Volvo Advances Car Safety With National Instruments Software

    AUSTIN, Texas, March 5 National Instruments
announced today that its Diadem(TM) software plays a key role in award-winning
automotive safety designs developed by Volvo Car Corp. at its
safety center in Goteborg, Sweden.  The high-tech test facility has
standardized on NI Diadem to analyze the impact and force of car collisions.

    By using sensors and extensive instrumentation, Volvo engineers collect
data from controlled collisions at the Volvo Car Safety Centre.  To improve
the design of Volvo automobiles, Volvo conducts as many as 150 controlled
crashes per year on two specially designed tracks, each stretching more than
the length of a football field.  The award-winning automobile manufacturer
also conducts numerous component tests and crash simulations.  Engineers parse
through data from these tests using NI Diadem.

    "To produce a car that functions in a real-life traffic environment, it is
important to simulate accident patterns in traffic using realistic tests.
That is why our investment is first and foremost an investment in technology,"
said Volvo Project Manager Anders Storm.  "With NI Diadem, our automotive
engineers work more efficiently because they can quickly see how well their
designs hold up under real-life crash conditions."

    The success of the Volvo Safety Centre demonstrates the NI commitment to
providing engineers the tools they need to be successful and productive, said
Dr. James Truchard, NI President and CEO.

    "We are pleased that with our technology, Volvo engineers meet the highest
standards for car occupant safety, which ultimately affects so many people's
lives," Truchard said.

    Diadem, was developed by GfS Systemtechnik GmbH & Co.KG of Aachen,
Germany.  NI acquired GfS in 1999 to enhance the Company's expertise in
measurement and automation while extending GfS products and services to a
global market.

    While NI software and hardware have extensive applications in the
automotive industry, the Company serves customers in a broad array of other
markets.  Many engineers use NI solutions to build custom applications for the
telecommunications, semiconductor, and petrochemical industries.  Because of
this diversity, no single industry represents more than 10 percent of NI
revenue.  In fact, the top 100 NI customers amount to only 35 percent of NI
revenue.