2 page Case Study - Posted 7/13/2009
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Cross-Platform Plug-In Powers Rich Internet Applications for Scientists and Engineers
National Instruments is a leading provider of virtual instrumentation software used in a range of industries to test, monitor, and control the performance of hardware devices. The company was looking to meet rising demand for a graphical programming tool that would help companies quickly deploy Web-based line-of-business applications that could be accessed across a network. The company chose Microsoft® Silverlight™, a cross-platform, cross-browser plug-in for developing rich Internet applications, choosing the software over competing solutions, including Adobe Flash. Taking advantage of powerful graphics and data-binding capabilities in Silverlight, combined with its native cross-platform support, the company accelerated development and market delivery of its new application and capitalized on a key business opportunity.
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With Silverlight, our developers can use familiar tools, libraries, and programming concepts to provide the means for scientists and engineers to create rich Web-based and desktop applications. |
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Kamran Shah, LabVIEW Research and Development Senior Group Manager, National Instruments |
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Business Needs
Austin, Texas–based National Instruments is one of the leading providers of graphical programming tools that engineers use to measure, test, and control the performance of a range of devices. For example, an engineering firm monitoring wind turbines in the field needs a way to gauge the performance of the machinery through a number of factors, such as vibration and wind shear. Engineers working on this kind of project typically use graphical programming software on their desktop computers to create applications that aggregate and graphically display real-world data. But, this client-centric computing model does not currently provide a clear path to the Web.
National Instruments saw an opportunity to capitalize on the increasing demand for engineering-centric programming tools to create instrumentation systems with a Web interface. Business leaders teamed with developers to search for a technology solution that supported the development of cross-platform, rich Internet applications for these scenarios.
For this project, they wanted to take advantage of graphics-display and data-driven user interface enhancements offered by emerging Web development technologies. “We want to deliver an application that combines our domain expertise and uses the best of currently available technologies to deliver an outstanding solution to our customers,” says Kamran Shah, LabVIEW Research and Development Senior Group Manager at National Instruments.
Solution
The National Instruments team opted to work with Microsoft® Silverlight™ to extend its widely used virtual instrumentation software to the Web. The team chose Silverlight over competing solutions based on its design as a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in and its use of XAML and robust development tools. “We researched a lot of different technologies for this project and we ultimately selected Silverlight over other technologies such as Adobe Flash and Ajax,” says Shah. “Silverlight offered us the best overall solution because it incorporates the Microsoft technology stack, so it’s incredibly powerful and versatile.”
Powerful, Integrated Toolset
Because Silverlight builds on existing Microsoft technologies, National Instruments could combine the expansive base class libraries of the Microsoft .NET Framework with best-of-breed development tools, such as Microsoft Visual Studio® and Microsoft Expression Blend™, for editing, profiling, and debugging applications. And, the company could use Silverlight to integrate multimedia, graphics, animations, and interactivity into a single runtime environment, easing the burden on its development teams and contributing to a smoother, more consistent user experience across multiple platforms. “With Silverlight, our developers can use familiar tools, libraries, and programming concepts to provide the means for scientists and engineers to create rich Web-based and desktop applications,” says Shah.
Multiplatform Plug-In
Engineering firms that use National Instruments’s graphical programming software rely heavily on the Windows® operating system. But, there is an appreciable segment of the market that uses Macintosh, Linux, and other alternative computing platforms. “We know from past experience that developing for multiple platforms can require significant time, effort, and budget,” says Shah. Because the ubiquity of Silverlight offers cross-platform, cross-browser compatibility, the team hopes to save considerable development time and expense. Also, because the plug-in is both server and client agnostic, requiring no additional software or devices, it is capable of delivering a rich, uniform experience across platforms. “Providing a consistent cross platform solution for our customers is a top priority for National Instruments.”
Compelling Data Visualization
Flexible user interface controls and powerful data-binding capabilities in Windows Presentation Foundation simplify the development of high-fidelity, data-driven graphing applications in Silverlight. Taking advantage of advanced data-binding support and flexible, XAML-based drawing tools, developers can quickly build rich, interactive graphing displays for viewing data in a consolidated and unique visual format. “The controls in the Silverlight toolkit gave the team a lift in efficiency when creating new controls designed specifically for scientific and engineering data display,” says Shah.
Benefits
With the comprehensive developer toolset and native cross-platform, cross-browser compatibility of Silverlight, National Instruments has streamlined development and accelerated time-to-market. “Silverlight gave us the power to innovate the kind of application that we think is going to be important in the engineering and scientific fields in the coming years,” says Shah.
Faster Development Without Sacrificing Quality
Because developers at National Instruments were able to draw on existing skills, including extensive experience with the C++ programming language and familiarity with the Microsoft .NET Framework, they were able to make significant progress in substantially less time than if they had selected a different technology. “It would have taken much longer for the team to get up and running with other technologies just based on the learning curve with new technologies and paradigms they require,” says Shah. “Developer efficiency was a concern in our selection of a development platform.”
Greater Agility
National Instruments streamlined development by using the built-in, cross-platform support in Silverlight. In fact, without this capability, the company may not have fully explored the opportunity. “The time and effort required to develop and test for multiple browsers and platforms can be significant,” says Shah. “Silverlight makes it possible for us to realize a return on our investment by simplifying our development.” The company is looking ahead to new features offered in Silverlight 3, including out-of-browser support. The new out-of-browser experience in Silverlight 3 enables users to place their favorite Silverlight-based applications directly onto their Windows-based or Macintosh computers, with links on the desktop and start menu—all without the need to download an additional runtime or browser plug-in. Says Shah, “The commitment from Microsoft in taking Silverlight even further to improve the user experience for rich Internet applications is very exciting to see.”
Additional Resources
About Silverlight
Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET-based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web and mobile devices. Fully supported by Visual Studio and Expression Blend, Silverlight includes major media enhancements, out-of-browser support for Web applications on the desktop, smooth streaming capabilities, browser ubiquity, GPU acceleration, and support for 3D graphics and H.264 video.
This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.
