardware interface products used by engineers and scientists to build integrated instrument systems using industry-standard personal computers and workstations. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation, a subsidiary of Sun Microsystems, Inc., is the world's leading supplier of client-server computing solutions, which feature networked workstations and servers that store, process and distribute information. Used for many demanding commercial and technical applications, SMCC's products command the largest share of the computer industry's fastest-growing market segment: workstations and servers. Press Contact Robert Manetta at (415) 336-0979. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ For information send mail to info-sunflash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. Archives are on solar.nova.edu, paris.cs.miami.edu, uunet.uu.net, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. John McLaughlin, SunFlash editor, flash@sunvice.East.Sun.COM. (305) 776-7770.