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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549 ---------------
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FORM 10-K (Mark

(Mark One) [X]

   X      ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

            For the fiscal year ended: December 31, 2003 2005

OR [_]

   TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

            For the transition period from _____________ to ______________

Commission File Number 0-25426 ---------------
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NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION (Exact
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) Delaware 74-1871327 (State or other jurisdiction of (I.R.S. Employer incorporation or organization) Identification Number) 11500 North Mopac Expressway Austin, Texas 78759 (address of principal executive offices) (zip code) Registrant's

Delaware
(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)
74-1871327
(I.R.S. Employer
Identification Number)

11500 North Mopac Expressway
Austin, Texas
(address of principal executive offices)
78759
(zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:
(512) 338-9119 ---------------

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
None

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.01 par value (Title
(Preferred Stock Purchase Rights)

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        Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of Class) ---------------the Securities Act. Yes  X    No

        Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes  X    No

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes [X]  X    No [_]

        Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (ss.229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. [X]

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, or a non-accelerated filer. See definition of "accelerated filer and large accelerated filer" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

        Large accelerated filer  X   Accelerated filerNon-accelerated filer

        Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes [X] No [_]  X  

        The aggregate market value of voting stockand non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant at the close of business on June 30, 2003,2005, was $37.85$939,128,836 based upon the last sales price reported for such date on the Nasdaq National Market. For purposes of this disclosure, shares of Common Stock held by persons who hold more than 5% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock and shares held by officers and directors of the registrant as of December 31, 2003June 30, 2005 have been excluded in that such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination is not necessarily conclusive.

        At the close of business on January 23, 2004,February 22, 2006, registrant had outstanding 52,232,08279,075,031 shares of Common Stock.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

    Part III incorporates certain information by reference from the definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 11, 20049, 2006 (the "Proxy Statement"). ================================================================================


PART I

This Form 10-K contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These1934. Any statements including statementscontained herein regarding our strategy, products, product development efforts andthe future financial performance are subjector operations of the Company (including, without limitation, statements to risks and uncertainties. We use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect," "future," "intend" and similar expressions to identifythe effect that we “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “project,” “continue,” or “estimate” or other variations thereof or comparable terminology or the negative thereof) should be considered forward-looking statements. Our actualActual results could differ materially from the results anticipatedthose projected in thesethe forward-looking statements as a result of certaina number of important factors including those set forth under the heading "Factors affecting the Company's Business and Prospects"“Risk Factors” beginning on page 19,8, and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.


ITEM 1.     BUSINESS

        National Instruments Corporation (the "Company" or "National Instruments"(“we”, “our”) is a leading supplier of measurement and automation products that engineers and scientists use in a wide range of industries. These industries are spread across a large and diverse market for design, control and test and measurement ("T&M") and industrial automation ("IA") applications. The Company providesWe provide flexible application software and modular, multifunction hardware that users combine with industry-standard computers, networks and the Internet to create measurement and automation systems, which the Companywe also refersrefer to as "virtual“virtual instruments." The Company is

        We are based in Austin, Texas and waswere incorporated under the laws of the State of Texas in May 1976 and waswere reincorporated in Delaware in June 1994. On March 13, 1995, the Companywe completed an initial public offering of shares of itsour Common Stock. The Company'sOur Common Stock, $0.01 par value, is quoted on the Nasdaq National Market under the trading symbol NATI.

        Our Internet website address is http://www.ni.com. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available through our Internet website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Our Internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Industry Background

        Engineers and scientists have long used instruments to observe, better understand and manage the real-world phenomena, events and processes related to their industries or areas of expertise. Instruments measure and control electrical signals, such as voltage, current and power, as well as physical phenomena, such as temperature, pressure, speed, flow, volume, torque and vibration. Common general-purpose instruments include voltmeters, signal generators, oscilloscopes, dataloggers, spectrum analyzers, cameras, and temperature and pressure monitors and controllers. Some traditional instruments are also highly application specific, designed to measure specific signals for particular vertical industries or applications. Instruments used for industrial automation applications include data loggers, strip chart recorders, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and proprietary turn-key devices and/or systems designed to automate specific vertical applications. Measurement and control functionality is also used in a variety of embedded and/or real-time applications, such as machine monitoring, machine control, and embedded design and prototyping.

Instrument applications can be generally categorized as either test and measurement (“T&M&M”) or IA.industrial automation (“IA”). T&M applications generally involve testing during the research, design, manufacture and service of a wide variety of products. IA applications generally involve automating the machinery and processes used in the production and distribution of a wide variety of products and materials.

        Instruments and systems for both T&Mdesign, control, and IAtest applications have historically shared common limitations, including: fixed, vendor-defined functionality; proprietary, closed architectures that were generally difficult to program and integrate with other systems; and inflexible operator interfaces that were usually cumbersome to operate and change. Proprietary instrumentation systems have traditionally been very expensive, with IA system prices ranging as high as several million dollars and T&M instrumentation system prices often ranging in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, the limitations on programmability of traditional systems means that adoptingadapting these systems to changing requirements is both expensive and time consuming, and users are often required to purchase multiple single-purpose instruments. The Company's

Our Approach to Measurement and Automation

        A virtual instrument is a user-defined measurement and automation system that consists of an industry standard computer (which may be a mainstream general-purpose computer, workstation, handheld PDA device, or a version of an industry standard computer, workstation, or handheld PDA that is specially designed and packaged for harsh industrial or embedded environments) equipped with the Company'sour user-friendly application software, cost-effective hardware and driver software. Virtual instrumentation represents a fundamental shift from traditional hardware-centered instrumentation systems to software-centered systems that exploit the computational, display, productivity and connectivity capabilities of computers, networks and the Internet. Because virtual instruments exploit these computation, connectivity, and display capabilities, users can define and change the functionality of their instruments, rather than being restricted by fixed-functions imposed by traditional instrument and automation vendors. The Company'sOur products empower users to monitor and control traditional instruments, create innovative computer-based systems that can replace traditional instruments at a lower cost, and develop systems that integrate measurement functionality together with industrial automation capabilities. The Company believesWe believe that giving users flexibility to create their own user-defined virtual instruments for an increasing number of applications in a wide variety of industries, and letting users leverage the latest technologies from computers, networking and communications shortens system development time and reduces both short- and long-term costs of developing, owning and operating measurement and automation systems, and improves the efficiency and precision of applications spanning research, design, production and service.

        Compared with traditional solutions, the Company believes itswe believe our products and computer-based, virtual instrumentation approach provide the following significant customer benefits:

      Performance, Ease-of-Use and Efficiency The Company's

        Our virtual instrument application software brings the power and ease-of-use of computers, PDAs, networks and the Internet to instrumentation. With features such as graphical programming, automatic code generation capabilities, graphical tools libraries, ready-to-use example programs, libraries of specific instrumentation functions, and the ability to deploy their applications on a range of platforms, users can quickly build a virtual instrument system that meets their individual application needs. In addition, the continuous improvement in performance of PC and networking technologies, which are the core platform for the Company'sour approach, resultresults in direct performance benefits for virtual instrument users in the form of faster execution for software-based measurement and automation applications, resulting in shorter test times, faster automation, and higher manufacturing throughput.

      Modularity, Reusability and Reconfigurability The Company's

        Our products include reusable hardware and software modules that offer considerable flexibility in configuring systems. This ability to reuse and reconfigure instrument systems allows users to reduce development time and maximize efficiency by eliminating duplicated programming efforts and to quickly adapt their instruments to new and changing needs. In addition, these features help protect both hardware and software investments against obsolescence.

      Lower Total Solution Cost The Company believes

        We believe that itsour products and solutions offer price/performance advantages over traditional instrumentation. Virtual instrumentation provides users the ability to utilize industry standard computers and workstations, portable PDAs and other handheld devices, as well as ruggedized industrial computers equipped with modular and reusable application software, cost-effective hardware and driver software that together perform the instrumentation functions that would otherwise be performed by costly, proprietary instrumentation systems. In addition, virtual instrumentation gives users the flexibility and portability to adapt to changing needs, whereas traditional closed systems are both expensive and time consuming to adapt, if adaptable at all. Strategy The Company's objective is to be a leading supplier of measurement and automation products and solutions to engineers, scientists and others in both T&M and IA applications. To achieve this objective, the Company is pursuing a strategy that includes the following elements: Expand Broad Customer Base Serve a Large and Diverse Market. The Company's products and services are designed to serve a broad customer base across many industries. The Company defines product features and capabilities by working closely with technically sophisticated customers and seeks to achieve high unit volumes by selling these same products to a large base of customers with diverse measurement and automation needs. Support Many Computer and Instrument Options. The Company diversifies its customer base by accommodating many popular computer platforms and a variety of instrumentation options. In addition, the Company expects to continue to create or adapt products for computer systems and instrumentation options that gain market acceptance. Customers are provided a range of price/performance options through the Company's extensive line of products. Provide Worldwide Marketing and Distribution. The Company uses multiple coordinated distribution channels in its major world markets. The Company devotes significant resources to direct sales activities in the United States and in key international markets. In addition to its direct sales channel, the Company's other distribution channels include distributors, OEMs, VARs, systems integrators and consultants. By using this broad range of channels, the Company seeks to develop and maintain relations with its customers and prospects and to provide the levels of support, training and education required by the market. The Company intends to expand each of these distribution networks to take advantage of market opportunities. Acquire New Technologies. The Company has in the past acquired companies, products, and technologies to augment its product offerings, and intends to continue to seek opportunities to satisfy customer needs and build market penetration through acquisitions in the future. In connection with these acquisitions, the Company has leveraged its established sales channels in an effort to accelerate the delivery of the acquired products to the market. Maintain High Levels of Customer Satisfaction Offer Innovative Modular and Integrated Solutions. The Company intends to continue to deliver innovative, modular software and hardware tools with open, portable architectures that can be easily integrated to create instrumentation systems and solutions. The Company solicits regular feedback from its customers, resulting in the addition of new product features and enhanced performance, to help ensure that existing and new products meet or surpass customer expectations. Provide Global Customer Support and Education. The Company's sales and marketing engineers have the technical expertise necessary to understand customers' application needs and work with them to identify cost-effective solutions using the virtual instrumentation approach. The Company also offers comprehensive customer support, including technical support via the ni.com Web site, electronic mail, fax and telephone, newsletters, warranty service and repair, upgrade programs, free and paid seminars, and technical classes. Through the Company's ni.com Web site, customers have access to a growing range of support options to solve their own problems directly over the Web, including software downloads, upgrades and bug fixes, automated product configuration tools, knowledge databases of common questions and answers, online seminars, live product demonstrations and discussion forums. Deliver Long-Term Compatibility. The Company emphasizes consistency in the implementation of its products across different platforms and strives to maintain a high degree of backward compatibility between existing and new products, engendering a high degree of customer loyalty. Leverage External and Internal Technology Leverage Generally Available Technology. The Company leverages the research and development efforts of vendors of personal computers, workstations, PDAs and other handheld devices, operating systems, programming languages and software development tools, and their suppliers. In addition, the Company leverages the research and development efforts of semiconductor vendors by using analog-to-digital converters and other chipsets that are used in a wide variety of high-volume consumer electronics products as components on many of the Company's own measurement and automation hardware products. By integrating Web, networking and communications capabilities directly in its software and hardware products, the Company's products allow users to easily distribute measurement and automation capabilities throughout factories and around the world, easily integrate measurement and automation data throughout their organization and across the enterprise and achieve advanced solutions at a lower development cost. Support Open Architecture on Multiple Platforms. The Company approaches the market with an open architecture so users have the flexibility to combine the Company's products with those from instrument suppliers, computer vendors and competitors. Leverage Core Technologies. The Company designs proprietary Application Specific Integrated Circuits ("ASICs") to optimize performance and reduce production costs. The Company utilizes these ASICs and its other internally developed hardware and software components in multiple products to achieve consistency and compatibility between products.

Products and Technology The Company offers

        We offer an extensive line of measurement and automation products. The Company'sOur products consist of application software, and hardware components together with related driver software. The Company'sOur products are designed to work either in an integrated solution or separately; however, customers generally purchase software and hardware together. The Company believesWe believe that the flexibility, functionality and ease of use of itsour application software promotes sales of the Company'sour other software and hardware products.

      Application Software The Company believes

        We believe that application software is playing an increasingly important role in the development of computer-based instruments and systems in measurement and automation applications. The Company'sOur application software products leverage the increasing capability of computers, networks and the Internet for data analysis, connectivity and presentation power to bring increasing efficiency and precision to measurement and automation applications. The Company'sOur application software products include LabVIEW, LabVIEW Real-Time, LabVIEW FPGA, Measurement Studio, LabWindows/CVI, DIAdem,DIAdem, TestStand, MATRIXx and MATRIXx. The Company'sSignalExpress. Our application software products are integrated with the Company'sour hardware/driver software. The Company offers

        We offer a variety of software products for developing measurement and automation applications to meet the different programming and computer preferences of itsour customers. LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and Measurement Studio are programming environments with which users can develop graphical user interfaces ("GUIs"(“GUIs”), control instruments, and acquire, analyze and present data. With these software products, users can design custom virtual instruments by creating a GUI on the computer screen through which they operate the actual program and control selected hardware. Users can customize front panels with knobs, buttons, dials and graphs to emulate control panels of instruments or add custom graphics to visually represent the control and operation of processes. LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI and Measurement Studio also have ready-to-use libraries for controlling thousands of programmable instruments, including the Company'sour hardware products, as well as traditional serial, GPIBGeneral Purpose Interface Bus (GPIB), VME extensions for instrumentation (VXI), Ethernet and VXIUSB measurement and automation devices from other vendors.

        The principal difference between LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, and Measurement Studio is in the way users develop programs. With LabVIEW, users program graphically, developing application programs by connecting icons to create "block diagrams"“block diagrams” which are natural design notations for scientists and engineers. With LabVIEW Real-Time, the user'suser’s application program can be easily configured to execute using a real-time operating system kernel instead of the Windows operating system, which allows users to easily build virtual instrument solutions for mission-critical applications that require highly reliable operation. In addition, with LabVIEW Real-Time, users can easily configure their programs to execute remotely on embedded processors inside PXI systems, on embedded processors inside Fieldpoint distributed I/O systems, or on processors embedded on plug-in PC data acquisition boards. With LabVIEW FPGA, the user'suser’s application can be configured to execute directly in silicon via a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) residing on one of the Company'sour reconfigurable I/O hardware products. LabVIEW FPGA allows users to easily build their own highly specialized, custom hardware devices for ultra high-performance requirements or for unique or proprietary measurement or control protocols. With LabWindows/CVI, users program using the conventional, text-based language of C. Measurement Studio consists of measurement and automation add-on libraries and additional tools for programmers that use Microsoft'sMicrosoft’s Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual C#, and Visual Studio.NET development environments. The Company also offers

        We offer a software product called TestStand targeted for T&M applications in a manufacturing environment. TestStand is a test management environment for organizing, controlling, and running automated production test systems on the factory floor. It also generates customized test reports and integrates product and test data across the customers'customers’ enterprise and across the Internet. TestStand manages tests that are written in LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio, C and C++, and Visual Basic, so test engineers can easily share and re-use test code throughout their organization and from one product to the next. TestStand is a key element of the Company'sour strategy to broaden the reach of itsour application software products across the corporate enterprise.

        In 2005, we acquired Electronics Workbench and its suite of software for electronic design automation. The Electronics Workbench flagship product, Multisim Circuit Simulation Software, is widely used for electronic circuit design, board layout, and electrical engineering training programs by companies and academic institutions including Sony, Boeing, MIT, and DeVry. The acquisition strengthens the integration between our functional test and design tools and will advance our graphical system design technology.

      Hardware Products and Related Driver Software The Company's

        Our hardware and related driver software products include data acquisition ("DAQ"(“DAQ”), PXI,PCI extensions for instrumentation (PXI) chassis and controllers, image acquisition, motion control, FieldPoint Distributed I/O, Modular Instruments and Embedded Control Hardware/Software, industrial communications interfaces, GPIB interfaces, and VXI Controllers. The high level of integration between the Company'sour products provides users with the flexibility to mix and match hardware components when developing custom virtual instrumentation systems.

DAQ Hardware/Driver Software. Our DAQ hardware and driver software products are "instruments“instruments on a board"board” that users can combine with sensors, signal conditioning hardware and software to acquire analog data and convert it into a digital format that can be accepted by a computer. The Company believesWe believe that computer-based DAQ products are typically a lower-cost solution than traditional instrumentation. The Company believesWe believe that applications suitable for automation with computer-based DAQ products are widespread throughout many industries, and that many systems currently using traditional instrumentation (either manual or computer-controlled) could be displaced by computer-based DAQ systems. The Company offersWe offer a range of computer-based DAQ products, including models for digital, analog and timing input-output, and for transferring data directly to a computer'scomputer’s random-access memory. In 2005, we acquired the operating assets of both Measurement Computing and IOtech, two smaller data acquisition companies, whose products complement and extend our data acquisition offerings, including portable and vibration measurement products.

PXI Modular Instrumentation. The Company'sInstrumentation Platform.Our PXI modular instrument platform, which was introduced in 1997, is a desktopstandard PC packaged in a small, rugged form factor with expansion slots and instrumentation extensions. It combines mainstream PC software and PCI hardware with advanced instrumentation capabilities. In essence, PXI is an instrumentation PC with several expansion slots to enable the companyus to pursue complete system-level opportunities and deliver a much higher percentage of the overall system content using the company'sour own products. The Company continuesWe continue to expand itsour PXI product offerings with new modules, which address a wide variety of measurement and automation applications. PXI also continues to gain acceptance, with numerous endorsements from over 50 suppliers. our customers, engineering trade publications and industry analysts.

Machine Vision/Image Acquisition.In 1996, the Companywe introduced itsour first image acquisition hardware which provides users with a cost-effective solution to integrate vision into their measurement and automation applications. The Company'sOur vision software is designed to work with many different software environments, including LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Visual Basic, C, and Measurement Studio. In 2002, the Companywe expanded itsour software offering with new easy-to-use menu driven machine vision software that can run as a stand-alone vision system. The new software can also generate LabVIEW code. In 2003, the Companywe introduced itsour new Vision Builder software for automated inspection and itsour new Compact Vision System, which is a small, ruggedized, industrial vision system that can connect up to three IEEE-1394 cameras and that is easily programmed using Vision Builder.

Motion Control. During 1997, the Companywe introduced itsour first line of motion control hardware, software and peripheral products. This intelligent PC-based motion control hardware is programmable from industry standard development environments including LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI and Measurement Studio. The Company'sOur software tools for motion are easily integrated with the Company'sour other product lines, allowing motion to be combined with image acquisition, test, measurement, data acquisition and automation. The Company'sOur computer-based motion products allowallows users to leverage standard hardware and software in measurement and automation applications to create robust, flexible solutions. FieldPoint

Distributed I/O and Embedded Control Hardware/Software. FieldPoint is an intelligent, distributed, and modular I/O system, first introduced by the Companyus in 1997, that gives industrial system developers an economical solution for distributed data acquisition, monitoring and control applications. Suitable for direct connection to industrial signals, FieldPoint includes a wide array of rugged and isolated analog and digital I/O modules, terminal base options, and network modules. FieldPoint software provides seamless integration into the LabVIEW Real-Time, driver libraries for support under LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio and other industrial automation software packages. With LabVIEW Real-Time users can download their LabVIEW code and easily create networked systems of intelligent, real-time nodes for embedded measurement and control. In late 2002, the Companywe launched Compact FieldPoint, a newsmaller and even more rugged intelligent distributed I/O product line with 23 new measurement and automation modules. Compact FieldPointthat is also an execution target for LabVIEW Real-Time. In 2004 we introduced CompactRIO, an advanced embedded control and acquisition system powered by our reconfigurable I/O (RIO) technology. Compact RIO leverages LabVIEW Real-Time and its smaller size and even more rugged form factor further extends NI's hardware and LabVIEW Real-Time into newFPGA for industrial control, process monitoring, and embedded machine applications that require intelligent I/O products with a small form factor, a wide operating temperature, and resistance to shock and vibration.

Industrial Communications Interfaces.Interfaces. In mid-1995, the Companywe began shipping itsour first interface boards for communicating with serial devices, such as dataloggers and PLCsprogrammable logic controllers (PLCs) targeted for IA applications, and benchtop instruments, such as oscilloscopes, targeted for T&M applications. Industrial applications need the same high-quality, easy-to-use hardware and software tools for communicating with industrial devices such as process instrumentation, PLCs, single-loop controllers, and a variety of I/O and DAQ devices. National Instruments offers fourWe offer hardware and driver software product lines for communication with industrial devices--Controllerdevices—Controller Area Network (CAN), DeviceNet, Foundation Fieldbus, and RS-485 and RS-232.

GPIB Interfaces/Driver Software. The Company We began selling GPIB products in 1977 and isare a leading supplier of GPIB interface boards and driver software to control traditional GPIB instruments. These traditional instruments are manufactured by a variety of third-party vendors and are used primarily in T&M applications. The Company'sOur diverse portfolio of hardware and software products for GPIB instrument control is available for a wide range of computers. The Company'sOur GPIB product line also includes products for portable computers such as a PCMCIA-GPIBpersonal computer memory card (PCMCIA)-GPIB interface card, and products for controlling GPIB instruments using the computer'scomputer’s standard parallel, USB, IEEE 1394 (Firewire), Ethernet, and serial ports.

