National Instruments (NI) makes a measurable difference, virtually, in the lab. The company’s products help create virtual instruments that can observe, measure, and control electrical signals and physical attributes such as voltage and pressure. The company's flagship LabView product allows users to create graphical interfaces for controlling instruments and capturing and analyzing data, as well as set up automated functions. In addition, NI provides programming tools, software applications, and hardware products. Its hardware and software products can be used in a modular fashion, depending on a customer’s needs. The Americas accounts for around 40% of sales. The company was founded in 1976.