AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the 13th consecutive year, FORTUNE magazine has named National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) to its annual list of 100 Best Companies to Work For. This national recognition is based on an annual survey that randomly polls employees from hundreds of companies regarding the quality of their corporate cultures and filters results through strict criteria to select the best workplaces.

This honor builds on a consistent pattern of worldwide recognition for NI. The company was also recently included as one of the top 25 companies in FORTUNE magazine's list of The World's Best Multinational Workplaces. In addition to the U.S. and global awards, the Great Place to Work Institute, which compiles the list of best employers for FORTUNE each year, named National Instruments as one of the best places to work in six other countries during the last year. NI offices that received the honors included Germany, Italy, France, Japan, Mexico and the U.K.

Quotes
"We built National Instruments on strong principles that place employees and workplace culture at the center of our company's success," said Dr. James Truchard, president, CEO and cofounder of National Instruments. "This 13th-consecutive year of recognition from FORTUNE is a reflection of the importance we place on investing in our corporate culture and employee success."

"We're honored by this 13th-consecutive FORTUNE award, and we are even more proud that this recognition is a worldwide standard being set by many NI branches, not just our corporate headquarters," said Mark Finger, National Instruments' vice president of human resources. "Having received recognition on such as global scale demonstrates undeniably that NI really is one of the best places to work in the world and that we are a company that is built to last."

National Instruments' Work Culture
For more than 35 years, National Instruments has provided engineers and scientists with hardware and software that help them innovate more efficiently. The company's vision-driven leadership, open and collaborative work environment and dedicated employees have been key to the company's steady growth and technology leadership. NI believes that a well-balanced work culture improves employees' well-being and inspires excellence. To support that philosophy, NI offers its employees professional, personal and community development initiatives, volunteer opportunities and comprehensive wellness programs and facilities. To learn more about National Instruments' corporate culture, visit www.ni.com/citizenship/culture.

Methodology: How FORTUNE Chose the 100 Best
To select the 100 best companies to work for, FORTUNE partners with the Great Place to Work Institute to conduct the most extensive employee survey in corporate America. This year, 311 companies participated in the survey. Two-thirds of a company's score is based on the results of the Institute's Trust Index survey, which is sent to a random sample of employees from each company. The survey asks questions related to their attitudes about management's credibility, job satisfaction and camaraderie. The other third of the scoring is based on the company's responses to the Institute's Culture Audit, which includes detailed questions about pay and benefit programs and a series of open-ended questions about hiring practices, internal communications, training, recognition programs and diversity efforts.

About National Instruments
Since 1976, National Instruments (www.ni.com) has equipped engineers and scientists with tools that accelerate productivity, innovation and discovery. NI's graphical system design approach to engineering provides an integrated software and hardware platform that speeds the development of any system needing measurement and control. The company's long-term vision and focus on improving society through its technology supports the success of its customers, employees, suppliers and shareholders. (NATI-G)

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Editor Contact: Trisha McDonell, (512) 683-6215

SOURCE National Instruments