VXI Controllers//Driver Software. The Company is We are a leading supplier of VXI computer controller hardware and the accompanying NI-VXI and NI-VISA driver software. The CompanyWe also offersoffer LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI, Measurement Studio and TestStand software products for VXI systems.

      Customer Training Courses The Company offers

        We offer fee-based training classes and self-paced course kits for many of itsour software and hardware products. On-site courses are quoted per customer requests. The CompanyWe also offersoffer programs to certify programmers and instructors for itsour products.

Markets and Applications The Company's

        Our products are used across many industries in a variety of applications from research and development to simulation and modeling to product design and validation to production testing and industrial control to field and factory service and repair. The following industries and applications are served worldwide by the Company:us worldwide: advanced research, automotive, commercial aerospace, computers and electronics, continuous process manufacturing, education, government/defense, medical research/pharmaceutical, power/energy, semiconductors, automated test equipment, telecommunications and others.

Customers The Company has

        We have a broad customer base, with no customer accounting for more than 3% of the Company'sour sales in 2003, 2002,2005, 2004, or 2001. 2003.

Marketing

        Through itsour worldwide marketing efforts, the Company striveswe strive to educate engineers and scientists about the benefits of the Company'sour virtual instrumentation philosophy, products and technology, and to highlight the performance, ease of use and cost advantages of itsour products. The CompanyWe also seeksseek to present itsour position as a technological leader among producers of instrumentation software and hardware and to help promulgate industry standards that will benefit users of computer-based instrumentation. The Company reaches its

        We reach our intended audience through itsour Web site at ni.com as well as the distribution of written and electronic materials including demonstration versions of itsour software products, participation in tradeshows and technical conferences and training and user seminars. The Company

        We actively markets itsmarket our products in higher education environments, and identifiesidentify many colleges, universities and trade and technical schools as key accounts. The Company offersWe offer special academic pricing and products to enable universities to utilize Companyour products in their classes and laboratories. The Company believes itsWe believe our prominence in the higher education area can contribute to itsour future success because students gain experience using the Company'sour products before they enter the work force.

Sales and Distribution The Company distributes its

        We distribute our software and hardware products primarily through a direct sales organization. The CompanyWe also usesuse independent distributors, OEMs, VARs, system integrators and consultants to market itsour products. The Company hasWe have sales offices in the United States and sales offices and distributors in key international markets. Sales outside of North America accounted for approximately 53%52%, 50%53%, and 49%53% of the Company'sour revenues in 2005, 2004, and 2003, 2002, and 2001, respectively. The Company expectsWe expect that a significant portion of itsour total revenues will continue to be derived from international sales. See Note 1112 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for details concerning the geographic breakdown of the Company'sour net sales, operating income and identifiable assets. The Company believes

        We believe the ability to provide comprehensive service and support to itsour customers is an important factor in itsour business. The Company permitsWe permit customers to return products within 30 days from receipt for a refund of the purchase price less a restocking charge, and generally providesprovide a two-year warranty on GPIB hardware products, a three-year warranty on our new M-Series DAQ products, a one-year warranty on other hardware products, and a 90-day warranty on cables and software (medium only). Customers may also purchase a one-year extended warranty on hardwardhardware products. Historically, warranty costs have not been material. The Company's

        Our foreign operations are subject to certain risks set forth on page 2110 under "Risks“We are Subject to Various Risks Associated with International Operations and Foreign Economies."

        See Fluctuations in our quarterly results on page 8 for discussion of seasonality in our business.

Competition

        The markets in which the Company operateswe operate are characterized by intense competition from numerous competitors, some of which are divisions of large corporations having far greater resources than the Company,us, and the Company expectswe expect to face further competition from new market entrants in the future. The Company believesWe believe Agilent Technologies Inc. (“Agilent”) is the dominant supplier of GPIB and VXI-compatibleT&M instruments and systems. Agilent is also a leading supplier of equipment used in data acquisition and control applications. Because of Agilent'sAgilent’s dominance in the instrumentation business, changes in its marketing strategy or product offerings could have a material adverse affect on the Company. The Companyus. We also facesface competition from a variety of other competitors.

        Certain of the Company'sour competitors have substantial competitive advantages in terms of breadth of technology, sales, marketing and support capability and resources, including the number of sales and technical personnel and their ability to cover a geographic area and/or particular account more extensively and with more complete solutions than the Companywe can offer, and more extensive warranty support, system integration and service capabilities than those of the Company.us. In addition, large competitors can often enter into strategic alliances with our key customers or target accounts, of the Company, which can potentially have a negative impact on the Company'sour success with those accounts. The Company believes its

        We believe our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors both within and outside itsour control, including:

oproduct pricing, quality and performance; success in developing new products; adequate manufacturing capacity and supply of components and materials; efficiency of manufacturing operations; effectiveness of sales and marketing resources and strategies; success in leveraging the Web; strategic relationships with other suppliers; timing of new product introductions by the Company or its competitors; protection of the Company's products by effective use of intellectual property laws; general market and economic conditions; and performance;
osuccess in developing new products;
oadequate manufacturing capacity and supply of components and materials;
oefficiency of manufacturing operations;
oeffectiveness of sales and marketing resources and strategies;
osuccess in leveraging the Web;
ostrategic relationships with other suppliers;
otiming of new product introductions by us or our competitors;
oprotection of our products by effective use of intellectual property laws;
ogeneral market and economic conditions;
oevents related to severe weather, natural disasters and government actions throughout the world.

        Although the Company operateswe operate in a highly competitive market, it believes it competeswe believe we compete favorably with respect to these factors of competition. There can be no assurance that the Companywe will be able to compete successfully in the future.

Research and Development The Company believes

        We believe that itsour long-term growth and success depends on delivering high quality software and hardware products on a timely basis. The Company intendsWe intend to focus itsour research and development efforts on enhancing existing products and developing new products that incorporate appropriate features and functionality to be competitive with respect to technology and price/performance. The Company's

        Our research and development staff strives to build quality into products at the design stage in an effort to reduce overall development and manufacturing costs. The Company'sOur research and development staff also designs proprietary ASICs, many of which are designed for use in several products. The goal of theour ASIC design program is to further differentiate the Company'sour products from competing products, to improve manufacturability and to reduce costs. The Company seeksWe seek to reduce the time to market for new and enhanced products by sharing itsour internally developed hardware and software components across multiple products.

        As of December 31, 2003, the Company2005, we employed 8521,036 people in product research and development. The Company'sOur research and development expenses were $87.8 million, $84.7 million, and $70.9 million $64.0 million,for 2005, 2004, and $60.7 million for 2003, 2002, and 2001, respectively.

Intellectual Property The Company relies

        We rely on a combination of patent, trade secret, copyright and trademark law, contracts and technical measures to establish and protect itsour proprietary rights in itsour products. As of December 31, 2003, the Company2005, we held 202284 United States patents (198(278 utility patents and 45 design patents) and 3327 patents in foreign countries (30(23 patents registered in Europe in various countries; 1 patent in Canada; and 23 patents in Japan), and had 265314 patent applications pending in the United States and foreign countries. 4665 of suchour issued United States patents are software patents related to LabVIEW, and cover fundamental aspects of the graphical programming approach used in LabVIEW. The Company'sOur patents expire from 2007 to 2021.2023. No assurance can be given that the Company'sour pending patent applications will result in the issuance of patents. The CompanyWe also ownsown certain registered trademarks in the United States and abroad.

Manufacturing and Suppliers The Company manufactures

        We manufacture a substantial majority of itsour products at itsour facilities in Austin, Texas and Debrecen, Hungary. ProductAdditional production primarily of low volume or newly introduced products is done in Austin, Texas. Our product manufacturing operations at the Company can be divided into four areas: electronic circuit card and module assembly; chassis and cable assembly; technical manuals and product support documentation; and software duplication. The Company manufacturesWe manufacture most of the electronic circuit card assemblies, modules and moduleschassis in-house, although subcontractors are used from time to time. The Company manufacturesBeginning in 2005, some chassis are produced by subcontractors in Asia. We manufacture some of itsour electronic cable assemblies in-house, but many assemblies are produced by subcontractors. The CompanyWe primarily subcontracts itssubcontract our software duplication. The Company obtainsduplication, our technical manuals and product support documentation.

        We obtain most of itsour electronic components from suppliers located principally in the United States, Europe and Asia. Some of the components purchased by the Company,us, including ASICs, are sole-sourced. Any disruption of the Company'sour supply of sole or limited source components, whether resulting from business demand, quality, production or delivery problems, could adversely affect the Company'sour ability to manufacture itsour products, which could in turn adversely affect the Company'sour business and results of operations.

        See "Management's DiscussionEnvironmental Regulations and AnalysisCosts at page 12 for discussion of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." environmental matters as they may affect our business.

Backlog The Company

        We typically shipsship products shortly following the receipt of an order. Accordingly, the Company'sour backlog typically represents less than 105 days sales. Backlog should not be viewed as an indicator of future sales.

Employees

        As of December 31, 2003, the Company2005, we had 3,0783,812 employees, including 8521,036 in research and development, 1,4061,749 in sales and marketing and customer support, 466587 in manufacturing and 354440 in administration and finance. None of the Company'sour employees are represented by a labor union and the Company haswe have never experienced a work stoppage. The Company considers itsWe consider our employee relations to be good. For fiveseven consecutive years, from 1999 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003,to 2005, the Company has been named among the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America according toFORTUNE magazine.


ITEM 2. PROPERTIES The Company's principal activities are conducted at three Company-owned buildings in Austin, Texas. The Company owns approximately 69 acres of land in north Austin, Texas, on which are a 232,000 square foot office facility, a 140,000 square foot manufacturing and office facility, and a 380,000 square foot research and development facility. The Company also owns a 136,000 square foot office building in Austin, Texas which is being leased to a third-party. The Company also owns a 148,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Debrecen, Hungary. The Company's German subsidiary, National Instruments Engineering GmbH & Co. KG, owns a 25,500 square foot office building in Aachen, Germany in which a majority of its activities are conducted. National Instruments Engineering also owns another 19,375 square foot office building, which is partially leased to BMS Modern Games and Klocke Nanotech. As of December 31, 2003, the Company also leased a number of sales and support offices in the United States and overseas. The Company's facilities are currently utilized below design maximum capacity to allow for headcount growth and design/construction cycles. The Company believes existing facilities are adequate to meet its current requirements. ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS The Company has filed two complaints against The MathWorks, Inc. ("Defendant") for patent infringement. In both complaints, the Company claimed the Defendant infringes certain of its U.S. patents and the Defendant challenged the validity and enforceability of those patents and asserts that it does not infringe the claims of those patents. The first complaint was filed on January 25, 2001 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division). On January 30, 2003, the jury found infringement by the Defendant of three of the patents involved and awarded the Company specified damages. On June 23, 2003, the Court entered final judgment in favor of the Company in an amount of approximately $4 million and entered an injunction against Defendant's sale of its Simulink and related products. The Court stayed the injunction pending appeal of the case and required the Defendant to pay a specified royalty on its U.S. sales of the same products during the pendency of appeal. The initial judgement and the royalties on the sales of infringing products through December 31, 2003, total $4.9 million and are escrowed. On July 22, 2003, Defendant filed its Notice of Appeal and the case is currently pending on appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The final judgment has not been recorded in the financial statements of the Company pending the disposition of the appeal. The second complaint was filed October 21, 2002, also in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division) and on August 27, 2003, the complaint was dismissed by agreement of the parties. On January 15, 2003, SoftWIRE Technology, LLC ("SoftWIRE") and Measurement Computing Corporation ("MCC") filed a complaint against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts asking the court to declare that SoftWIRE does not infringe certain of the Company's U.S. patents and that such patents are invalid and unenforceable. On February 21, 2003, the Company filed a complaint against SoftWIRE and MCC in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division) claiming that both SoftWIRE and MCC infringe the same and certain other of the Company's U.S. patents. SoftWIRE and MCC challenge the validity and enforceability of these patents and assert that they do not infringe any of these patents. In the Eastern District action, the Company seeks monetary damages and injunction of the sale of certain products of SoftWIRE and MCC as well as attorney's fees and costs. By order of the Court, the Eastern District action was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts on May 9, 2003, and has been consolidated with the previously-filed SoftWIRE action, which also includes counterclaims by the Company that are the same in substance as the Company's claims in the Eastern District action. On June 12, 2003, SoftWIRE moved for leave to amend its complaint in order to allege that the Company infringes two U.S. patents that SoftWIRE acquired by purchase on May 23, 2003. On November 5, 2003, the Court granted SoftWIRE's motion to amend, thereby adding SoftWIRE's two patents to the litigation. With respect to those two SoftWIRE patents, SoftWIRE seeks monetary damages and injunction of the sale of certain products of the Company as well as attorney's fees and costs. The Company challenges the validity, enforceability and alleged infringement of those patents and intends to vigorously defend against SoftWIRE's claims. Discovery in the litigation is underway. During the fourth quarter of 2003, the Company accrued $3.8 million related to its probable loss from this contingency, which consists solely of anticipated patent defense costs that are probable of being incurred. However, the outcome of any litigation is inherently uncertain and there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome of this matter or any other litigation. The Company did not make any charges against this accrual during calendar 2003. ITEM 4. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS No matter was submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year covered by this report. PART II ITEM 5. MARKET FOR THE REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS The Company's Common Stock, $0.01 par value, began trading on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol NATI effective March 13, 1995. Prior to that date, there was no public market for the Common Stock. The high and low closing prices for the Common Stock, as reported by Nasdaq for the two most recent fiscal years, are as indicated in the following table. High Low 2003 First Quarter 2003...................................... $37.01 $31.81 Second Quarter 2003..................................... 39.15 29.36 Third Quarter 2003...................................... 43.78 35.60 Fourth Quarter 2003..................................... 46.93 39.94 High Low 2002 First Quarter 2002...................................... $42.62 $34.12 Second Quarter 2002..................................... 41.75 30.21 Third Quarter 2002...................................... 31.50 21.56 Fourth Quarter 2002..................................... 36.46 20.00 At the close of business on January 20, 2004, there were approximately 600 holders of record of the Common Stock and approximately 13,000 shareholders of beneficial interest. The Company believes factors such as quarterly fluctuations in results of operations, announcements by the Company or its competitors, technological innovations, new product introductions, governmental regulations, litigation, changes in earnings estimates by analysts or changes in the Company's financial guidance may cause the market price of the Common Stock to fluctuate, perhaps substantially. In addition, stock prices for many technology companies fluctuate widely for reasons that may be unrelated to their operating results. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of the Company's Common Stock. The Company paid cash dividends of $0.05 per share each on August 29, 2003 and November 24, 2003. Prior to this, the Company had not paid any cash dividends on its Common Stock. On October 24, 2003, the Company issued an aggregate of 24,000 shares of its common stock (together with cash) in connection with its acquisition of the outstanding shares of a privately held company. The shares were issued to the shareholders of the acquired company pursuant to Section 4(2) under the Securities Act of 1933 based on representations and warranties obtained from the persons to whom the shares were issued. See Item 12 for information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans. ITEM 6. SELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements, including the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. The information set forth below is not necessarily indicative of results of future operations. The information should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations."
Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Statements of Income Data: Net sales: North America.................................. $ 200,210 $ 195,770 $ 195,842 $ 215,960 $ 175,873 Europe......................................... 137,761 122,800 128,523 133,799 108,801 Asia Pacific................................... 87,921 72,220 60,910 60,390 44,909 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Consolidated net sales......................... 425,892 390,790 385,275 410,149 329,583 Cost of sales.................................... 111,672 105,086 101,297 98,326 76,040 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Gross profit................................... 314,220 285,704 283,978 311,823 253,543 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Operating expenses: Sales and marketing............................ 160,478 145,671 145,555 147,377 120,886 Research and development....................... 70,896 63,964 60,745 55,954 45,531 General and administrative..................... 42,497 35,714 29,234 32,077 24,258 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Total operating expenses...................... 273,871 245,349 235,534 235,408 190,675 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Operating income.............................. 40,349 40,355 48,444 76,415 62,868 Other income (expense): Interest income................................ 2,511 3,295 5,837 6,390 4,759 Interest expense............................... (62) (128) (26) (533) (404) Net foreign exchange gain (loss) and other..... 1,693 96 (722) (1,159) 130 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Income before income taxes and cumulative effect of accounting change............................. 44,491 43,618 53,533 81,113 67,353 Provision for income taxes....................... 11,123 12,213 17,131 25,956 21,553 ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Income before cumulative effect of accounting change........................................... 33,368 31,405 36,402 55,157 45,800 Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax.............................................. -- -- -- -- (552) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Net income................................... $ 33,368 $ 31,405 $ 36,402 $ 55,157 $ 45,248 ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Basic earnings per share: Income before cumulative effect of accounting change........................................... $ 0.65 $ 0.61 $ 0.72 $ 1.10 $ 0.92 Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax.............................................. -- -- -- -- (0.01) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Basic earnings per share....................... $ 0.65 $ 0.61 $ 0.72 $ 1.10 $ 0.91 ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Diluted earnings per share: Income before cumulative effect of accounting change........................................... $ 0.62 $ 0.59 $ 0.68 $ 1.03 $ 0.88 Cumulative effect of accounting change, net of tax.............................................. -- -- -- -- (0.01) ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Diluted earnings per share..................... $ 0.62 $ 0.59 $ 0.68 $ 1.03 $ 0.87 ========== ========== ========== ========== ========== Weighted average shares outstanding: Basic.......................................... 51,625 51,219 50,910 50,332 49,776 Diluted........................................ 53,964 53,411 53,651 53,564 52,203 Cash dividends paid per common share........... $ 0.10 $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- ========== ========== ========== ========== ==========
December 31, 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- (in thousands) Balance Sheet Data: Cash and cash equivalents........................ $ 53,446 $ 40,240 $ 49,089 $ 75,277 $ 45,309 Short-term investments........................... 141,227 113,638 101,422 79,525 83,525 Working capital.................................. 255,330 211,453 209,836 220,208 173,761 Total assets..................................... 525,151 458,714 424,619 389,350 318,753 Long-term debt, net of current portion........... -- -- -- -- 4,301 Total stockholders' equity....................... 439,452 386,463 366,164 321,023 254,235
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS The following "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements regarding our expected financial performance. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. We use words such as "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "expect," "future," "intend," "may," "will," "project," "continue," "estimate" and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements. As a result of certain factors including those set forth under the heading "Factors affecting the Company's Business and Prospects" beginning on page 19, and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement. Overview National Instruments designs, develops, manufactures and markets instrumentation and automation software and hardware for general commercial, industrial and scientific applications. The Company offers hundreds of products used to create virtual instrumentation systems for measurement and automation. The Company has identified a large and diverse market for test and measurement ("T&M") and industrial automation ("IA") applications. The Company's products are used in a variety of applications from research and development to production testing, monitoring and industrial control. In T&M applications, the Company's products can be used to monitor and control traditional instruments or to create computer-based instruments that can replace traditional instruments. In IA applications, the Company's products can be used in the same ways as in test and measurement and can also be used to integrate measurement functionality with process automation capabilities. The Company sells to a large number of customers in a wide variety of industries. No single customer accounted for more than 3% of the Company's sales in 2003, 2002 or 2001. The Company has been profitable in every year since 1990. However, there can be no assurance that the Company's net sales will grow or that the Company will remain profitable in future periods. As a result, the Company believes historical results of operations should not be relied upon as indications of future performance. Results of Operations The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the percentage of net sales represented by certain items reflected in the Company's consolidated statements of income: Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 -------- -------- -------- Net sales: North America.................................. 47.0% 50.1% 50.8% Europe......................................... 32.4 31.4 33.4 Asia Pacific................................... 20.6 18.5 15.8 -------- -------- -------- Consolidated net sales......................... 100.0 100.0 100.0 Cost of sales...................................... 26.2 26.9 26.3 -------- -------- -------- Gross profit................................... 73.8 73.1 73.7 Operating expenses: Sales and marketing............................ 37.7 37.3 37.8 Research and development....................... 16.6 16.4 15.8 General and administrative..................... 10.0 9.1 7.5 -------- -------- -------- Total operating expenses.................... 64.3 62.8 61.1 -------- -------- -------- Operating income............................ 9.5 10.3 12.6 Other income (expense): Interest income................................ 0.6 0.8 1.5 Interest expense............................... -- -- -- Net foreign exchange gain (loss) and other..... 0.3 -- (0.2) -------- -------- -------- Income before income taxes......................... 10.4 11.1 13.9 Provision for income taxes......................... 2.6 3.1 4.5 -------- -------- -------- Net income......................................... 7.8% 8.0% 9.4% ======== ======== ======== Net Sales. In 2003, net sales for the Company's products were $425.9 million, a 9% increase from the level achieved in 2002, which followed an increase in net sales of 1% in 2002 from the level achieved in 2001. The Company believes the increase in sales in 2003 is primarily attributable to the introduction of new and upgraded products, an early stage recovery in the global economy and an increased market acceptance of the Company's products in Asia. The Company believes the increase in sales in 2002 was primarily attributable to the introduction of new and upgraded products and an increased market acceptance of the Company's products in Asia. Sales in North America increased 2% to $200.2 million in 2003 compared to 2002. North America sales in 2002 were flat with sales in 2001. Sales outside of North America, as a percentage of consolidated sales for 2003, increased to 53.0% from 49.9% in 2002, as a result of stronger sales in Asia Pacific and a stronger Euro. European revenue was $137.8 million in 2003, an increase of 12% from 2002, following a 4% decrease in 2002 from 2001. Asia Pacific revenue grew 22% to $87.9 million in 2003, which followed a 19% increase in 2002 over 2001 levels. The Company expects sales outside of North America to continue to represent a significant portion of its revenue. The Company intends to continue to expand its international operations by increasing its presence in existing markets, adding a market presence in some new geographical markets and continuing the use of distributors to sell its products in some countries. Sales made by the Company's direct sales offices in Europe and Asia Pacific are denominated in local currencies, and accordingly, the U.S. dollar equivalent of these sales is affected by changes in the foreign currency exchange rates. Between 2003 and 2002, net of hedging results, the change in the exchange rates had the effect of increasing the Company's consolidated sales by 2.5%, increasing European sales by 13% and decreasing sales in Asia Pacific by 13%. The increase in sales in Europe as a result of the change in exchange rates was partially offset by the decrease in local currency product pricing in Europe. Since most of the Company's international operating expenses are also incurred in local currencies, the change in exchange rates had the effect of increasing operating expenses $6.5 million, or 2.4%, in 2003 and $4.5 million, or 1.9%, in 2002, and decreasing operating expenses $2.0 million, or 0.9%, in 2001. Gross Profit. As a percentage of sales, gross profit represented 74%, 73% and 74% in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. The increase in gross margin in 2003 compared to the prior year is primarily attributable to favorable foreign currency exchange rates and the favorable impact of higher sales volume. There can be no assurance that the Company will maintain its historical margins. The Company believes its current manufacturing capacity is adequate to meet current needs. Sales and Marketing. Sales and marketing expense in 2003 increased to $160.5 million, a 10% increase from 2002. Sales and marketing expenses in 2002 were flat with 2001. Sales and marketing expense as a percentage of revenue was 38% in 2003, up from 37% in 2002 and flat with 38% in 2001. Approximately $9.1 million of the increase in sales and marketing expenses in 2003 compared to 2002 is attributable to the increase in international sales and marketing personnel costs, and approximately $5.4 million of the increase is attributable to increases in advertising and literature costs and special event activity. The Company expects sales and marketing expenses in future periods to increase in absolute dollars, and to fluctuate as a percentage of sales based on recruiting, initial marketing and advertising campaign costs associated with major new product releases and entry into new market areas, investment in web sales and marketing efforts, increasing product demonstration costs and the timing of domestic and international conferences and trade shows. Research and Development. Research and development expense in 2003 increased 11% compared to 2002 following an increase of 5% in 2002 over 2001. The increase in research and development costs in each period was primarily due to increases in personnel costs from hiring of additional product development engineers. Research and development personnel increased from 791 at December 31, 2002 to 852 at December 31, 2003. The Company plans to continue making a significant investment in research and development in order to remain competitive and support revenue growth. The Company capitalizes software development costs in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 86, "Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software to be Sold, Leased, or Otherwise Marketed." The Company amortizes such costs over the related product's estimated economic useful life, generally three years, beginning when a product becomes available for general release. Software amortization expense totaled $5.6 million, $3.8 million and $3.1 million during 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. Software development costs capitalized during such years were $10.7 million, $5.8 million and $3.9 million, respectively. (See Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of intangibles.) General and Administrative. General and administrative expenses in 2003 increased 19% from 2002, which followed an increase of 22% in 2002 from 2001. The increase in general and administrative expenses in 2003 from 2002 is primarily attributable to the upgrade of the Company's America's business applications suite to Oracle's latest web-based release 11i, continued investment in the Company's web and e-commerce offerings and $8.0 million for patent litigation. The patent litigation expense consisted primarily of a $3.8 million charge recorded in the fourth quarter of 2003 for the probable loss resulting solely from anticipated patent defense costs related to the legal action brought against the Company by SoftWIRE Technology, LLC ("SoftWIRE") and Measurement Computing Corporation ("MCC"), and $3.8 million associated with the legal action brought by the Company against The MathWorks. (See Note 13 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.) The increase in general and administrative expenses in 2002 from 2001 is attributable to increased litigation costs of $4.7 million associated with a legal action brought by the Company against The MathWorks, Inc. in 2001 to enforce the Company's intellectual property rights, compared to a net gain of approximately $1.2 million in 2001 recorded as a result of the receipt of unexpected insurance proceeds from a case with Cognex Corporation. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue increased to 10.0% during 2003 from 9.1% during 2002. The Company expects that general and administrative expenses in future periods will fluctuate in absolute amounts and as a percentage of revenue. During 2002, the Company and Trilogy Software, Inc. ("Trilogy") settled a dispute regarding Trilogy's buy-out of the lease of the Company's Millenium office building which resulted in a gain of approximately $6.0 million from lease termination. As a result of additional facility lease consolidation, the Company incurred lease termination costs of approximately $2.4 million in 2002. In 2002, the Company irrevocably contributed approximately $3.6 million to the National Instruments Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2002 for the purpose of continued promotion of scientific and engineering research and education at higher education institutions worldwide. Two of the four directors of the National Instruments Foundation are current officers of National Instruments. Interest Income and Expense. Interest income decreased 24% in 2003 from 2002, which followed a decrease of 44% in 2002 from 2001 and a decrease of 9% in 2001 from 2000. The decrease in interest income in each year was due to lower yields on the Company's investments. The primary source of interest income is from the investment of the Company's cash. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2003 totaled $63.9 million. Net Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss). The Company experienced net foreign exchange gains of $1.1 million in 2003, compared to losses of $724,000 in 2002 and losses of $1.4 million in 2001. These results are attributable to movements between the U.S. dollar and the local currencies in countries in which the Company's subsidiaries are located. The Company recognizes the local currency as the functional currency of its international subsidiaries. The Company utilizes foreign currency forward contracts to hedge a majority of its foreign currency-denominated receivables in order to reduce its exposure to significant foreign currency fluctuations. The Company typically limits the duration of its "receivables" foreign currency forward contracts to 90 days. The Company also utilizes foreign currency forward contracts and foreign currency purchased option contracts in order to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in future foreign currency cash flows. The Company purchases these contracts for up to 100% of its forecasted cash flows in selected currencies (primarily the euro, yen and pound sterling) and limits the duration of these contracts to 40 months. The foreign currency purchased option contracts are purchased "at-the-money" or "out-of-the-money." As a result, the Company's hedging activities only partially address its risks in foreign currency transactions, and there can be no assurance that this strategy will be successful. The Company does not invest in contracts for speculative purposes. (See Note 10 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of the Company's forward and purchased option contracts and hedged positions.) The Company's hedging strategy reduced the foreign exchange gains for December 31, 2003 by $11.5 million and increased the net foreign exchange loss for December 31, 2002 by $1.4 million. Provision for Income Taxes. The provision for income taxes reflects an effective tax rate of 25% in 2003, 28% in 2002 and 32% in 2001. The decrease in the effective rate resulted from income tax benefits attributable to the extraterritorial income exclusion and a change in the distribution of income among taxing jurisdictions, particularly the impact of the Company's manufacturing facility in Hungary. The Company's effective tax rate is lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35% primarily as a result of the extraterritorial income exclusion, tax-exempt interest and reduced tax rates in certain foreign jurisdictions. Liquidity and Capital Resources The Company is currently financing its operations and capital expenditures through cash flow from operations. At December 31, 2003, the Company had working capital of approximately $255.3 million compared to $211.5 million at December 31, 2002. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2003, 2002 and 2001 totaled $63.1 million, $49.1 million and $57.2 million, respectively. Accounts receivable increased to $78.0 million at December 31, 2003 from $63.0 million at December 31, 2002, as a result of higher sales levels in the fourth quarter of 2003 compared to the fourth quarter of 2002. Days sales outstanding at December 31, 2003 increased to 58 days from 54 days at December 31, 2002. Consolidated inventory balances have decreased to $38.9 million at December 31, 2003 from $39.2 million at December 31, 2002. Inventory turns of 3.2 per year for 2003 represent an increase from turns of 2.8 per year for 2002. Cash used in 2003 for the purchase of property and equipment totaled $18.0 million, for the capitalization of internally developed software costs totaled $9.7 million, for acquisitions totaled $6.3 million and for additions to other intangibles totaled $2.5 million. Cash used in 2002 for the purchase of property and equipment totaled $30.8 million, for the capitalization of internally developed software costs totaled $5.8 million and for additions to other intangibles totaled $3.0 million. Cash used in 2001 for the purchase of property and equipment totaled $65.3 million, for the capitalization of internally developed software costs totaled $3.9 million and for additions to other intangibles totaled $1.0 million. Cash provided by the issuance of common stock totaled $19.4 million, $13.4 million and $12.2 million in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively, and cash used for payment of dividends totaled $5.2 million in 2003. The issuance of common stock was primarily to employees under the Employee Stock Purchase and Stock Option Plans. The following summarizes the Company's contractual cash obligations as of December 31, 2003 (in thousands):
-------------------------------------------------------------------- Payments Due by Period -------------------------------------------------------------------- Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Beyond -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Long-term debt $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- Capital lease obligations -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Operating leases 24,686 7,113 5,387 3,202 2,089 881 6,014 Other long-term obligations -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- Total contractual cash obligations $ 24,686 $ 7,113 $ 5,387 $ 3,202 $ 2,089 $ 881 $ 6,014 ======== ======== ======== ======== ======== ======== ========
The following summarizes the Company's other commercial commitments as of December 31, 2003 (in thousands): ------------------------------------------------------ Total 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Beyond ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Guarantees $3,500 $3,500 $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- Purchase obligations 3,400 3,400 -- -- -- -- -- ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ ------ Total commercial commitments $6,900 $6,900 $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- $ -- ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== ====== The Company currently expects to fund expenditures for capital requirements as well as liquidity needs created by changes in working capital from a combination of available cash and short-term investment balances and internally generated funds. As of December 31, 2003 and 2002, the Company had no debt outstanding. The Company believes that the cash flow from operations, if any, existing cash balances and short-term investments, will be sufficient to meet its cash requirements for at least the next twelve months. Cash requirements for periods beyond the next twelve months will depend on the Company's profitability, its ability to manage working capital requirements and its rate of growth. Financial Risk Management The Company's international sales are subject to inherent risks, including fluctuations in local economies; difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations; greater difficulty in accounts receivable collection; costs and risks of localizing products for foreign countries; unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, tariffs and other trade barriers; difficulties in the repatriation of earnings and burdens of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws. The Company's sales outside of North America are denominated in local currencies, and accordingly, the Company is subject to the risks associated with fluctuations in currency rates. In particular, increases in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies decrease the U.S. dollar value of foreign sales requiring the Company either to increase its price in the local currency, which could render the Company's product prices noncompetitive, or to suffer reduced revenues and gross margins as measured in U.S. dollars. These dynamics have adversely affected revenue growth in international markets in previous years. The Company's foreign currency hedging program includes both foreign currency forward and purchased option contracts to reduce the effect of exchange rate fluctuations. However, the hedging program will not eliminate all of the Company's foreign exchange risks. (See "Net Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss)" and Note 10 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.) The marketplace for the Company's products dictates that many of the Company's products be shipped very quickly after an order is received. As a result, the Company is required to maintain significant inventories. Therefore, inventory obsolescence is a risk for the Company due to frequent engineering changes, shifting customer demand, the emergence of new industry standards and rapid technological advances including the introduction by the Company or its competitors of products embodying new technology. While the Company maintains valuation allowances for excess and obsolete inventories and management continues to monitor the adequacy of such valuation allowances, there can be no assurance that such valuation allowances will be sufficient. The Company has no debt or off-balance sheet debt. As of December 31, 2003, the Company has non-cancelable operating lease obligations of approximately $24.7 million and contractual purchase commitments with various suppliers of general components and customized inventory components of approximately $3.4 million. As of December 31, 2003, the Company has outstanding guarantees for payment of foreign operating leases, customs and foreign grants totaling approximately $3.5 million. (See Note 12 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.) As of December 31, 2003, the Company did not have any relationships with any unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. As such, the Company is not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if the Company were engaged in such relationships. Market Risk The Company is exposed to a variety of risks, including foreign currency fluctuations and changes in the market value of its investments. In the normal course of business, the Company employs established policies and procedures to manage its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency values and changes in the market value of its investments. Foreign Currency Hedging Activities. The Company's objective in managing its exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations is to reduce the impact of adverse fluctuations in such exchange rates on the Company's earnings and cash flow. Accordingly, the Company utilizes purchased foreign currency option contracts and forward contracts to hedge its exposure on anticipated transactions and firm commitments. The principal currencies hedged are the euro, British pound and Japanese yen. The Company monitors its foreign exchange exposures regularly to ensure the overall effectiveness of its foreign currency hedge positions. However, there can be no assurance the Company's foreign currency hedging activities will substantially offset the impact of fluctuations in currency exchange rates on its results of operations and financial position. Based on the foreign exchange instruments outstanding at December 31, 2003, an adverse change (defined as 20% in the Asian currencies and 10% in all other currencies) in exchange rates would result in a decline in the aggregate fair market value of all instruments outstanding of approximately $12.0 million. However, as the Company utilizes foreign currency instruments for hedging anticipated and firmly committed transactions, management believes that a loss in fair value for those instruments will be substantially offset by increases in the value of the underlying exposure. (See Note 9 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of the Company's financial instruments at December 31, 2003 and 2002.) Short-term Investments. The fair value of the Company's investments in marketable securities at December 31, 2003 was $141.2 million. Investments with maturities beyond one year are classified as short-term based on their highly liquid nature and because such marketable securities represent the investment of cash that is available for current operations. The Company's investment policy is to manage its investment portfolio to preserve principal and liquidity while maximizing the return on the investment portfolio through the full investment of available funds. The Company diversifies the marketable securities portfolio by investing in multiple types of investment-grade securities. The Company's investment portfolio is primarily invested in securities with at least an investment grade rating to minimize interest rate and credit risk as well as to provide for an immediate source of funds. Based on the Company's investment portfolio and interest rates at December 31, 2003, a 100 basis point increase or decrease in interest rates would result in a decrease or increase of approximately $700,000, respectively, in the fair value of the investment portfolio. Although changes in interest rates may affect the fair value of the investment portfolio and cause unrealized gains or losses, such gains or losses would not be realized unless the investments are sold. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncement In May 2003, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity. This Statement establishes standards for how an issuer classifies and measures certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. It requires that an issuer classify a financial instrument that is within its scope as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances) because that financial instrument embodies an obligation of the issuer. This Statement is effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003, and otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003. It is to be implemented by reporting the cumulative effect of a change in an accounting principle for financial instruments created before the issuance date of the Statement and still existing at the beginning of the interim period of adoption. The adoption of SFAS No. 150 did not have a material effect on the Company's financial position or results of operations. Critical Accounting Policies The Company's critical accounting policies are as follows: o Revenue recognition Revenue from the sale and licensing of products is generally recognized on the date the product is shipped to the customer. Revenue related to the sale of maintenance contracts is deferred and amortized on a straight-line basis over the service period. o Estimating allowances, specifically sales returns, the allowance for doubtful accounts and the valuation allowance for excess and obsolete inventories The preparation of financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Specifically, the Company must make estimates of potential future product returns related to current period product revenue. Management analyzes historical returns, current economic trends, and changes in customer demand and acceptance of its products when evaluating the adequacy of the sales returns and other allowances. Significant management judgments and estimates must be made and used in connection with establishing the sales returns and other allowances in any accounting period. The allowance for sales returns was $1.1 million at December 31, 2003. Material differences may result in the amount and timing of the Company's revenue for any period if management made different judgments or utilized different estimates. Similarly, management must make estimates of the uncollectability of the Company's accounts receivables. Management specifically analyzes accounts receivable and analyzes historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness and current economic trends when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $2.1 million at December 31, 2003. The Company writes down its inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and estimated market value based on assumptions of future demand and market conditions. The valuation allowance for excess and obsolete inventories was $3.8 million at December 31, 2003. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write downs may be required. o Accounting for costs of computer software The Company capitalizes costs related to the development and acquisition of certain software products. Capitalization of costs begins when technological feasibility has been established and ends when the product is available for general release to customers. Amortization is computed on an individual product basis for those products available for market and has been recognized based on the product's estimated economic life, generally three years. At each balance sheet date, the unamortized costs are reviewed by management and reduced to net realized value when necessary. As of December 31, 2003, unamortized capitalized software development costs was $14.2 million. o Valuation of long-lived and intangible assets The Company assesses the impairment of identifiable intangibles, long-lived assets and related goodwill whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors considered important which could trigger an impairment review include the following: o Significant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results; o Significant changes in the manner of the Company's use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business; o Significant negative industry or economic trends; o The Company's market capitalization relative to net book value. When it is determined that the carrying value of intangibles, long-lived assets and related goodwill may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above indicators of impairment, the measurement of any impairment is determined and the carrying value is reduced as appropriate. As of December 31, 2003, the Company had net goodwill of approximately $10.3 million. o Accounting for income taxes The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company's financial statements or tax returns. In estimating future tax consequences, all expected future events are considered other than enactments of changes in tax laws or rates. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts which are more likely than not to be realized. o Loss contingencies The Company accrues for probable losses from contingencies including legal defense costs, on an undiscounted basis, in accordance with SFAS No. 5, Accounting for Loss Contingencies, when such costs are considered probable of being incurred and are reasonably estimable. The Company periodically evaluates available information, both internal and external, relative to such contingencies and adjusts this accrual as necessary. Factors Affecting the Company's Business and Prospects 1A.     RISK FACTORS

U.S./Global Economic Slowdown. Change Will Impact our Future Business.As has occurred in recent years, the markets in which the Company doeswe do business could again experience the negative effects of a slowdown in the U.S. and/or Global economies. Additionally, the Company could be impacted by the effects of any recurrenceThe worsening of the SARS virus, either through increased difficultyU.S. or costs for the exportGlobal economies could result in reduced purchasing and capital spending in any of products into affected regions, the import of components used in the Company's products from affected regions, and/or the effects the virus or costs to contain the virusour markets which could have a material adverse effect on the economy in regions in which the Company doesour operating results. Our business particularly Asia, which has been the highest growth region of the Company over the past two years. The Company could also be subject to or impacted by acts of terrorism and/or the effects that war or continued U.S. military action would have on the U.S. and/or globalGlobal economies. The worsening of the U.S.Our business could also be impacted by public health concerns, natural disasters, disruptions to public or Global economies couldcommercial transportation systems, political instability or similar events which result in reduced purchasing and capital spendingincreased difficulty or higher costs for the export of products into affected regions, the import of components used in any ofour products from affected regions, and/or the markets served byeffects the Company which could have a material adverse effectevent has on the Company's operating results. Budgets. The Company haseconomy in regions in which we do business.

We Have Established a Budget and Variations From Such Budget Will Affect our Financial Results.We have established an operating budget for 2004. The Company's2006. Our budget was established based on the estimated revenue from forecasted sales of our products which is based in part on economic conditions in the markets in which we do business as well as the timing and volume of our new products and the expected penetration of both new and existing products in the marketplace. Our spending for 20042006 could exceed thisour budget due to a number of factors;factors, including: additional marketing costs for new product introductions and/or for conferences and tradeshows; increased costs from the over-hiring ofhiring more product development engineers or other personnel; additional costs related to acquisitions, if any; increased manufacturing costs resulting from component supply shortages and/or component price fluctuations and/or additional expenses related to intellectual property litigation. Any future decreaseddecrease in demand for the Company'sour products could result in decreased revenue and could require the Companyus to revise itsour budget and reduce expenditures. Exceeding theour established operating budget or failing to reduce expenditures in response to any decrease in revenue could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. Risk of

We May Experience Component Shortages. As has occurred in the past and as may be expected to occur in the future, supply shortages of components used in our products, including sole source components, can result in significant additional costs and inefficiencies in manufacturing. If the Company iswe are unsuccessful in resolving any such component shortages itin a timely manner, we will experience a significant impact on the timing of revenue, a possible loss of revenue and/or an increase in manufacturing costs, eitherany of which would have a material adverse impact on the Company'sour operating results. Fluctuations in

Our Quarterly Results. The Company'sResults are Subject to Fluctuation Due to Various Factors.Our quarterly operating results have fluctuated in the past and may fluctuate significantly in the future due to a number of factors, including: changes in the mix of products sold; the availability and pricing of components from third parties (especially sole sources); the timing of orders; level of pricing of international sales; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; the difficulty in maintaining margins, including the higher margins traditionally achieved in international sales; and changes in pricing policies by the Company, its

ochanges in the mix of products sold;
othe availability and pricing of components from third parties (especially sole sources);
othe timing of orders;
opricing of our products;
ofluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;
oin the timing, cost or outcome of intellectual property litigation;
othe difficulty in maintaining margins, including the higher margins traditionally achieved in international sales;
ochanges in pricing policies by us, our competitors or suppliers.

        Specifically, if the local currencies in which the Company sellswe sell weaken against the U.S. dollar, and if the local sales prices cannot be raised the Companydue to competitive pressures, we will experience a deterioration of itsour gross and net profit margins. If the U.S. dollar strengthens in the future, it could have a material adverse effect on our gross and net profit margins.

        As has occurred in the past and as may be expected to occur in the future, our new software products of the Company or new operating systems of third parties on which the Company'sour products are based often contain bugs or errors that can result in reduced sales and/or cause the Company'sour support costs to increase, either of which could have a material adverse impact on the Company'sour operating results. Furthermore, the Company haswe have significant revenues from customers in industries such as semiconductors, automated test equipment, telecommunications, aerospace, defense and automotive which are cyclical in nature. Downturns in these industries could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results.

        In recent years, the Company'sour revenues have been characterized by seasonality, with revenues typically being relatively constant in the first, second and third quarters, growing in the fourth quarter and being relatively flat or declining from the fourth quarter of the year to the first quarter of the following year. The Company believesThis historical trend may be affected in the future by the economic impact of larger orders as well as the timing of new product introductions and/or acquisitions, if any. We believe the seasonality of itsour revenue results from the international mix of itsour revenue and the variability of the budgeting and purchasing cycles of itsour customers throughout each international region. In addition, total operating expenses have in the past tended to be higher in the second and third quarters of each year, due to recruiting and increased intern personnel expenses.

Our Success Depends on New Product Introductions and Market Acceptance. Acceptance of our Products.The market for the Company'sour products is characterized by rapid technological change, evolving industry standards, changes in customer needs and frequent new product introductions, and is therefore highly dependent upon timely product innovation. The Company'sOur success is dependent on itsour ability to successfully develop and introduce new and enhanced products on a timely basis to replace declining revenues from older products, and on increasing penetration in domestic and international markets. In the past, the Company haswe have experienced significant delays between the announcement and the commercial availability of new products. Any significant delay in releasing new products could have a material adverse effect on the ultimate success of a product and other related products and could impede continued sales of predecessor products, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. There can be no assurance that the Companywe will be able to introduce new products in accordance with announced release dates, that new products will achieve market acceptance or that any such acceptance will be sustained for any significant period. Failure of new products to achieve or sustain market acceptance could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. Moreover, there can be no assurance that the Company'sour international sales will continue at existing levels or grow in accordance with the Company'sour efforts to increase foreign market penetration.

We are Subject to Risks Associated with Increased Development ofour Web Site. The Company has devoted significantSite. We devote resources in developing itsto maintain our Web site as a key marketing, sales and salessupport tool and expectsexpect to continue to do so in the future. ThereHowever, there can be no assurance that the Companywe will be successful in itsour attempt to leverage the Web to increase sales. The Company hosts itsWe host our Web site internally. Any failure to successfully maintain theour Web site and to protect it from attackor any significant downtime or outages affecting our Web site could have a significant adverse impact on the Company'sour operating results. Operation

We Operate in Intensely Competitive Markets. The markets in which the Company operateswe operate are characterized by intense competition from numerous competitors, some of which are divisions of large corporations having far greater resources than the Company,we have, and the Company expectswe expect to face further competition from new market entrants in the future. A key competitor is Agilent Technologies Inc. ("Agilent"(“Agilent”). Agilent offers its own line of instrument controllers, and also offers hardware and software add-on products for third-party desktop computers and workstations that provide solutions that directly compete with the Company'sour virtual instrumentation products. Agilent is aggressively advertising and marketing products that are competitive with the Company'sour products. Because of Agilent'sAgilent’s strong position in the instrumentation business, changes in its marketing strategy or product offerings could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. The Company believes its

        We believe our ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors both within and outside itsour control, including: new product introductions by competitors; product pricing; quality and performance; success in developing new products; adequate manufacturing capacity and supply of components and materials; efficiency of manufacturing operations; effectiveness of sales and marketing resources and strategies; strategic relationships with other suppliers; timing of our new product introductions by the Company;introductions; protection of the Company'sour products by effective use of intellectual property laws; the outcome of any material intellectual property litigation; general market and economic conditions; and government actions throughout the world. There can be no assurance that the Companywe will be able to compete successfully in the future.

We Rely on Management Information Systems. During 2003, the Company successfully upgraded its America's business applications suite to Oracle's latest web-based release 11i. However, there can be no assurance that the Company will not experience difficulties with the new system. Difficulties with the system may interrupt normal Company operations, including the ability to: provide quotes, process orders, ship products, provide servicesSystems and support to its customers, bill and track its customers, fulfill contractual obligations and otherwise run its business. Any disruptions of the system may have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results. In 2003, the Company also continued development of its web offerings. In 2004, the Company will be focusing on the upgrade of its European business applications suite to Oracle's latest web-based release 11i, as well as the management information system for the Company's current warehouse facilities, and will continue to devote significant resources to the development of the Company's web offerings. Any failure to successfully implement these initiatives could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results. The Company reliesany Disruption in Such Systems Would Adversely Affect Us. We rely on three primary regional centers for itsour management information systems. As with any information system, unforeseen issues may arise that could affect management'smanagement’s ability to receive adequate, accurate and timely financial information, which in turn could inhibit effective and timely decisions. Furthermore, it is possible that one or more of the Company'sour three regional information systems could experience a complete or partial shutdown. If such a shutdown occurred near the end of a quarter it could impact the Company'sour product shipments and revenues, as order processing and product distribution isare heavily dependent on the integrated management information systems in each region. Accordingly, operating results in that quarter would be adversely impacted. The Company isWe are working to achievemaintain reliable regional management information systems to control costs and improve itsour ability to deliver itsour products in substantially all of its directour markets worldwide. No assurance can be given that the Company'sour efforts will be successful. The failure to receive adequate, accurate and timely financial information could inhibit management'smanagement’s ability to make effective and timely decisions.

        During the third quarter of 2005, we relocated our European inventory and distribution operations from our former location in a third party logistics facility in Amsterdam to our Company-owned manufacturing facility in Debrecen, Hungary. We implemented information systems to support the maintenance of inventory at this new site and the delivery of products to customers from this new location. During the first quarter of 2005, we upgraded our management information system for our current U.S. warehouse facilities.Also during the first quarter of 2005, we upgraded our European business applications suite to Oracle’s latest web-based release, 11i. There can be no assurance that we will not experience difficulties with these new systems. Difficulties with these new systems may interrupt normal Company operations, including our ability to provide quotes, process orders, ship products, provide services and support to our customers, bill and track our customers, fulfill contractual obligations and otherwise run our business. Any disruption occurring with these systems may have a material adverse effect on our operating results. In 2005, we also continued to devote significant resources to the development of our web offerings. Any failure to successfully implement these initiatives could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

We are Subject to Various Risks Associated with International Operations and Foreign Economies.International sales are subject to inherent risks, including fluctuations in local economies, difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations, greater difficulty in accounts receivable collection, costs and risks of localizing products for foreign countries, unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, tariffs and other trade barriers, difficulties in the repatriation of earnings and the burdens of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws. The CompanyIn many foreign countries, particularly in those with developing economies, it is common to engage in business practices that are prohibited by United States regulations applicable to us such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Although we implement policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with these laws, there can be no assurance that all of our employees, contractors and agents, including those based in or from countries where practices which violate such United States laws may be customary, will not take actions in violations of our policies. Any violation of foreign or United States laws by our employees, contractors or agents, even if such violation is prohibited by our policies, could have a material adverse effect on our business. We must also comply with various import and export regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines and/or termination of import and export privileges, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. Additionally, the regulatory environment in some countries is very restrictive as their governments try to protect their local economy and value of their local currency against the U.S. dollar. Sales made by the Company'sour international direct sales offices are denominated in local currencies, and accordingly, the U.S. dollar equivalent of these sales is affected by changes in the foreign currency exchange rates. Net of hedging results, the change in exchange rates had the effect of increasing the Company'sour consolidated sales by $16.5 million, or 4.0%,3% in 20032005 compared to 2002.2004. Since most of the Company'sour international operating expenses are also incurred in local currencies, the change in exchange rates had the effect of increasing our operating expenses by $6.5$4.2 million for 20032005 compared to 2002.2004. If the U.S. dollar weakens in the future, it could result in the Companyour having to reduce prices locally in order for itsour products to remain competitive in the local marketplace. If the U.S. dollar strengthens in the future, and the Company iswe are unable to successfully raise itsour international selling prices, it could have a materially adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. Expansion

A Substantial Majority of our Manufacturing Capacity. During 2001, the Company completed construction of a secondCapacity is Located in Hungary.Our Hungarian manufacturing facility. This facility is located in Hungary and became operational in the fourth quarter of 2001. This facility sources a significant portionsubstantial majority of the Company'sour sales. Currently the Company iswe are continuing to develop and implement information systems to support the operation of this facility. This facility and its operation are also subject to risks associated with a relatively new manufacturing facility and with doing business internationally, including difficulty in managing manufacturing operations in a foreign country, difficulty in achieving or maintaining product quality, interruption to transportation flows for delivery of components to us and finished goods to our customers, and changes in the country'scountry’s political or economic conditions. No assurance can be given that the Company'sour efforts will be successful. Accordingly, anya failure to deal with these factors could result in interruption in the facility'sfacility’s operation or delays in expanding its capacity, either of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results.

Our Income Tax Rate. The Company established a manufacturing facilityRate is Affected by Tax Benefits in Hungary in 2001. .As a result of certain foreign investment incentives available under Hungarian law, the profit from the Company'sour Hungarian operation is currently exempt from income tax. These benefits may not be available in the future due to changes in Hungary'sHungary’s political condition and/or tax laws. The reduction or elimination of these foreign investment incentives would result in the reduction or elimination of certain tax benefits thereby increasing the Company'sour future effective income tax rate, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. The Company receives

        We receive a substantial income tax benefit from the extraterritorial income exemption ("ETI"(“ETI”) under U.S. law. The ETI rules provide that a percentage of the profits from products and intangibles exported from the U.S. are exempt from U.S. tax. This benefit maywill not be available in the future as the ETI has been ruled an illegal export subsidyrepealed by the World Trade Organization.American Jobs Creation Act of 2004. ETI will be phased out over the next year and will cease to be available as of December 31, 2006. The repeal of the ETI would result in the elimination of this tax benefit thereby increasing the Company'swill increase our future effective income tax rate, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. ProductsHowever, we believe that the effect of the repeal of the ETI will be offset by the effects of the expected increased benefit from the recently enacted deduction for income from qualified domestic production activities and increased profits in certain foreign jurisdictions with reduced income tax rates.

Our Product Revenues are Dependent on Certain Industries.Sales of the Company'sour products are dependent on customers in certain industries, particularly the telecommunications, semiconductor, automotive, automated test equipment, defense and aerospace industries. As experienced in the past, and as may be expected to occur in the future, downturns characterized by diminished product demand in any one or more of these industries could result in decreased sales, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results. Dependence

Our Business is Dependent on Key Suppliers. The Company'sSuppliers. Our manufacturing processes use large volumes of high-quality components and subassemblies supplied by outside sources. Several of these components are available through sole or limited sources. Sole-source components purchased by the Company include custom application-specific integrated circuits ("ASICS"(“ASICS”), chassis and other components. The Company hasWe have in the past experienced delays and quality problems in connection with sole-source components, and there can be no assurance that these problems will not recur in the future. Accordingly, the failure to receive sole-source components from suppliers could result in a material adverse effect on the Company'sour revenues and operating results. Stock-based Compensation Plans. The Company has two active stock-based compensation plans and one inactive plan. The two active stock-based compensation plans are the 1994 Incentive Stock Option Plan and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Company currently adheres to the disclosure only provisions of SFAS No. 123 as amended

Our Reported Financial Results may be Adversely Affected by SFAS No. 148,Changes in Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation - Transition and Disclosure, and as such, no compensation cost has been recognizedPrinciples Generally Accepted in the Company'sUnited States.We prepare our financial statements for the stock option plan and the stock purchase plan. The Company is currently monitoring the recent discussions related to possible new regulations regarding thein conformity with accounting treatment for stock options. The Company will comply with any changesprinciples generally accepted in the U.S. These accounting of stock options requiredprinciples are subject to interpretation by the FASB andFinancial Accounting Standards Board, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Securities and Exchange Commission. IfCommission and various bodies formed to interpret and create appropriate accounting policies. A change in these policies or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results, and could affect the fair value based methodreporting of accounting for stock options established under SFAS No. 123 were adopted effective January 1, 2003 undertransactions completed before the prospective method,announcement of a change. For example, beginning in the Company estimates it would have recognized stock option expensefirst quarter of approximately $880,000 in 2003. The impact offiscal 2006, with the adoption of the fair value based method of accountingSFAS 123(R), we now record a charge to earnings for employee stock option grants for all stock options establishedunvested at December 31, 2005. This accounting pronouncement is expected to have a material negative impact on our financial results. Technology companies generally, and our company specifically, have in the past relied on stock options as a major component of our employee compensation packages. Because we are required to expense options, we have amended our equity compensation program to no longer grant options but instead grant restricted stock units. Furthermore, because we are required to expense options, we may be less likely to sustain profitability.

Our Business Depends on our Proprietary Rights and we are Subject to Intellectual Property Litigation. Our success depends on our ability to obtain and maintain patents and other proprietary rights relative to the technologies used in our principal products. Despite our efforts to protect our proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may have in the past infringed or violated certain of our intellectual property rights. We from time to time engage in litigation to protect our intellectual property rights. In monitoring and policing our intellectual property rights, we have been and may be required to spend significant resources. We from time to time may be notified that we are infringing certain patent or intellectual property rights of others. There can be no assurance that any existing intellectual property litigation or any intellectual property litigation initiated in the future will not cause significant litigation expense, liability, injunction against some of our products, and a diversion of management’s attention, any of which may have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Compliance with Sections 302 and 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is Costly and Challenging. Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 this Form 10-K contains managements’ certification of adequate disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2005. This report on Form 10-K also contains a report by our management on our internal control over financial reporting including an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005. This Form 10-K also contains an attestation and report by our auditors with respect to management’s assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting under Section 404. While these assessments and reports did not reveal any material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, compliance with Sections 302 and 404 is being required for each future fiscal year end. We expect that the ongoing compliance with Sections 302 and 404 will continue to be both very costly and very challenging and there can be no assurance that material weaknesses will not be identified in future periods. Any adverse results from such ongoing compliance efforts could result in a loss of investor confidence in our financial reports and have an adverse effect on our stock price.

Our Business Depends on the Continued Service of Key Management and Technical Personnel.Our success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of our key management, sales, marketing, research and development and operational personnel, including Dr. Truchard, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and other members of senior management and key technical personnel. We have no agreements providing for the employment of any of our key employees for any fixed term and our key employees may voluntarily terminate their employment with us at any time. The loss of the services of one or more of our key employees in the future could have a material adverse affect on our operating results. We also believe our future success will depend upon our ability to attract and retain additional highly skilled management, technical, marketing, research and development, and operational personnel with experience in managing large and rapidly changing companies, as well as training, motivating and supervising employees. As a result of the impact that the adoption of SFAS No. 123 effective January 1, 2003 under123R in our first fiscal quarter of 2006 is expected to have on our results of operations, we have amended our equity compensation program. We will grant fewer equity instruments and the retroactive restatement methodtype of equity instrument will be restricted stock units rather than stock options, which may make it more difficult to attract or retain qualified management and technical personnel, which could have an adverse effect on our operating results. In addition, the recruiting environment for software engineering, sales and other technical professionals is reflectedvery competitive. Competition for qualified software engineers is particularly intense and is likely to result in Stock Based Compensation Plansincreased personnel costs. Failure to attract or retain qualified software engineers could have an adverse effect on our operating results. We also recruit and employ foreign nationals to achieve our hiring goals primarily for engineering and software positions. There can be no guarantee that we will continue to be able to recruit foreign nationals at the current rate. There can be no assurance that we will be successful in Note 1retaining our existing key personnel or attracting and retaining additional key personnel. Failure to attract and retain a sufficient number of Notesour key personnel could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Our Manufacturing Operations are Subject to Consolidated Financial Statements. a Variety of Environmental Regulations and Costs.We must comply with many different governmental regulations related to the use, storage, discharge and disposal of toxic, volatile or otherwise hazardous chemicals used in our manufacturing operations in the U.S. and in Hungary. Although we believe that our activities conform to presently applicable environmental regulations, our failure to comply with present or future regulations could result in the imposition of fines, suspension of production or a cessation of operations. Any such environmental regulations could require us to acquire costly equipment or to incur other significant expenses to comply with such regulations. Any failure by us to control the use of or adequately restrict the discharge of hazardous substances could subject us to future liabilities. 

Our Acquisitions are Subject to a Number of Related Costs and Challenges. We have from time to time acquired, and may in the future acquire, complementary businesses, products or technologies. Achieving the anticipated benefits of an acquisition depends upon whether the integration of the acquired business, products or technology is accomplished efficiently and effectively. In addition, successful acquisitions may require, among other things, integration of product offerings, manufacturing operations and coordination of sales and marketing and R&D efforts. These difficulties can become more challenging due to the need to coordinate geographically separated organizations, the complexities of the technologies being integrated, and the necessities of integrating personnel with disparate business backgrounds and combining two different corporate cultures. The integration of operations following an acquisition also requires the dedication of management resources, which may distract attention from our day-to-day business and may disrupt key R&D, marketing or sales efforts. The inability of our management to successfully integrate any future acquisition could harm our business. Some of the existing products previously sold by the acquired entities are of lesser quality than our products and/or could contain errors that produce incorrect results on which users rely or cause failure or interruption of systems or processes that could subject us to liability claims that could have a material adverse effect on our operating results or financial position. Furthermore, products acquired in connection with acquisitions may not gain acceptance in our markets, and we may not achieve the anticipated or desired benefits of such transaction.

Provisions in Our Charter Documents and Delaware Law and Our Stockholder Rights Plan May Delay or Prevent an Acquisition of Us. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us without the consent of our Board of Directors. These provisions include a classified Board of Directors, prohibition of stockholder action by written consent, prohibition of stockholders to call special meetings and the requirement that the holders of at least 80% of our shares approve any business combination not otherwise approved by two-thirds of the Board of Directors. Delaware law also imposes some restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between us and any holder of 15% or more of our outstanding common stock. In addition, our Board of Directors has the right to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval, which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of a potential hostile acquirer. Our Board of Directors adopted a new stockholders rights plan on January 21, 2004, pursuant to which we declared and will pay a dividend of one right for each share of our common stock outstanding as of May 10, 2004. This rights plan will replacereplaced a similar rights plan that hashad been in effect since our initial public offering in 1995. Unless redeemed by us prior to the time the rights are exercised, upon the occurrence of certain events, the rights will entitle the holders to receive upon exercise thereof shares of our preferred stock, or shares of an acquiring entity, having a value equal to twice the then-current exercise price of the right. The issuance of the rights could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change of control of us. Proprietary Rights and Intellectual Property Litigation. The Company's success depends on its ability to obtain and maintain patents and other proprietary rights relative to the technologies used in its principal products. Despite the Company's efforts to protect its proprietary rights, unauthorized parties may have in the past infringed or violated certain of the Company's intellectual property rights. The Company from time to time engages in litigation to protect its intellectual property rights. In monitoring and policing its intellectual property rights, the Company has been and may be required to spend significant resources. The Company from time to time may be notified that it is infringing certain patent or intellectual property rights of others. There can be no assurance that the SoftWIRE case and/or other existing litigation, and any other intellectual property litigation initiated in the future, will not cause significant litigation expense, liability, injunction against some of the Company's products, and a diversion of management's attention any of which may have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results. Dependence on Key Management and Technical Personnel. The Company's success depends to a significant degree upon the continued contributions of its key management, sales, marketing, research and development and operational personnel, including Dr. Truchard, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and other members of senior management and key technical personnel. The Company has no agreements providing for the employment of any of its key employees for any fixed term and the Company's key employees may voluntarily terminate their employment with the Company at any time. The loss of the services of one or more of the Company's key employees in the future could have a material adverse affect on the Company's operating results. The Company also believes its future success will depend upon its ability to attract and retain additional highly skilled management, technical, marketing, research and development, and operational personnel with experience in managing large and rapidly changing companies, as well as training, motivating and supervising employees. In addition, the recruiting environment for software engineering, sales and other technical professionals is very competitive. Competition for qualified software engineers is particularly intense and is likely to result in increased personnel costs. Failure to attract or retain qualified software engineers could have an adverse effect on the Company's operating results. The Company also recruits and employs foreign nationals to achieve its hiring goals primarily for engineering and software positions. There can be no guarantee that the Company will continue to be able to recruit foreign nationals at the current rate. These factors further intensify competition for key personnel, and there can be no assurance that the Company will be successful in retaining its existing key personnel or attracting and retaining additional key personnel. Failure to attract and retain a sufficient number of the Company's key personnel could have a material adverse effect on the Company's operating results.

Risk of Product Liability Claims. The Company'sClaims. Our products are designed to provide information upon which the users may rely. The Company attemptsOur products are also used in “real time” applications requiring extremely rapid and continuous processing and constant feedback. Such applications give rise to the risk that failure or interruption of the system or application could result in economic damage or bodily harm. We attempt to assure the quality and accuracy of the processes contained in itsour products, and to limit itsour product liability exposure through contractual limitations on liability, includinglimited warranties, express disclaimers and warnings as well as disclaimers contained in its "shrink wrap"our “shrink wrap” license agreements with end-users. If future products contain errors that produce incorrect results on which users rely or cause failure or interruption of systems or processes, customer acceptance of the Company'sour products could be adversely affected. Further, the Companywe could be subject to liability claims that could have a material adverse effect on the Company'sour operating results or financial position. Although the Company maintainswe maintain liability insurance for product liability matters, there can be no assurance that such insurance or the contractual provisionslimitations used by the Companyus to limit itsour liability will be sufficient. sufficient to cover any claims which may occur.


ITEM 7(a)1B.    UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

      None.


ITEM 2.     PROPERTIES

        Our principal activities are conducted at three buildings we own in Austin, Texas. We own approximately 69 acres of land in north Austin, Texas, on which are a 232,000 square foot office facility, a 140,000 square foot manufacturing and office facility, and a 380,000 square foot research and development facility. We also own a 136,000 square foot office building in Austin, Texas which is being leased to third-parties. We also own a 148,000 square foot manufacturing facility in Debrecen, Hungary. Our German subsidiary, National Instruments Engineering GmbH & Co. KG, owns a 25,500 square foot office building in Aachen, Germany in which a majority of its activities are conducted. National Instruments Engineering owns another 19,375 square foot office building in Aachen, Germany, which is partially leased to third-parties.

        As of December 31, 2005, we also leased a number of sales and support offices in the United States and overseas. Our facilities are currently utilized below design maximum capacity to allow for headcount growth and design/construction cycles. We believe our existing facilities are adequate to meet our current requirements.


ITEM 3.     LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

        We filed a patent infringement action on January 25, 2001 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division) claiming that The MathWorks, Inc. (“MathWorks”) infringed certain of our U.S. patents. On January 30, 2003, a jury found infringement by MathWorks of three of the patents involved and awarded us specified damages. On June 23, 2003, the District Court entered final judgment in favor of us and entered an injunction against MathWorks’ sale of its Simulink and related products and stayed the injunction pending appeal. Upon appeal, the judgment and the injunction were affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (September 3, 2004). Subsequently the stay of injunction was lifted by the District Court. In November 2004, the final judgment amount of $7.4 million which had been held in escrow pending appeal was released to us.

        An action was filed by MathWorks against us on September 22, 2004, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division), claiming that on that day MathWorks had released modified versions of its Simulink and related products, and seeking a declaratory judgment that the modified products do not infringe the three patents adjudged infringed in the District Court’s decision of June 23, 2003, (and affirmed by the Court of Appeals on September 3, 2004). On November 2, 2004, MathWorks served the complaint on us. We filed an answer to MathWorks’ declaratory judgment complaint, denying MathWorks’ claims of non-infringement and alleging our own affirmative defenses. On January 5, 2005, the Court denied a contempt motion by us to enjoin the modified Simulink products under the injunction in effect from the first case. On January 7, 2005, we amended our answer to include counterclaims that MathWorks’ modified products are infringing three of our patents, and requested unspecified damages and an injunction. MathWorks filed its reply to our counterclaims on February 7, 2005, denying the counterclaims and alleging affirmative defenses. On March 2, 2005, we filed a notice of appeal regarding the Court’s denial of the contempt motion. On March 15, 2005, the Court stayed MathWorks’ declaratory judgment action, pending a decision on the appeal by the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. The case schedule has yet to be set in this action. On February 9, 2006, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the District Court’s January 2005 order. During the fourth quarter of 2004, we accrued $4 million related to our probable loss from this contingency, which consists entirely of anticipated patent defense costs that are probable of being incurred. We charged approximately $19,000 against this accrual during the fourth quarter of 2005. We have charged a total of $344,000 against this accrual through December 31, 2005.


ITEM 4.     SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

        No matter was submitted to a vote of our security holders during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year covered by this report.


PART II

ITEM 5.     MARKET RISK ResponseFOR THE REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

        Our Common Stock, $0.01 par value, began trading on the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol NATI effective March 13, 1995. Prior to that date, there was no public market for our Common Stock. The high and low closing prices for our Common Stock, as reported by Nasdaq for the two most recent fiscal years, are as indicated in the following table.

HighLow
2005      
First Quarter 2005  $29.37 $24.87 
Second Quarter 2005   24.56 21.09
Third Quarter 2005   29.48 21.52
Fourth Quarter 2005   33.00 23.33
   
2004   
First Quarter 2004  $34.11 $29.15 
Second Quarter 2004   33.87 28.72
Third Quarter 2004   29.98 24.30
Fourth Quarter 2004   30.89 25.19

        At the close of business on February 21, 2006, there were approximately 600 holders of record of our Common Stock and approximately 16,000 shareholders of beneficial interest.

        We believe factors such as quarterly fluctuations in our results of operations, announcements by us or our competitors, technological innovations, new product introductions, governmental regulations, litigation, changes in earnings estimates by analysts or changes in our financial guidance may cause the market price of our Common Stock to fluctuate, perhaps substantially. In addition, stock prices for many technology companies fluctuate widely for reasons that may be unrelated to their operating results. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the market price of our Common Stock.

        We paid cash dividends of $0.05 per share each on February 25, 2005, May 31, 2005, August 25, 2005, November 28, 2005, June 1, 2004, August 30, 2004 and November 29, 2004, and paid cash dividends of $0.03? per share on August 29, 2003, November 24, 2003 and February 20, 2004. Prior to this, itemwe had not paid any cash dividends on our Common Stock. Our policy as to future dividends will be based on, among other considerations, our views on potential future capital requirements related to research and development, expansion into new market areas, investments and acquisitions, share dilution management, legal risks, and challenges to our business model.

        See Item 12 for information regarding securities authorized for issuance under our equity compensation plans.

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

PeriodTotal number
of shares
Average price
paid per share
Total number of shares purchased
as part of a publicly announced
plan or program
Maximum number of shares that
may yet be purchased under
the plan or program
October 1, 2005 to October 31, 20052,400,895
November 1, 2005 to November 30, 2005315,091$25.11315,0912,085,804
December 1, 2005 to December 31, 20052,085,804


Total315,091$25.11315,091


        Our share repurchase plan for up to 3,000,000 shares was announced on October 17, 2002. On April 25, 2005, our Board added 1,700,000 shares to the repurchase plan. Under the plan, we have authorization to repurchase up to 4,700,000 shares of National Instruments stock. Our repurchase plan has no expiration date.


ITEM 6.     ELECTED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL DATA

        The following selected consolidated financial data should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements, including the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in the Form 10-K. The information set forth below is includednot necessarily indicative of the results of our future operations. The information should be read in "Item 7--Management'sconjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations--Market Risk"Operations.”

Years Ended December 31,
20052004200320022001
(in thousands, except per share data)
Statements of Income Data:            
Net sales:  
  Americas  $275,524 $243,651 $200,210 $195,770 $195,842 
  Europe   171,499  164,895  137,761  122,800  128,523 
  Asia Pacific   124,818  105,542  87,921  72,220  60,910 





  Consolidated net sales   571,841  514,088  425,892  390,790  385,275 
Cost of sales   149,309  135,473  111,672  105,086  101,297 





  Gross profit   422,532  378,615  314,220  285,704  283,978 





Operating expenses:  
  Sales and marketing   211,280  188,727  160,478  145,671  145,555 
  Research and development   87,841  84,692  70,896  63,964  60,745 
  General and administrative   45,199  42,500  42,497  35,714  29,234 





    Total operating expenses   344,320  315,919  273,871  245,349  235,534 





    Operating income   78,212  62,696  40,349  40,355  48,444 
Other income (expense):  
  Interest income   3,758  2,905  2,511  3,295  5,837 
  Net foreign exchange gain (loss)   (1,566) 1,287  1,125  (724) (1,424)
  Other income (expense), net;   276  (2,075) 506  692  676 





Income before income taxes   80,680  64,813  44,491  43,618  53,533 
Provision for income taxes   19,163  16,203  11,123  12,213  17,131 





      Net income  $61,517 $48,610 $33,368 $31,405 $36,402 





Basic earnings per share  $0.78 $0.62 $0.43 $0.41 $0.48 





Weighted average shares outstanding - basic   78,552  78,680  77,438  76,829  76,365 





Diluted earnings per share  $0.76 $0.59 $0.41 $0.39 $0.45 





Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted   80,910  82,096  80,946  80,117  80,477 





Cash dividends paid per common share  $0.20 $0.18 $0.07 $ $ 






December 31,
20052004200320022001
(in thousands)
Balance Sheet Data:            
Cash and cash equivalents  $55,864 $76,216 $53,446 $12,840 $38,165 
Short-term investments   119,846  150,392  141,227  141,038  112,346 
Working capital   274,686  309,635  255,330  211,453  209,836 
Total assets   608,336  582,093  525,151  458,714  424,619 
Long-term debt, net of current portion            
Total stockholders' equity   503,850  486,449  439,452  386,463  366,164 

ITEM 7.     MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Any statements contained herein regarding our future financial performance or operations (including, without limitation, statements to the effect that we “believe,” “expect,” “plan,” “may,” “will,” “project,” “continue,” or “estimate” or other variations thereof or comparable terminology or the negative thereof) should be considered forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of important factors including those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” beginning on page 8, and elsewhere in this Form 10-K. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. We disclaim any obligation to update information contained in any forward-looking statement.

   Overview

        National Instruments designs, develops, manufactures and markets instrumentation and automation software and hardware for general commercial, industrial and scientific applications. We offer hundreds of products used to create virtual instrumentation systems for measurement and automation. We have identified a large and diverse market for design, control and test applications. Our products are used in a variety of applications from research and development to production testing, monitoring and industrial control. We sell to a large number of customers in a wide variety of industries. No single customer accounted for more than 3% of our sales in 2005, 2004 or 2003.

The key strategies that management focuses on in running our business are the following:

Expanding our broad customer base:

        We strive to increase our already broad customer base by serving a large market on many computer platforms, through a global marketing and distribution network. We also seek to acquire new technologies and expertise from time to time in order to open up new opportunities for our existing product portfolio.

Maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction:

        To maintain a high level of customer satisfaction we strive to offer innovative, modular and integrated products through a global sales and support network. We strive to maintain a high degree of backwards compatibility across different platforms in order to preserve the customer’s investment in our products.

Leveraging external and internal technology:

        Our product strategy is to provide superior products by leveraging generally available technology, supporting open architectures on multiple platforms and by leveraging our core technologies such as custom ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) across multiple products.

        We sell into the test and measurement (“T&M”) and the industrial automation (“IA”) industries and as such are subject to the economic and industry forces which drive those markets. It has been our experience that the performance of these industries and our performance is impacted by general trends in industrial production for the global economy and by the specific performance of certain vertical markets that are intensive consumers of measurement technologies. Examples of these markets are semiconductor capital equipment, telecom, defense, aerospace, automotive and others. In assessing our business, our management considers the trends in the Global Purchasing Managers Index (published by JP Morgan), global industrial production as well as industry reports on the specific vertical industries mentioned earlier.

        We distribute our software and hardware products primarily through a direct sales organization. We also use independent distributors, OEMs, VARs, system integrators and consultants to market our products. We have sales offices in the United States and sales offices and distributors in key international markets. Sales outside of the Americas accounted for approximately 52%, 53%, and 53% of our revenues in 2005, 2004, and 2003, respectively. The vast majority of our foreign sales are denominated in the customers’ local currency, which exposes us to the effects of changes in foreign-currency exchange rates. We expect that a significant portion of our total revenues will continue to be derived from international sales. See Note 12 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for details concerning the geographic breakdown of our net sales, operating income and identifiable assets.

        We manufacture a substantial majority of our products at our facilities in Debrecen, Hungary. Additional production primarily of low volume or newly introduced products is done in Austin, Texas. Our product manufacturing operations can be divided into four areas: electronic circuit card and module assembly; chassis and cable assembly; technical manuals and product support documentation; and software duplication. We manufacture most of the electronic circuit card assemblies, modules and chassis in-house, although subcontractors are used from time to time. Beginning in 2005, some chassis are produced by subcontractors in Asia. We manufacture some of our electronic cable assemblies in-house, but many assemblies are produced by subcontractors. We primarily subcontract our software duplication, our technical manuals, and product support documentation.

        We believe that our long-term growth and success depends on delivering high quality software and hardware products on a timely basis. Accordingly, we focus significant efforts on research and development. We focus our research and development efforts on enhancing existing products and developing new products that incorporate appropriate features and functionality to be competitive with respect to technology and price/performance. Our success also is dependant on our ability to obtain and maintain patents and other proprietary rights related to technologies used in our products. We have engaged in litigation to protect our intellectual property rights. In monitoring and policing our intellectual property rights, we have been and may be required to spend significant resources.

        We have been profitable in every year since 1990. However, there can be no assurance that our net sales will grow or that we will remain profitable in future periods. As a result, we believe historical results of operations should not be relied upon as indications of future performance.

        We have had a broad-based equity compensation plan in effect since 1994. Our Amended and Restated 1994 Incentive Plan (the “1994 Incentive Plan”) expired in May 2005. Our Board of Directors believes that offering a broad-based equity compensation program is important to attract, retain and motivate people whose skills and performance are critical to our success. On May 13, 2005, our stockholders approved a new 2005 Incentive Plan which limits our ability to offer equity compensation to restricted stock and restricted stock units only.

   Results of Operations

        The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the percentage of net sales represented by certain items reflected in our consolidated statements of income:

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Net sales:        
     Americas   48.2% 47.4% 47.0%
     Europe   30.0  32.1  32.4 
     Asia Pacific   21.8  20.5  20.6 



     Consolidated net sales   100.0  100.0  100.0 
Cost of sales   26.1  26.4  26.2 



     Gross profit   73.9  73.6  73.8 
Operating expenses:  
     Sales and marketing   36.9  36.7  37.7 
     Research and development   15.4  16.4  16.6 
     General and administrative   7.9  8.3  10.0 



          Total operating expenses   60.2  61.4  64.3 



          Operating income   13.7  12.2  9.5 
Other income (expense):  
     Interest income   0.7  0.5  0.6 
     Net foreign exchange gain (loss)   (0.3) 0.3  0.2 
     Other income (expense), net     (0.4) 0.1 



Income before income taxes   14.1  12.6  10.4 
Provision for income taxes   3.3  3.1  2.6 



Net income   10.8% 9.5% 7.8%



Net Sales.In 2005, consolidated net sales were $571.8 million, an 11% increase from the level achieved in 2004, which followed an increase in net sales of 21% in 2004 from the level achieved in 2003. We believe the increases in sales in 2005 and 2004 were primarily attributable to the introduction of new and upgraded products, the increase in unit volume from the increased market acceptance of our products in all regions and the strength of the Euro.

        Sales in the Americas increased $31.9 million, or 13%, to $275.5 million in 2005 compared to 2004, which followed a 22% increase in 2004 over 2003 levels. The increase in sales in the Americas was primarily from revenue of $21.9 million from acquired companies (see Note 15 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of acquisitions). Sales outside of the Americas, as a percentage of consolidated sales for 2005, decreased to 52% from 53% in 2004. European revenue was $171.5 million in 2005, an increase of 4% from 2004, following a 20% increase in 2004 from 2003. Asia Pacific revenue grew 18% to $124.8 million in 2005, which followed a 20% increase in 2004 over 2003 levels. We expect sales outside of North America to continue to represent a significant portion of our revenue. We intend to continue to expand our international operations by increasing our presence in existing markets, adding a presence in some new geographical markets and continuing the use of distributors to sell our products in some countries.

        Almost all sales made by our direct sales offices in Europe and Asia Pacific are denominated in local currencies, and accordingly, the U.S. dollar equivalent of these sales is affected by changes in the foreign currency exchange rates. Between 2005 and 2004, net of hedging results, the change in the exchange rates had the effect of increasing our consolidated sales by 3%, increasing European sales by 7% and increasing sales in Asia Pacific by 5%. The increase in sales in Europe and Asia as a result of the change in exchange rates was partially offset by the decrease in local currency product pricing in each region. Since most of our international operating expenses are also incurred in local currencies, the change in exchange rates had the effect of increasing operating expenses $4.2 million, or 1.2%, in 2005, $4.4 million, or 1.4% in 2004, and $6.5 million, or 2.4%, in 2003.

Gross Profit.As a percentage of sales, gross profit was 74% in each of 2005, 2004 and 2003. Our gross margin in 2005 remained flat with 2004 primarily because the favorable impacts of foreign currency exchange rates and higher sales volume were offset by the reduced margins realized on product lines from acquired companies as well as the impact of the amortization of acquisition related intangibles and a reduction of selling prices of some of our products. Our gross margin in 2004 remained flat with 2003 primarily because the effects of favorable foreign currency exchange rates and the favorable impact of higher sales volume were offset by the increase in our reserves for excess and obsolete inventories and a reduction in the selling prices of some of our products. There can be no assurance that we will maintain our historical margins. We believe our current manufacturing capacity is adequate to meet current needs.

Sales and Marketing.Sales and marketing expense in 2005 increased to $211.3 million, a 12% increase from 2004, following an increase of 18% in 2004 over 2003. Sales and marketing expense as a percentage of revenue was 37% in 2005, flat with 2004 and down from 38% in 2003. Approximately 60% of the increase in sales and marketing expenses in 2005 compared to 2004 and in 2004 compared to 2003 is attributable to the increase in sales and marketing personnel costs, due to the increase in sales and marketing personnel, the increase in variable compensation from higher sales volume and from the effects of the change in currency exchange rates, with the remaining fraction of the increase attributable to increases in advertising, tradeshows and special events. We expect sales and marketing expenses in future periods to increase in absolute dollars, and to fluctuate as a percentage of sales based on recruiting, marketing and advertising campaign costs associated with major new product releases and entry into new market areas, investment in web sales and marketing efforts, increasing product demonstration costs and the timing of domestic and international conferences and trade shows.

Research and Development.Research and development expense in 2005 increased 4% compared to 2004 following an increase of 19% in 2004 over 2003. Research and development expense as a percentage of revenue was 15.4% in 2005, down from 16.4% in 2004 and 16.6% in 2003. The decrease in research and development expense in 2005 as a percentage of revenue was primarily due to the increase in the capitalization of software development costs. The increase in research and development expense in absolute dollars in 2005 was primarily due to increases in personnel costs from the hiring of additional product development engineers, which was partially offset by the decrease in expense from the increase in the capitalization of software development costs. The increase in research and development costs in 2004 was primarily due to increases in personnel costs from the hiring of additional product development engineers and from the decrease in the capitalization of software development costs. Research and development personnel increased from 925 at December 31, 2004 to 1,036 at December 31, 2005. We plan to continue making a significant investment in research and development in order to remain competitive and support revenue growth.

        We capitalize software development costs in accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) 86, “Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software to be Sold, Leased, or Otherwise Marketed.” We amortize such costs over the related product’s estimated economic useful life, generally three years, beginning when a product becomes available for general release. Software amortization expense included in cost of goods sold totaled $7.2 million, $6.6 million and $4.9 million during 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. Internally developed software costs capitalized during such years were $13.4 million, $5.0 million and $9.7 million, respectively. (See Note 5 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of intangibles.)

General and Administrative.General and administrative expenses in 2005 increased 6% compared to 2004, and in 2004 were flat with 2003. The 6% increase in general and administrative expenses in 2005 from the prior year period was primarily due to the litigation settlement in 2004 which resulted in the $6.0 million net gain in 2004 from the judgment award against The MathWorks, Inc. General and administrative expenses in 2004 remained flat with 2003 because in 2004 decreases in litigation costs of approximately $6.6 million, resulting from the $6.0 million net gain from the judgment award against The MathWorks, Inc., were offset entirely by the costs associated with compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and increased personnel costs. The increase in personnel costs resulted from both the increase in personnel and from the fall in the value of the U.S. dollar which resulted in an increase in the U.S. dollar value of our international expenses. (See Note 14 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.) General and administrative expenses as a percentage of revenue decreased to 7.9% during 2005 from 8.3% during 2004. We expect that general and administrative expenses in future periods will fluctuate in absolute amounts and as a percentage of revenue.

Interest Income.Interest income increased 29% in 2005 from 2004, which followed an increase of 16% in 2004 from 2003. The increases in interest income in 2005 and 2004 were due to higher yields. The primary source of interest income is from the investment of our cash and short-term investments. Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $88.1 million and $65.6 million in 2005 and 2004, respectively.

Net Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss). We experienced net foreign exchange losses of $1.6 million in 2005, compared to gains of $1.3 million in 2004 and gains of $1.1 million in 2003. These results are attributable to movements between the U.S. dollar and the local currencies in countries in which our sales subsidiaries are located. We recognize the local currency as the functional currency of our international subsidiaries.

        We utilize foreign currency forward contracts to hedge a majority of our foreign currency-denominated receivables in order to reduce our exposure to significant foreign currency fluctuations. We typically limit the duration of our “receivables” foreign currency forward contracts to approximately 90 days.

        We also utilize foreign currency forward contracts and foreign currency purchased option contracts in order to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in future foreign currency cash flows. We purchase these contracts for up to 100% of our forecasted cash flows in selected currencies (primarily the euro, yen and pound sterling) and limit the duration of these contracts to 40 months. Our foreign currency purchased option contracts are purchased “at-the-money” or “out-of-the-money.” As a result, our hedging activities only partially address our risks in foreign currency transactions, and there can be no assurance that this strategy will be successful. We do not invest in contracts for speculative purposes. (See Note 11 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our forward and purchased option contracts and hedged positions.) Our hedging strategy reduced our net foreign exchange loss for December 31, 2005 by $2.2 million and reduced our net foreign exchange gain for December 31, 2004 by $2.6 million.

Other Income (Expense), Net. We established a valuation reserve in the fourth quarter of 2004 for the estimated total impairment of a $2.5 million cost-method investment.

Provision for Income Taxes.Our provision for income taxes reflects an effective tax rate of 24% in 2005 and 25% in 2004 and 2003, respectively. Our effective tax rate is lower than the U.S. federal statutory rate of 35% primarily as a result of the extraterritorial income exclusion, tax-exempt interest and reduced tax rates in certain foreign jurisdictions.

   Liquidity and Capital Resources

        We currently finance our operations and capital expenditures through cash flow from operations. At December 31, 2005, we had working capital of approximately $274.7 million compared to $309.6 million at December 31, 2004. Net cash provided by operating activities in 2005, 2004 and 2003 totaled $88.1 million, $65.6 million and $63.1 million, respectively.

        Accounts receivable increased to $95.7 million at December 31, 2005 from $87.3 million at December 31, 2004, as a result of higher sales levels in the fourth quarter of 2005 compared to the fourth quarter of 2004. Days sales outstanding at December 31, 2005 decreased to 55 days from 57 days at December 31, 2004. Consolidated inventory balances have increased to $62.8 million at December 31, 2005 from $54.0 million at December 31, 2004. Inventory turns of 2.7 per year for 2005 remained flat with 2004. Cash used in 2005 for acquisitions totaled $63.9 million, for the purchase of property and equipment totaled $15.4 million, for the capitalization of internally developed software costs totaled $13.4 million and for additions to other intangibles totaled $4.3 million. Cash used in 2004 for the purchase of property and equipment totaled $12.6 million, for the capitalization of internally developed software costs totaled $5.0 million and for additions to other intangibles totaled $3.1 million. Cash used in 2003 for acquisitions totaled $6.3 million, for the purchase of property and equipment totaled $18.0 million, for the capitalization of internally developed software costs totaled $9.7 million and for additions to other intangibles totaled $2.6 million.

        Cash provided by the issuance of common stock totaled $23.2 million, $16.8 million and $19.4 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively, and cash used for payment of dividends totaled $15.8 million, $14.5 million and $5.2 million in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively. The issuance of common stock was to employees under our Employee Stock Purchase Plan and our 2005 Incentive Plan. Cash used for the repurchase of common stock totaled $49.5 million, $16.1 million and $0 in 2005, 2004 and 2003, respectively.

        The following summarizes our contractual cash obligations as of December 31, 2005 (in thousands):

Payments Due by Period
Total20062007200820092010Beyond
Long-term debt  $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 
Capital lease obligations                
Operating leases   14,496  6,068  3,495  2,293  1,588  880  172 
Other long-term obligations                







Total contractual cash obligations  $14,496 $6,068 $3,495 $2,293 $1,588 $880 $172 







        The following summarizes our other commercial commitments as of December 31, 2005 (in thousands):

Total20062007200820092010Beyond
Guarantees  $2,900 $2,900 $ $ $ $ $ 
Purchase obligations   5,600  5,600           
Total commercial commitments  $8,500 $8,500 $ $ $ $ $ 

        We currently expect to fund expenditures for capital requirements as well as liquidity needs created by changes in working capital from a combination of available cash and short-term investment balances and internally generated funds. As of December 31, 2005 and 2004, we had no debt outstanding. We believe that our cash flow from operations, if any, existing cash balances and short-term investments will be sufficient to meet our cash requirements for at least the next twelve months. Cash requirements for periods beyond the next twelve months will depend on our profitability, our ability to manage working capital requirements and our rate of growth.

   Financial Risk Management

        Our international sales are subject to inherent risks, including fluctuations in local economies; difficulties in staffing and managing foreign operations; greater difficulty in accounts receivable collection; costs and risks of localizing products for foreign countries; unexpected changes in regulatory requirements, tariffs and other trade barriers; difficulties in the repatriation of earnings and burdens of complying with a wide variety of foreign laws. The vast majority of our sales outside of North America are denominated in local currencies, and accordingly, we are subject to the risks associated with fluctuations in currency rates. In particular, increases in the value of the dollar against foreign currencies decrease the U.S. dollar value of foreign sales requiring that we either increase our price in the local currency, which could render our product prices noncompetitive, or suffer reduced revenues and gross margins as measured in U.S. dollars. These dynamics have adversely affected our revenue growth in international markets in previous years. Our foreign currency hedging program includes both foreign currency forward and purchased option contracts to reduce the effect of exchange rate fluctuations. However, our hedging program will not eliminate all of our foreign exchange risks. (See “Net Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss)” and Note 11 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.)

        The marketplace for our products dictates that many of our products be shipped very quickly after an order is received. As a result, we are required to maintain significant inventories. Therefore, inventory obsolescence is a risk for us due to frequent engineering changes, shifting customer demand, the emergence of new industry standards and rapid technological advances including the introduction by us or our competitors of products embodying new technology. While we adjust for excess and obsolete inventories and we continue to monitor the valuation of our inventories, there can be no assurance that our valuation adjustments will be sufficient.

   Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

        We have no debt or off-balance sheet debt. As of December 31, 2005, we have non-cancelable operating lease obligations of approximately $14.5 million and contractual purchase commitments with various suppliers of general components and customized inventory components of approximately $5.6 million. As of December 31, 2005, we have outstanding guarantees for payment of foreign operating leases, customs and foreign grants totaling approximately $2.9 million. (See Note 13 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.) As of December 31, 2005, we did not have any relationships with any unconsolidated entities or financial partnerships, such as entities often referred to as structured finance entities, which would have been established for the purpose of facilitating off-balance sheet arrangements. As such, we are not exposed to any financing, liquidity, market or credit risk that could arise if we were engaged in such relationships.

   Market Risk

        We are exposed to a variety of risks, including foreign currency fluctuations and changes in the market value of our investments. In the normal course of business, we employ established policies and procedures to manage our exposure to fluctuations in foreign currency values and changes in the market value of our investments.

Foreign Currency Hedging Activities. Our objective in managing our exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations is to reduce the impact of adverse fluctuations in such exchange rates on our earnings and cash flow. Accordingly, we utilize purchased foreign currency option contracts and forward contracts to hedge our exposure on anticipated transactions and firm commitments. The principal currencies hedged are the euro, British pound and Japanese yen. We monitor our foreign exchange exposures regularly to ensure the overall effectiveness of our foreign currency hedge positions. However, there can be no assurance that our foreign currency hedging activities will substantially offset the impact of fluctuations in currency exchange rates on our results of operations and financial position. Based on the foreign exchange instruments outstanding at December 31, 2005 and 2004, an adverse change (defined as 20% in the Asian currencies and 10% in all other currencies) in exchange rates would result in a decline in the aggregate fair market value of all of our instruments outstanding of approximately $4.2 million and $7.5 million, respectively. However, as we utilize foreign currency instruments for hedging anticipated and firmly committed transactions, we believe that a loss in fair value for those instruments will be substantially offset by increases in the value of the underlying exposure. (See Note 10 of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a description of our financial instruments at December 31, 2005 and 2004.)

Short-term Investments. The fair value of our investments in marketable securities at December 31, 2005 and 2004 was $119.8 million and $150.4 million, respectively. Investments with maturities beyond one year are classified as short-term based on their highly liquid nature and because such marketable securities represent the investment of cash that is available for current operations. Our investment policy is to manage our investment portfolio to preserve principal and liquidity while maximizing the return on our investment portfolio through the full investment of available funds. We diversify our marketable securities portfolio by investing in multiple types of investment-grade securities. Our investment portfolio is primarily invested in securities with at least an investment grade rating to minimize interest rate and credit risk as well as to provide for an immediate source of funds. Based on our investment portfolio and interest rates at December 31, 2005 and 2004, a 100 basis point increase or decrease in interest rates would result in a decrease or increase of approximately $600,000 and $750,000, respectively, in the fair value of our investment portfolio. Although changes in interest rates may affect the fair value of our investment portfolio and cause unrealized gains or losses, such gains or losses would not be realized unless the investments are sold.

   Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

        In November 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) 151,Inventory Costs, an amendment of ARB 43, Chapter 4. The standard requires that abnormal amounts of idle capacity and spoilage costs should be excluded from the cost of inventory and expensed when incurred. The provision is effective for fiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2005. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

        In December 2004, the FASB released its final revised standard, SFAS 123R,Share-Based Payment. SFAS 123R eliminates the ability to account for share-based compensation transactions using the intrinsic value method under Accounting Principles Board Opinion 25,Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees, and generally would require instead that such transactions be accounted for using a fair-value-based method. SFAS 123R requires that a public entity measure the cost of equity based service awards based on the grant-date fair value of the award. That cost will be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award or the vesting period. No compensation cost is recognized for equity instruments for which employees do not render the requisite service. Adoption of SFAS 123R is required for us beginning in our fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2006. Accordingly, we adopted SFAS 123R on January 1, 2006. We have evaluated SFAS 123R and, although the exact amounts have not yet been quantified, it will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

        In March 2005, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 47,Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations (FIN 47). FIN 47 clarifies that an entity must record a liability for a “conditional” asset retirement obligation if the fair value of the obligation can be reasonably estimated. The provision is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2005. The adoption of this standard did not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

        In December 2004, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position 109-2,Accounting and Disclosure Guidance for the Foreign Earnings Repatriation Provision within the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (FSP 109-2). The American Jobs Creation Act introduces a special one-time dividends received deduction on the repatriation of certain foreign earnings to a U.S. taxpayer (Repatriation Provision), provided certain criteria are met. FSP 109-2 provides accounting and disclosure guidance for the Repatriation Provision. We have completed our analysis of the impact of the Repatriation Provision and do not plan to repatriate earnings under this provision.

   Critical Accounting Policies

        Our critical accounting policies are as follows:

    o        Revenue recognition


We derive revenue primarily from the sale/licensing of integrated hardware and software solutions. We also sell application software licenses which are sold separately as well as consulting, training and post contract support services. The products and services are generally sold under standardized licensing and sales arrangements with payment terms ranging from net 30 days in the United States to net 30 days and up to net 90 days in some international markets. Approximately 95% of our product/license sales include both hardware and software in the customer arrangement, with a small percentage of sales including other services. We offer rights of return and standard warranties for product defects related to our products. The rights of return are generally for a period of up to 30 days after the delivery date. The standard warranties cover periods ranging from 90 days to three years. We do not enter into contracts requiring product acceptance from the customer.

Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is probable. We enter into certain arrangements where we are obligated to deliver multiple products and/or services ("multiple elements"). In these transactions, we allocate the total revenue among the elements based on the sales price of each element when sold separately ("vendor-specific objective evidence").

Sales revenue from product sales is generally recognized on the date the product is shipped, with a portion of revenue recorded as deferred (unearned) due to applicable undelivered elements. Undelivered elements for our multiple-element arrangements with a customer are generally restricted to post contract support and training and education. The amount of revenue allocated to these undelivered elements is based on the vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value for those undelivered elements. Deferred revenue due to undelivered elements is recognized ratably on a straight-line basis over the service period or when the service is completed. Deferred revenue at December 31, 2005 and 2004 was $16.0 million and $11.5 million, respectively.

Provision for estimated sales returns is made by reducing recorded revenue based on historical experience. The accounts receivable are net of allowances for doubtful accounts and sales returns of $4.7 million and $3.5 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively.

    o        Estimating allowances, specifically sales returns, the allowance for doubtful accounts and the adjustment for excess and obsolete inventories


The preparation of financial statements requires that we make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reported period. Specifically, we must make estimates of potential future product returns related to current period product revenue. Management analyzes historical returns, current economic trends, and changes in customer demand and acceptance of our products when evaluating the adequacy of our sales returns and other allowances. Significant management judgments and estimates must be made and used in connection with establishing the sales returns and other allowances in any accounting period. The allowance for sales returns was $1.3 million at December 31, 2005. Material differences may result in the amount and timing of our revenue for any period if management made different judgments or utilized different estimates. Similarly, management must make estimates of the uncollectability of our accounts receivables. Management specifically analyzes accounts receivable and analyzes historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness and current economic trends when evaluating the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts was $3.4 million at December 31, 2005. We write down our inventory for estimated obsolescence or unmarketable inventory equal to the difference between the cost of inventory and estimated market value based on assumptions of future demand and market conditions. Our adjustment for excess and obsolete inventories was $6.0 million at December 31, 2005. If actual market conditions are less favorable than those projected by management, additional inventory write downs may be required.

    o        Accounting for costs of computer software


We capitalize costs related to the development and acquisition of certain software products. Capitalization of costs begins when technological feasibility has been established and ends when the product is available for general release to customers. Judgment is required in determining when technological feasibility of a product is established. Amortization is computed on an individual product basis for those products available for market and has been recognized based on the product's estimated economic life, generally three years. At each balance sheet date, the unamortized costs are reviewed by management and reduced to net realized value when necessary. As of December 31, 2005, unamortized capitalized software development costs was $17.6 million.

    o        Valuation of long-lived and intangible assets


We assess the impairment of identifiable intangibles, long-lived assets and related goodwill whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. Factors considered important which could trigger an impairment review include the following:

oSignificant underperformance relative to expected historical or projected future operating results;
oSignificant changes in the manner of our use of the acquired assets or the strategy for the overall business;
oSignificant negative industry or economic trends;
oOur market capitalization relative to net book value.

When it is determined that the carrying value of intangibles, long-lived assets and related goodwill may not be recoverable based upon the existence of one or more of the above indicators of impairment, the measurement of any impairment is determined and the carrying value is reduced as appropriate. As of December 31, 2005, we had net goodwill of approximately $52.5 million.

    o        Accounting for income taxes


We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method that requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. Judgment is required in assessing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in our financial statements or tax returns. Variations in the actual outcome of these future tax consequences could materially impact our financial position or our results of operations. In estimating future tax consequences, all expected future events are considered other than enactments of changes in tax laws or rates. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts which are more likely than not to be realized.

We receive a substantial income tax benefit from the extraterritorial income ("ETI") exemption under U.S. law. The ETI rules were repealed for transactions after December 31, 2004, with a two-year transition period. The repeal of ETI will result in an increase in our future effective income tax rate of approximately three percentage points by December 31, 2007. However, we expect this increase will be offset entirely by the effects of the expected increased benefit from the recently enacted deduction for income from qualified domestic production activities and increased profits in certain foreign jurisdictions with reduced income tax rates.

    o        Loss contingencies


We accrue for probable losses from contingencies including legal defense costs, on an undiscounted basis, in accordance with SFAS 5,Accounting for Loss Contingencies, when such costs are considered probable of being incurred and are reasonably estimable. We periodically evaluate available information, both internal and external, relative to such contingencies and adjust this accrual as necessary. Disclosure of a contingency is required if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss has been incurred. In determining whether a loss should be accrued we evaluate, among other factors, the degree of probability of an unfavorable outcome and the ability to make a reasonable estimate of the amount of loss. Changes in these factors could materially impact our financial position or our results of operation.


ITEM 7A.     QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

        The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to “Item 7—Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Market Risk” above.


ITEM 8.     FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

        The information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the Consolidated Financial Statements set forth on pages F-1 through F-22F-26 and S-1 hereof.


ITEM 9.     CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE Not applicable.

        We filed a Report on Form 8-K dated June 21, 2005 reporting a change in our independent public accountants to Ernst & Young, LLP from PricewaterhouseCoopers, LLP. There were no disagreements with accountants on accounting and financial disclosure for the year-ended December 31, 2005.


ITEM 9A.    CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES The Company's Chief Executive Officer

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Chief Financial Officer, based on the evaluationProcedures

        As of the Company's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)end of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934,period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended) required by paragraph (b) of Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 as of December 31, 2003, have concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure the timely collection, evaluation and disclosure of information relating to the Company that would potentially be subject to disclosure under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, we evaluated under the supervision of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) or 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information we are required to disclose in reports that we file or submit under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in Securities and Exchange Commission rules and forms, and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to provide reasonable assurance that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management. Our disclosure controls and procedures include components of our internal control over financial reporting. Management’s assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting is expressed at the level of reasonable assurance because a control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that the control system’s objectives will be met.

Management Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

        Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting and the rulespreparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and regulations promulgated thereunder.procedures that (i) pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company, (ii) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (iii) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

        Management assessed our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, end of our fiscal year. Management based its assessment on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Management’s assessment included evaluation of such elements as the design and operating effectiveness of key financial reporting controls, process documentation, accounting policies, and our overall control environment. This assessment is supported by testing and monitoring performed by our finance organization.

        Based on our assessment, management has concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of the end of the fiscal year to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external reporting purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. We reviewed the results of management’s assessment with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors.

        Our independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, who also audited the Company’s consolidated financial statements, audited management’s assessment and independently assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. Ernst & Young LLP has issued their attestation report, which is included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

        During the quarterthree months ended December 31, 2003,2005, there werewas no changeschange in the Company'sour internal controlscontrol over financial reporting identified in connection with the evaluation required by paragraph (d) of the Rule 13a-15 or Rule 15d-15 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, theour internal controlscontrol over financial reporting.


ITEM 9B.    OTHER INFORMATION

      None.


PART III

        Certain information required by Part III is omitted from this Report in that the Registrant intends to file a definitive proxy statement pursuant to Regulation 14A with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Proxy Statement"“Proxy Statement”) relating to its annual meeting of stockholders not later than 120 days after the end of the fiscal year covered by this Report, and such information is incorporated by reference herein.


ITEM 10.     DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT

        The information concerning the Company'sour directors required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Election“Election of Directors."

        The information concerning the Company'sour compliance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Section“Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance."

        The information concerning the Company'sour executive officers required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Executive“Executive Officers."

        The information concerning the Company'sour code of ethics that applies to the Company'sour principal executive officer, the Company'sour principal financial officer, the Company'sour controller, or person performing similar functions required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Code“Code of Ethics."


ITEM 11.     EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

        The information required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Executive“Executive Compensation."


ITEM 12.     SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

        From time to time the Company'sour directors, executive officers and other insiders may adopt stock trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1(c) promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Starting in the fourth quarter of 2000, Jeffrey L. Kodosky and James J. Truchard have made periodic sales of the Company'sour stock pursuant to such plans.

        The information concerning security ownership of certain beneficial owners and management required by this Item pursuant to Item 403 of Regulation S-K is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Security“Security Ownership."

        The information concerning securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans required by this Item pursuant to Item 201(d) of Regulation S-K is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Equity“Equity Compensation Plans Information."


ITEM 13.     CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS

        During 2002, the Companywe irrevocably contributed approximately $3.6 million to the National Instruments Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2002 for the purpose of continued promotion of scientific and engineering research and education at higher education institutions worldwide. Two of the four directors of the National Instruments Foundation are current officers of National Instruments.

        In addition, the information required by this item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Certain“Certain Relationships and Related Transactions."


ITEM 14.     PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

        The information concerning principal accountant fees and services required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Independent“Independent Public Accountants."

        The information concerning pre-approval policies for audit and non-audit services required by this Item is incorporated by reference to the Company'sour Proxy Statement under the heading "Audit“Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Permissible Non-Audit Services of Independent Auditors."


PART IV


ITEM 15.     EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K

        (a)    Documents Filed with Report 1. Financial Statements. See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements at page F-1 of this Form 10-K and the Financial Statements and Notes thereto which are included at pages F-2 to F-22 of this Form 10-K. 2. Financial Statement Schedules. See S-1. 3. Exhibits. Exhibit Number Description - ------- ----------- 3.1 Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company. 3.2 Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company. 4.1* Specimen of Common Stock certificate of the Company. 4.2* Rights Agreement dated as of May 19, 1994, between the Company and The First National Bank of Boston. 10.1* Form of Indemnification Agreement. 10.2* 1994 Incentive Plan.** 10.3* 1994 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.** 10.4 Agreement Regarding Terms of Employment.*** 21.1 Subsidiaries of the Company. 23.0 Consent of Independent Accountants. 24.0 Power of Attorney (included on page 27). 31.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 31.2 Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 32.1 Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. * Incorporated by reference to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Reg. No. 33-88386) declared effective March 13, 1995. ** Management Contract or Compensatory, Plan or Arrangement. *** Incorporated by reference to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2002.

1.Financial Statements.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

F-2
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial ReportingF-3
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmF-4
Consolidated Balance SheetsF-5
Consolidated Statements of IncomeF-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash FlowsF-7
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' EquityF-8
Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsF-9

2.

Financial Statements Schedules.

See Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts at page S-1

3.

Exhibits.

Exhibit
Number
Description

3.1

(2)

Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, of the Company.

3.2

(2)

Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company.

3.3

(4)

Certificate of Designation of Rights, Preferences and Privileges of Series A Participating Preferred Stock of the Company.

4.1

(1)

Specimen of Common Stock certificate of the Company.

4.2

(3)

Rights Agreement dated as of January 21, 2004, between the Company and EquiServe Trust Company, N.A.

10.1


(1)

Form of Indemnification Agreement.

10.2

(5)

1994 Incentive Plan, as amended.*

10.3

(1)

1994 Employee Stock Purchase Plan.*

10.4

(6)

Long-Term Incentive Program.*

10.5

(7)

2005 Incentive Plan.*

10.6

(8)

National Instruments Corporation Annual Incentive Program.*

10.8

(8)

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (Non-Employee Director).*

10.9

(8)

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (Performance Vesting).*

10.10

(8)

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (Current Employee).*

10.11

(8)

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement (Newly Hired Employee).*

21.1

Subsidiaries of the Company.

23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

23.2

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

24.0

Power of Attorney (included on page 31).

31.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

31.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

32.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

(1)Incorporated by reference to the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1 (Reg. No. 33-88386) declared effective March 13, 1995.

(2)Incorporated by reference to the same-numbered exhibit filed with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2003.

(3)Incorporated by reference to exhibit 4.1 filed with the Company's current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 28, 2004.

(4)Incorporated by reference to the same-numbered exhibit filed with the Company's Form 8-K on April 27, 2004.

(5)Incorporated by reference to the same-numbered exhibit filed with the Company's Form 10-Q on August 5, 2004.

(6)Incorporated by reference to the same-numbered exhibit filed with the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2004.

(7)Incorporated by reference to exhibit A of the Company's Proxy Statement dated and filed on April 4, 2005.

(8)Incorporated by reference to the exhibit filed with the Company's Form 8-K filed on August 5, 2005.

*Management Contract or Compensatory Plan or Arrangement.

        (b)    Reports on Form 8-K Form 8-K furnished on October 23, 2003, regarding the Company's press release announcing financial results for the three months ended September 30, 2003. (c) Exhibits

                See Item 15(a)(3) above.

      (c)   Financial Statement Schedules

                See Item 15(a)(2) above.


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized. Registrant NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION January 26, 2004 BY: /s/ Dr. James J. Truchard Dr. James J. Truchard Chairman of the Board and President

Registrant

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

February 22, 2006

BY:    

/s/ Dr. James J. Truchard
Dr. James J. Truchard
Chairman of the Board and President

POWER OF ATTORNEY

        KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Dr. James J. Truchard and Alexander M. Davern, jointly and severally, his or her attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and conforming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, anymay do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

        Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. Signature Capacity in Which Signed Date --------- ------------------------ ---- /s/ Dr. James J. Truchard Chairman of the Board and Dr. James J. Truchard President (Principal Executive Officer) January 26, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ Alexander M. Davern Chief Financial Officer Alexander M. Davern and Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer) January 26, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ Jeffrey L. Kodosky Jeffrey L. Kodosky Director January 26, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ Dr. Donald M. Carlton Dr. Donald M. Carlton Director January 24, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ Ben G. Streetman Ben G. Streetman Director January 26, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ R. Gary Daniels R. Gary Daniels Director January 25, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ Charles J. Roesslein Charles J. Roesslein Director January 25, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /s/ Duy-Loan T. Le Duy-Loan T. Le Director January 26, 2004 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Signature
Capacity in Which Signed
Date

/s/ Dr. James J. Truchard
Dr. James J. Truchard

Chairman of the Board and
President (Principal Executive Officer)

February 22, 2006

/s/ Alexander M. Davern
Alexander M. Davern

Chief Financial Officer
and Treasurer (Principal Financial
and Accounting Officer)

February 22, 2006

/s/ Jeffrey L. Kodosky
Jeffrey L. Kodosky

Director

February 22, 2006

/s/ Dr. Donald M. Carlton
Dr. Donald M. Carlton

Director

February 22, 2006

/s/ Ben G. Streetman
Ben G. Streetman

Director

February 22, 2006

/s/ R. Gary Daniels
R. Gary Daniels

Director

February 22, 2006

/s/ Charles J. Roesslein
Charles J. Roesslein

Director

February 22, 2006

/s/ Duy-Loan T. Le
Duy-Loan T. Le

Director

February 22, 2006

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Page No. Financial Statements: Report of Independent Auditors............................................. F-2 Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2003 and 2002............... F-3 Consolidated Statements of Income for each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2003...................................... F-4 Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2003...................................... F-5 Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2003...................................... F-6 Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements................................. F-7 Financial Statement Schedules: For each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2003 Schedule II--Valuation and Qualifying Accounts.........................

Financial Statements:Page No.
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmF-2
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial ReportingF-3
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting FirmF-4
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2005 and 2004F-5
Consolidated Statements of Income for each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2005F-6
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2005F-7
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2005F-8
Notes to Consolidated Financial StatementsF-9

Financial Statement Schedules:
For each of the Three Years in the period Ended December 31, 2005
     Schedule II--Valuation and Qualifying AccountsS-1

        All other schedules are omitted because they are not applicable.


Report of Independent Auditors Registered Public Accounting Firm



To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of National Instruments Corporation:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of National Instruments Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2005 and the related consolidated statement of income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the year then ended. Our audit also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15. These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial position of National Instruments Corporation and subsidiaries at December 31, 2005 and the consolidated results of their operations and their cash flows for the year then ended, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth therein.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the effectiveness of National Instruments Corporation’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 17, 2006 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/    Ernst & Young LLP

         Austin, Texas
         February 17, 2006

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting



To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of National Instruments Corporation:

We have audited management’s assessment, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting, that National Instruments Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). National Instruments Corporation’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on management’s assessment and an opinion on the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, evaluating management’s assessment, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, management’s assessment that National Instruments Corporation maintained effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, is fairly stated, in all material respects, based on the COSO criteria. Also, in our opinion, National Instruments Corporation maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2005, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheet of National Instruments Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2005 and the related consolidated statement of income, stockholders' equity, and cash flows for the year then ended of National Instruments Corporation and subsidiaries and our report dated February 17, 2006 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/s/    Ernst & Young LLP

         Austin, Texas
         February 17, 2006

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm



To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of National Instruments Corporation Corporation:

In our opinion, the consolidated financialbalance sheet as of December 31, 2004 and the related consolidated statements listed in the accompanying indexof income, of stockholders’ equity and of cash flows (appearing on pages F-5 through F-8 of this National Instruments Corporation 2005 Form 10-K) present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of National Instruments Corporation and its subsidiaries at December 31, 2003 and 2002,2004, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the threetwo years in the period ended December 31, 20032004 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. In addition, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein for each of the two years in the period ended December 31, 2004 when read in conjunction with the related consolidated financial statements. These financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management; ourmanagement. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits. We conducted our audits of these statements in accordance with auditingthe standards generally accepted inof the United States of America, whichPublic Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, and evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. /s/ PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS LLP

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Austin, Texas January 21, 2004
March 4, 2005


NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In

(in thousands, except share data) December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- ASSETS Current assets: Cash and cash equivalents........................... $ 53,446 $ 40,240 Short-term investments.............................. 141,227 113,638 Accounts receivable, net............................ 77,970 62,981 Inventories, net.................................... 38,813 39,247 Prepaid expenses and other current assets........... 9,742 13,756 Deferred income taxes, net.......................... 9,927 8,104 ---------- ---------- Total current assets............................. 331,125 277,966 Property and equipment, net............................. 151,612 152,133 Intangibles and other assets............................ 42,414 28,615 ---------- ---------- Total assets..................................... $ 525,151 $ 458,714 ========== ========== LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY Current liabilities: Accounts payable.................................... $ 29,567 $ 25,578 Accrued compensation................................ 12,302 9,555 Accrued expenses and other liabilities.............. 24,419 13,507 Income taxes payable................................ -- 6,153 Other taxes payable................................. 9,507 11,720 ---------- ---------- Total current liabilities........................ 75,795 66,513 Deferred income taxes, net.............................. 9,904 5,738 ---------- ---------- Total liabilities................................ 85,699 72,251 ---------- ---------- Commitments and contingencies (Notes 12 and 13) -- -- Stockholders' equity: Preferred stock: par value $0.01; 5,000,000 shares authorized; 0 and 0 shares issued and outstanding, respectively....................................... -- -- Common stock: par value $0.01; 180,000,000 shares authorized; 52,179,490 and 51,074,607 shares issued and outstanding, respectively............... 522 511 Additional paid-in capital.......................... 95,331 72,063 Retained earnings................................... 349,994 321,813 Accumulated other comprehensive loss................ (6,395) (7,924) ---------- ---------- Total stockholders' equity....................... 439,452 386,463 ---------- ---------- Total liabilities and stockholders' equity....... $ 525,151 $ 458,714 ========== ==========

December 31,
20052004
Assets
Current assets:      
     Cash and cash equivalents  $55,864 $76,216 
     Short-term investments   119,846  150,392 
     Accounts receivable, net   95,733  87,312 
     Inventories, net   62,827  54,043 
     Prepaid expenses and other current assets   13,146  10,253 
     Deferred income taxes, net   14,890  14,088 


          Total current assets   362,306  392,304 
Property and equipment, net   144,330  149,783 
Goodwill, net   52,533  13,356 
Intangible assets, net   43,602  20,824 
Other long-term assets   5,565  6,148 


          Total assets  $608,336 $582,415 



Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Current liabilities:      
     Accounts payable  $30,832 $25,208 
     Accrued compensation   18,084  16,233 
     Deferred revenue   16,018  11,533 
     Accrued expenses and other liabilities   8,838  18,769 
     Other taxes payable   13,848  10,926 


          Total current liabilities   87,620  82,669 
Deferred income taxes   16,866  13,297 


          Total liabilities   104,486  95,966 


Commitments and contingencies  
Stockholders' equity:  
     Preferred stock: par value $0.01; 5,000,000 shares authorized;        
        none issued and outstanding      
     Common stock: par value $0.01; 180,000,000 shares authorized;  
        79,276,086 and 78,945,580 shares issued and outstanding, respectively   793  789 
     Additional paid-in capital   91,430  98,897 
     Deferred stock-based compensation   (16,547)  
     Retained earnings   429,859  384,118 
     Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)   (1,685) 2,645 


          Total stockholders' equity   503,850  486,449 


          Total liabilities and stockholders' equity  $608,336 $582,415 


        The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (In

(in thousands, except share and per share data) For the Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net sales............................... $ 425,892 $ 390,790 $ 385,275 Cost of sales........................... 111,672 105,086 101,297 ---------- ---------- ---------- Gross profit........................ 314,220 285,704 283,978 Operating expenses: Sales and marketing................. 160,478 145,671 145,555 Research and development............ 70,896 63,964 60,745 General and administrative.......... 42,497 35,714 29,234 ---------- ---------- ---------- Total operating expenses......... 273,871 245,349 235,534 ---------- ---------- ---------- Operating income.................... 40,349 40,355 48,444 Other income (expense): Interest income..................... 2,511 3,295 5,837 Interest expense.................... (62) (128) (26) Net foreign exchange gain (loss).... 1,125 (724) (1,424) Other income, net................... 568 820 702 ---------- ---------- ---------- Income before income taxes.............. 44,491 43,618 53,533 Provision for income taxes.............. 11,123 12,213 17,131 Net income....................... $ 33,368 $ 31,405 $ 36,402 ========== ========== ========== Basic earnings per share................ $ 0.65 $ 0.61 $ 0.72 ========== ========== ========== Weighted average shares outstanding - basic................... 51,625 51,219 50,910 Diluted earnings per share.............. $ 0.62 $ 0.59 $ 0.68 ========== ========== ========== Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted................. 53,964 53,411 53,651 ========== ========== ========== Dividend paid per share................. $ 0.10 $ -- $ -- ========== ========== ==========

For the Years
Ended December 31,
200520042003
Net sales  $571,841 $514,088 $425,892 
Cost of sales   149,309  135,473  111,672 



     Gross profit   422,532  378,615  314,220 



Operating expenses:  
     Sales and marketing   211,280  188,727  160,478 
     Research and development   87,841  84,692  70,896 
     General and administrative   45,199  42,500  42,497 



          Total operating expenses   344,320  315,919  273,871 



     Operating income   78,212  62,696  40,349 
Other income (expense):  
     Interest income   3,758  2,905  2,511 
     Net foreign exchange gain (loss)   (1,566) 1,287  1,125 
     Other income (expense), net   276  (2,075) 506 



Income before income taxes   80,680  64,813  44,491 
Provision for income taxes   19,163  16,203  11,123 



          Net income  $61,517 $48,610 $33,368 



Basic earnings per share  $0.78 $0.62 $0.43 



Weighted average shares outstanding - basic   78,552  78,680  77,438 



Diluted earnings per share  $0.76 $0.59 $0.41 



Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted   80,910  82,096  80,946 



Dividends declared per share  $0.20 $0.18 $0.07 



        The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In

(in thousands)
For the Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Cash flow from operating activities: Net income................................................. $ 33,368 $ 31,405 $ 36,402 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities: Charges to income not requiring cash outlays: Depreciation and amortization....................... 24,774 20,748 16,802 Provision (benefit) for deferred income taxes....... 2,329 (207) 822 Tax benefit from stock option plans................. 3,849 1,835 1,665 Changes in operating assets and liabilities: Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable.......... (14,989) (9,357) 21,080 Decrease (increase) in inventories.................. 434 (6,640) 685 Decrease (increase) in prepaid expenses and other assets............................................ 4,049 1,823 (9,574) (Decrease) increase in accounts payable............. 3,989 (3,380) (1,407) (Decrease) increase in taxes and other liabilities.. 5,293 12,906 (9,322) ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash provided by operating activities........ 63,096 49,133 57,153 ---------- ---------- ---------- Cash flow from investing activities: Payment for acquisitions, net of cash received............. (6,324) -- -- Capital expenditures....................................... (17,983) (30,817) (65,274) Capitalization of internally developed software............ (9,717) (5,757) (3,923) Additions to other intangibles............................. (2,520) (2,993) (980) Purchases of short-term investments........................ (143,991) (134,434) (149,505) Sales of short-term investments............................ 116,402 122,218 127,608 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash used in investing activities............ (64,133) (51,783) (92,074) ---------- ---------- ---------- Cash flow from financing activities: Proceeds from issuance of common stock..................... 19,430 13,424 12,242 Repurchase of common stock................................. -- (19,623) (3,509) Dividends paid............................................. (5,187) -- -- ---------- ---------- ---------- Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities..................................... 14,243 (6,199) 8,733 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents....... 13,206 (8,849) (26,188) Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period........... 40,240 49,089 75,277 ---------- ---------- ---------- Cash and cash equivalents at end of period................. $ 53,446 $ 40,240 $ 49,089 ========== ========== ========== Cash paid for interest and income taxes Interest............................................... $ 62 $ 128 $ 26 Income taxes........................................... $ 10,899 $ 5,052 $ 15,814

For the Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Cash flow from operating activities:        
Net income  $61,517 $48,610 $33,368 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:  
     Depreciation and amortization   28,553  25,592  24,774 
     Stock-based compensation   1,545     
     Impairment of cost method investment     2,500   
     Gain on sale of subsidiary     (242)  
     Provision for (benefit from) deferred income taxes   3,219  (825) 2,329 
     Tax benefit from stock option plans   675  3,071  3,849 
     Changes in operating assets and liabilities:  
          Increase in accounts receivable   (4,080) (9,342) (14,989)
          (Increase) decrease in inventories   (4,572) (15,230) 434 
          (Increase) decrease in prepaid expenses and other assets   (2,177) 4,624  4,049 
          Increase (decrease) in accounts payable   4,647  (4,359) 3,989 
          Increase in deferred revenue   3,847  3,385  2,746 
          (Decrease) increase in taxes and other liabilities   (5,124) 7,848  2,547 



               Net cash provided by operating activities   88,050  65,632  63,096 



Cash flow from investing activities:  
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary     680   
Acquisitions, net of cash received   (63,891)   (6,324)
Capital expenditures   (15,383) (12,596) (17,983)
Capitalization of internally developed software   (13,380) (5,007) (9,667)
Additions to other intangibles   (4,288) (3,050) (2,570)
Purchases of short-term investments   (124,227) (125,954) (116,030)
Sales and maturities of short-term investments   154,773  116,789  115,841 



               Net cash used in investing activities   (66,396) (29,138) (36,733)



Cash flow from financing activities:  
Proceeds from issuance of common stock   23,222  16,826  19,430 
Repurchase of common stock   (49,452) (16,064)  
Dividends paid   (15,776) (14,486) (5,187)



               Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities   (42,006) (13,724) 14,243 



Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents   (20,352) 22,770  40,606 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period   76,216  53,446  12,840 



Cash and cash equivalents at end of period  $55,864 $76,216 $53,446 



Cash paid for interest and income taxes  
     Interest  $17 $31 $62 
     Income taxes  $15,117 $10,622 $10,899 

        The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS'STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY (In

(in thousands, except share data)
Accumulated Common Common Additional Other Total Stock Stock Paid-In Retained Comprehensive Stockholders' (Shares) Amount Capital Earnings Income/(Loss Equity ----------- ------ ---------- --------- ------------- ------------- Balance at December 31, 2000...................... 50,634,603 $ 506 $ 69,534 $254,006 $ (3,023) $ 321,023 Net income........................................ 36,402 36,402 Foreign currency translation adjustment (net of $1,137 tax benefit)..................... (2,417) (2,417) Unrealized loss on securities available for sale (net of $0 tax benefit)......................... (167) (167) Unrealized gain on derivative instruments (net of $1,449 tax expense)..................... 2,590 2,590 Issuance of common stock under employee plans..... 649,666 6 12,236 12,242 Repurchase and retirement of common stock......... (121,800) (3,509) (3,509) ----------- ------ ---------- --------- ------------- ------------- Balance at December 31, 2001...................... 51,162,469 $ 512 $ 78,261 $290,408 $ (3,017) $ 366,164 Net income........................................ 31,405 31,405 Foreign currency translation adjustment (net of $1,355 tax expense)..................... 3,483 3,483 Unrealized gain on securities available for sale (net of $0 tax expense)......................... 147 147 Unrealized loss on derivative instruments (net of $3,320 tax benefit)..................... (8,537) (8,537) Issuance of common stock under employee plans..... 725,488 7 13,417 13,424 Repurchase and retirement of common stock......... (813,350) (8) (19,615) (19,623) ----------- ------ ---------- --------- ------------- ------------- Balance at December 31, 2002...................... 51,074,607 $ 511 $ 72,063 $321,813 $ (7,924) $ 386,463 Net income........................................ 33,368 33,368 Foreign currency translation adjustment (net of $1,666 tax expense)..................... 4,997 4,997 Unrealized loss on securities available for sale (net of $0 tax benefit)......................... (148) (148) Unrealized loss on derivative instruments (net of $1,107 tax benefit)..................... (3,320) (3,320) Issuance of common stock under employee plans..... 1,080,833 11 22,268 22,279 Issuance of common stock.......................... 24,050 1,000 1,000 Dividends declared................................ (5,187) (5,187) ----------- ------ ---------- --------- ------------- ------------- Balance at December 31, 2003...................... 52,179,490 $ 522 $ 95,331 $349,994 $ (6,395) $ 439,452

 Common Stock SharesCommon Stock AmountAdditional Paid-In CapitalDeferred CompensationRetained EarningsAccumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss)Total Stockholders' Equity
Balance at December 31, 2002   76,611,910 $767 $71,807 $ $321,813 $(7,924)$386,463 
Net income               33,368     33,368 
Foreign currency translation adjustment                       
  (net of $1,666 tax expense)                  4,997  4,997 
Unrealized loss on securities available for sale                       
  (net of $0 tax benefit)                  (148) (148)
Unrealized loss on derivative instruments                       
  (net of $1,107 tax benefit)                  (3,320) (3,320)
  Total comprehensive income                     34,897 
Issuance of common stock under employee plans,                       
   including tax benefits   1,621,250  16  22,263           22,279 
Issuance of common stock   36,075     1,000           1,000 
Dividends declared               (5,187)    (5,187)







Balance at December 31, 2003   78,269,235 $783 $95,070 $ $349,994 $(6,395)$439,452 
Net income               48,610     48,610 
Foreign currency translation adjustment                       
  (net of $1,013 tax expense)                  3,050  3,050 
Unrealized loss on securities available for sale                       
  (net of $0 tax benefit)                  (417) (417)
Unrealized gain on derivative instruments                       
  (net of $2,136 tax expense)                  6,407  6,407 
  Total comprehensive income                     57,650 
Issuance of common stock under employee plans,                       
   including tax benefits   1,234,195  12  19,885           19,897 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock   (557,850) (6) (16,058)          (16,064)
Dividends declared               (14,486)    (14,486)







Balance at December 31, 2004   78,945,580 $789 $98,897 $ $384,118 $2,645 $486,449 
Net income               61,517     61,517 
Foreign currency translation adjustment                       
  (net of $1,636 tax benefit)                  (5,181) (5,181)
Unrealized gain on securities available for sale                       
  (net of $0 tax expense)                  50  50 
Unrealized gain on derivative instruments                       
  (net of $253 tax expense)                  801  801 
  Total comprehensive income                     57,187 
Net activity related to restricted stock units   813,305  8  18,084  (16,547)       1,545 
Issuance of common stock under employee plans,                       
   including tax benefits   1,573,547  16  23,206           23,222 
Repurchase and retirement of common stock   (2,056,346) (20) (49,432)          (49,452)
Dividends declared               (15,776)    (15,776)
Disqualified dispositions         675           675 







Balance at December 31, 2005   79,276,086 $793 $91,430 $(16,547)$429,859 $(1,685)$503,850 

        The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Note 1:   Operations and summary of significant accounting policies

        National Instruments Corporation (the "Company") is a Delaware Corporation. The Company engagescorporation. We engage in the design, development, manufacture and marketing of instrumentation software and specialty computer plug-in cards and accessories that users combine with industry standard computers, networks and the Internet to create measurement and automation systems. The Company offersWe offer hundreds of products used to create virtual instrumentation systems for general, commercial, industrial and scientific applications. The Company'sOur products may be used in different environments, and consequently, specific application of the Company'sour products is determined by the customer and oftengenerally is not known to the Company. The Company approachesus. We approach all markets with essentially the same products, which are used in a variety of applications from research and development to production testing and industrial control. The following industries and applications are served worldwide by the Company:us worldwide: advanced research, automotive, commercial aerospace, computers and electronics, continuous process manufacturing, education, government/defense, medical research/pharmaceutical, power/energy, semiconductors, automated test equipment, telecommunications and others. The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

   Principles of consolidation

        The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the CompanyNational Instruments Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

        Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform with the 20032005 presentation.

   Use of estimates

        Judgments and estimates by management are required in the preparation of financial statements to conform with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The estimates and underlying assumptions affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingencies at the balance sheet date and the reported revenues and expenses for the period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

   Cash and cash equivalents

        Cash and cash equivalents include cash and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition.

   Short-term investments

        Short-term investments consist of corporate, state and municipal securities with readily determinable fair market values and original maturities in excess of three months.months at the date of acquisition. Investments with maturities beyond one year are classified as short-term based on their highly liquid nature and because such marketable securities represent the investment of cash that is available for current operations. The Company'sOur investments are classified as available-for-sale and accordingly are reported at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses reported as other comprehensive income. Unrealized losses are charged against income when a decline in fair value is determined to be other than temporary. The specific identification method is used to determine the cost of securities sold.

   Inventories

        Inventories are stated at the lower-of-cost or market. Cost is determined using standard costs, which approximate the first-in first-out (FIFO) method. Cost includes the acquisition cost of purchased components, parts and subassemblies, in-bound freight costs, labor and overhead. Market is replacement cost with respect to raw materials and is net realizable value with respect to work in process and finished goods.

        Inventory is shown net of valuation allowanceadjustment for excess and obsolete inventories of $3.8$6.0 million and $3.5$5.2 million at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, respectively.

   Property and equipment

        Property and equipment are recorded at cost. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the assets, which range from twenty to forty years for buildings, three to seven years for purchased internal use software and three to five years for equipment which are each included in furniture and equipment. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the shorter of the life of the lease or the asset.

   Intangible assets The Company has capitalized

        We capitalize costs related to the development and acquisition of certain software products. In accordance with Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS"(“SFAS”) No. 86,Accounting for the Costs of Computer Software to Be Sold, Leased or Otherwise Marketed, capitalization of costs begins when technological feasibility has been established and ends when the product is available for general release to customers. Technological feasibility for National Instrumentsour products is established when the product is available for beta release. Amortization is computed on an individual product basis for those products available for market and has beenis recognized based on the product'sproduct’s estimated economic life, generally three years. Patents are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated period of benefit, generally seventeen years. At each balance sheet date, the unamortized costs for all intangible assets are reviewed by management and reduced to net realizable value when necessary.

   Goodwill

        The excess purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. Beginning in 2002In accordance with the adoption of SFAS No. 142,Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, goodwill is no longer amortized, but instead tested for impairment at least annually. Prior to 2002, goodwill was amortizedon an annual basis, and between annual tests if indicators of potential impairment exist, using the straight-line method over its estimated period of benefit, ten years.a fair-value-based approach.

   Concentrations of credit risk

        Financial instruments that potentially subject the Companyus to concentrations of credit risk consist principally of foreign currency forward and option contracts, cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments and trade accounts receivable. In management's opinion,We have no significant concentrationconcentrations of credit risk exists for the Company. The Company'sat December 31, 2005.

        Our counterparties in itsour foreign currency forward and option contracts are major financial institutions. The Company doesWe do not anticipate nonperformance by these counterparties. The Company maintainsWe maintain cash and cash equivalents with various financial institutions located in many countries worldwide. The Company'sOur short-term investments are diversified among and limited to high-quality securities with high credit ratings. Concentration of credit risk with respect to trade accounts receivable is limited due to the large number of customers and their dispersion across many countries and industries. The amount of sales to any individual customer did not exceed 3% of revenue for the periods presented. The largest trade account receivable from any individual customer at December 31, 20032005 was approximately $628,000.$962,000.

   Key supplier risk

        Our manufacturing processes use large volumes of high-quality components and subassemblies supplied by outside sources. Several of those compenants are available through single or limited sources. Supply shortages of or quality problems in connection with some of these key components could result in our having to procure from replacement suppliers, which would cause significant delays in fulfillment of orders and likely result in additional costs. In order to manage this risk, we maintain safety stock of some of these single sourced components and subassemblies and perform regular assessments of suppliers performance, grading key suppliers in critical areas such as quality and "on-time" delivery.

   Revenue recognition

        We derive revenue primarily from the sale/licensing of integrated hardware and software solutions. We also sell application software licenses which are sold separately as well as consulting, training and post contract support services. The products and services are generally sold under standardized licensing and sales arrangements with payment terms ranging from net 30 days in the United States to net 30 days and up to net 90 days in some international markets. Approximately 95% of product/license sales include both hardware and software in the customer arrangement, with a small percentage of sales including other services. We offer rights of return and standard warranties for product defects related to our products. The rights of return are generally for a period of up to 30 days after the delivery date. The standard warranties cover periods ranging from 90 days to three years. With the exception of our former German systems integration subsidiary, which accounted for less than 1.5% of our revenues in the year ended December 31, 2004, we do not enter into contracts requiring product acceptance from the customer. This subsidiary was sold in December 2004.

        Revenue is recognized when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the fee is fixed or determinable, and collectability is probable. We enter into certain arrangements where we are obligated to deliver multiple products and/or services (“multiple elements”). In these transactions, we allocate the total revenue among the elements based on the sales price of each element when sold separately (“vendor-specific objective evidence”).

        Sales revenue from product sales is generally recognized on the date the product is shipped, with a portion of revenue recorded as deferred (unearned) due to the customer. Provisionapplicable undelivered elements. Undelivered elements for our multiple-element arrangements with a customer are generally restricted to post contract support and training and education. The amount of revenue allocated to these undelivered elements is made for estimated sales returns based on actual historical experience. Revenue relatedthe vendor-specific objective evidence of fair value for those undelivered elements. Deferred revenue due to the sale of maintenance contractsundelivered elements is deferred and amortizedrecognized ratably on a straight-line basis over the service period.period or when the service is completed. Deferred revenue at December 31, 20032005 and 20022004 was $8.1$16.0 million and $5.4$11.5 million, respectively. Accounts

        Provision for estimated sales returns is made by reducing recorded revenue based on historical experience. Management analyzes historical returns, current economic trends, and changes in customer demand and acceptance of our products when evaluating the adequacy of our allowance for sales returns. The accounts receivable are net of allowance for sales returns of $1.3 million and $1.3 million at December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. Similarly, management must make estimates of the uncollectability of our accounts receivables. Management specifically analyzes accounts receivable and analyzes historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness and current economic trends when evaluating the adequacy of our allowance for doubtful accounts. The accounts receivable are net of allowances for doubtful accounts and sales returns of $3.2$3.4 million and $3.8$2.2 million at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, respectively.

   Warranty reserve The Company offers

        We offer a one-year limited warranty on most hardware products, andwith a 90-daytwo or three-year warranty on softwarea subset of our hardware products, which is included in the sales price of many of itsour products. Provision is made for estimated future warranty costs at the time of sale.the sale pursuant to SFAS 5,Accounting for LossContingencies, for the estimated costs that may be incurred under the basic limited warranty. Our estimate is based on historical experience and product sales during this period.

        The warranty reserve atfor the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively, was as follows (in thousands): Dollar Amount of Liability -------------------------- 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Balance at the beginning of the period.............. $ 715 $ 865 Accruals for warranties issued during the period.... 1,087 988 Settlements made (in cash or in kind) during the period............................................. (1,087) (1,138) ---------- ---------- Balance at the end of the period.................... $ 715 $ 715 ========== ========== Legal defense costs The Company accrues

20052004

Balance at the beginning of the period
  $815 $715 
Accruals for warranties issued during the period   1,652  1,538 
Settlements made (in cash or in kind) during the period   (1,552) (1,438)


Balance at the end of the period  $915 $815 


   Loss contingencies

        We accrue for probable losses from contingencies including legal defense costs, on an undiscounted basis, in accordance with SFAS No. 5, Accounting for Loss Contingencies,when such costs are considered probable of being incurred and are reasonably estimable. The CompanyWe periodically evaluatesevaluate available information, both internal and external, relative to such contingencies and adjustsadjust this accrual as necessary.

   Advertising expense The Company expenses its

        We expense costs of advertising as incurred. Advertising expense for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003 2002was $42.5 million, $39.7 million and 2001 was $35.0 million, $29.6 million and $30.4 million, respectively.

   Foreign currency translation

        The functional currency for the Company'sour international sales operations is the applicable local currency. The assets and liabilities of these operations are translated at the rate of exchange in effect on the balance sheet date; sales and expenses are translated at average rates. The resultantresulting gains or losses from translation are included in a separate component of other comprehensive income. Gains and losses resulting from re-measuring monetary asset and liability accounts that are denominated in a currency other than a subsidiary'ssubsidiary’s functional currency are included in determiningnet foreign exchange gain (loss) and are included in net income.

   Foreign currency hedging instruments

        All of the Company'sour derivative instruments are recognized on the balance sheet at their fair value. The CompanyWe currently usesuse foreign currency forward and purchased option contracts to hedge itsour exposure to material foreign currency denominated receivables and forecasted foreign currency cash flows.

        On the date the derivative contract is entered into, we designate the Company designates its derivative as either a hedge of the fair value of foreign currency denominated receivables ("fair-value"(“fair-value” hedge) or as a hedge of the variability of foreign currency cash flows to be received ("(“cash flow"flow” hedge). Changes in the fair market value of a fair-value hedge are recorded, along with the loss or gain on the re-measurement of foreign-currency-denominated receivables, in current earnings. Changes in the fair value of derivatives that are highly effective as--and that are designated and qualify as--cashas cash flow hedges under SFAS No. 133 and that are deemed to be highly effective are recorded in other comprehensive income. These amounts are subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period during which the hedge transaction is realized. The Company doesWe do not enter into derivative contracts for speculative purposes. The Company

        We formally documentsdocument all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as itsour risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. This process includes linking all derivatives that are designated as fair-value or cash flow hedges to specific assets and liabilities on the balance sheet or to specific firm commitments or forecasted transactions. The CompanyWe also formally assesses,assess, both at the hedge'shedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivatives that are used to hedge forecasted transactionshedging instruments are highly effective in offsetting changes in cash flows of hedged items. The Company

        We prospectively discontinuesdiscontinue hedge accounting if (1) it is determined that the derivative is no longer highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value of a hedged item (forecasted transactions); or (2) the derivative is de-designated as a hedge instrument, because it is unlikely that a forecasted transaction will occur. When hedge accounting is discontinued, the derivative is sold and the resulting gains and losses will beare recognized immediately in earnings.

   Income taxes The Company accounts

        We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method as set forth in SFAS No. 109,Accounting for Income Taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to amounts which are more likely than not to be realized.

   Earnings per share

        On January 21, 2004, we declared a stock split effected in the form of a dividend of one share of common stock for each two shares of common stock outstanding. The dividend was paid on February 20, 2004 to holders of record as of the close of business on February 5, 2004. All per share data and numbers of common shares, where appropriate, have been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

        Basic earnings per share ("EPS"(“EPS”) is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted EPS is computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares and common share equivalents outstanding (if dilutive) during each period. Common share equivalents include stock options. The number of common share equivalents, outstanding relating towhich include stock options, is computed using the treasury stock method.

        The reconciliation of the denominators used to calculate basic EPS and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2003, 20022005, 2004 and 2001,2003, respectively, are as follows (in thousands): Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 -------- -------- -------- Weighted average shares outstanding-basic..... 51,625 51,219 50,910 Plus: Common share equivalents Stock options................................ 2,339 2,192 2,741 -------- -------- -------- Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted... 53,964 53,411 53,651 ======== ======== ========

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003

Weighted average shares outstanding-basic
   78,552  78,680  77,438 
Plus: Common share equivalents           
   Stock options   2,358  3,416  3,508 



Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted   80,910  82,096  80,946 



        Stock options to acquire 1,454,000, 1,649,0003,056,000, 2,523,000 and 1,394,0002,181,000 shares for the years ended December 31, 2003, 20022005, 2004 and 2001,2003, respectively, were excluded from the computations of diluted earnings per shareEPS because the effect of including these stock options would have been anti-dilutive.

   Stock-based compensation plans The Company has

        We have two active stock-based compensation plans and onetwo inactive plan.plans. The two active stock-based compensation plans are the 19942005 Incentive Stock Option Plan and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. The Company followsWe follow the disclosure-only provisions of SFAS No. 123,Accounting for Stock-Based Compensationas amended by SFAS 148,Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation as amended by SFAS No.148, Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation - - Transition and Disclosure.Disclosure. As allowed by SFAS No. 123, the Company continueswe continue to apply the provisions of Accounting Principles Board Opinion No.("APB") 25,Accounting for Stock issued to Employees, and related interpretations in accounting for itssuch plans. Accordingly, compensation cost for stock options is measured as the excess, if any, of the quoted market price of the Company'sour stock at the date of the grant over the amount an employee must pay to acquire the stock. No compensation cost has been recognized in the Company'sour financial statements for the inactive stock option plan and the stock purchase plan. Compensation cost has been recognized in our financial statements for the 2005 Incentive Plan. If compensation cost for the Company's twoour inactive 1994 Incentive Stock Option Plan (terminated in May 2005 except with respect to outstanding awards previously granted thereunder) and our active stock-based compensation plansEmployee Stock Purchase Plan were determined based on the fair value at the grant date for awards under those plans consistent with the method established by SFAS No. 123, the Company'sour net income and earnings per share would approximate the pro-forma amounts below (in thousands, except per share data): Years Ended December 31, ---------------------------------- 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net income, as reported..................... $ 33,368 $ 31,405 $ 36,402 Stock-based compensation included in reported net income, net of related tax effects............................... -- -- -- Total stock-based compensation expense determined under fair value method for all awards, net of related tax effects.... (12,290) (14,019) (14,086) ---------- ---------- ---------- Pro-forma net income........................ $ 21,078 $ 17,386 $ 22,316 ---------- ---------- ---------- Earnings per share: Basic - as reported......................... $ 0.65 $ 0.61 $ 0.72 Basic - pro-forma........................... $ 0.41 $ 0.34 $ 0.44 Diluted - as reported....................... $ 0.62 $ 0.59 $ 0.68 Diluted - pro-forma......................... $ 0.39 $ 0.33 $ 0.42

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Net income, as reported  $61,517 $48,610 $33,368 
Stock-based compensation included in reported net income,  
     net of related tax effects   959     
Total stock-based compensation expense determined under           
     fair value method for all awards, net of related tax effects   (13,998) (12,741) (12,290)



Pro-forma net income  $48,478 $35,869 $21,078 




Earnings per share:
  
Basic - as reported  $0.78$0.62$0.43
Basic - pro-forma  $0.62$0.46$0.27
Diluted - as reported  $0.76$0.59$0.41
Diluted - pro-forma  $0.60$0.44$0.26

   Comprehensive income The Company follows SFAS No. 130, Reporting Comprehensive Income, which established standards for reporting comprehensive income and its components. The Company's other

        Our comprehensive income is fromcomprised of net income, foreign currency translation and unrealized gains and losses on forward and option contracts and securities available for sale. Total comprehensiveComprehensive income for 2005, 2004 and 2003 2002was $57.2 million, $57.7 million and 2001 was $34.9 million, $26.5 million and $36.4 million, respectively.

   Recently issued accounting pronouncementpronouncements

        In May 2003,November 2004, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"(“FASB”) issued StatementSFAS 151,Inventory Costs, an amendment of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") No. 150, Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of Both Liabilities and Equity. This Statement establishes standards for how an issuer classifies and measures certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity. ItARB 43, Chapter 4. The standard requires that an issuer classify a financial instrument that is within its scope as a liability (or an asset in some circumstances) because that financial instrument embodies an obligationabnormal amounts of idle capacity and spoilage costs should be excluded from the issuer. This Statementcost of inventory and expensed when incurred. The provision is effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003, and otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim periodfiscal periods beginning after June 15, 2003. It is2005. We do not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

        In December 2004, the FASB released its final revised standard, SFAS 123R,Share-Based Payment. SFAS 123R eliminates the ability to account for share-based compensation transactions using the intrinsic value method under APB 25, and generally would require instead that such transactions be implemented by reportingaccounted for using a fair-value-based method. SFAS 123R requires that a public entity measure the cumulative effectcost of a change in an accounting principle for financial instruments created beforeequity based service awards based on the issuance dategrant-date fair value of the Statementaward. That cost will be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award or the vesting period. No compensation cost is recognized for equity instruments for which employees do not render the requisite service. Adoption of SFAS 123R is required for us beginning in our fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2006. We have evaluated the impact of SFAS 123R and still existing atit will have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.

        In March 2005, the beginningFASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 47,Accounting for Conditional Asset Retirement Obligations (FIN 47). FIN 47 clarifies that an entity must record a liability for a “conditional” asset retirement obligation if the fair value of the interim period of adoption.obligation can be reasonably estimated. The provision is effective for fiscal years ending after December 15, 2005. The adoption of SFAS No. 150this standard did not have a material effect on the Company'sour financial position, or results of operations. operations or cash flows.

        In December 2004, the FASB issued FASB Staff Position 109-2,Accounting and Disclosure Guidance for the Foreign Earnings Repatriation Provision within the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 (FSP 109-2). The American Jobs Creation Act introduces a special one-time dividends received deduction on the repatriation of certain foreign earnings to a U.S. taxpayer (Repatriation Provision), provided certain criteria are met. FSP 109-2 provides accounting and disclosure guidance for the Repatriation Provision. We have completed our analysis of the impact of the Repatriation Provision and did not repatriate earnings under this provision.

Note 2:   Short-term investments

        Short-term investments at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, consisting of corporate, state and municipal securities, were acquired at an aggregate cost of $141.2$119.8 million and $113.6$150.4 million, respectively. The contractual maturities of these securities, which are classified as available-for-sale and carried at fair value, are as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Less than 90 days................................. $ 21,265 $ 33,237 90 days to one year............................... 59,831 40,377 One year through two years........................ 35,586 38,876 Two years through three years..................... 24,545 1,148 ---------- ---------- $ 141,227 $ 113,638 ========== ==========

December 31,
20052004
Less than 90 days  $61,855 $44,932 
90 days to one year   42,222  53,551 
One year through two years   11,877  43,536 
Two years or more   3,892  8,373 


   $119,846 $150,392 


Note 3:   Inventories

        Inventories, net consist of the following (in thousands): December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Raw materials..................................... $ 17,513 $ 21,127 Work-in-process................................... 1,625 1,324 Finished goods.................................... 19,675 16,796 ---------- ---------- $ 38,813 $ 39,247 ========== ==========

December 31,
20052004
Raw materials  $28,497 $23,817 
Work-in-process   4,634  2,320 
Finished goods   29,696  27,906 


   $62,827 $54,043 


Note 4:   Property and equipment

        Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands): December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Land.............................................. $ 5,805 $ 5,850 Buildings......................................... 126,019 121,320 Furniture and equipment........................... 127,495 114,166 ---------- ---------- 259,319 241,336 Accumulated depreciation.......................... (107,707) (89,203) ---------- ---------- $ 151,612 $ 152,133 ========== ==========

December 31,
20052004
Land  $7,085 $5,869 
Buildings   124,428  126,878 
Furniture and equipment   91,073  138,893 


    222,586  271,640 
Accumulated depreciation   (78,256) (121,857)


   $144,330 $149,783 


        Depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, 2002was $17.8 million, $17.3 million and 2001, was $18.5 million, $16.0 million and $12.6 million, respectively.

Note 5:   Intangibles and other assets

        Intangibles and other assets, net of accumulated amortization at December 31, 20032005 and 20022004 are as follows: December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Capitalized software

2005 2004
Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
 Gross
Carrying
Amount
Accumulated
Amortization
Net
Carrying
Amount
Capitalized software development costs  $50,201 $(32,651)$17,550  $36,821 $(25,499)$11,322 
Acquired technology   20,257  (6,296) 13,961   6,466  (4,455) 2,011 
Patents   11,647  (2,445) 9,202   8,575  (1,960) 6,615 
Other   4,826  (1,937) 2,889   1,933  (1,057) 876 






   $86,931 $(43,329)$43,602  $53,795 $(32,971)$20,824 






        Software development costs capitalized during 2005, 2004 and acquired technology............................... $ 17,234 $ 9,312 Goodwill............................................ 10,280 5,795 Patents............................................. 5,978 5,636 Investment.......................................... 2,500 2,500 Long-term deferred tax asset........................ 2,123 2,109 Deposits2003 were $13.4 million, $5.0 million and other.................................. 4,299 3,263 ---------- ---------- $ 42,414 $ 28,615 At December 31, 2003$9.7 million, respectively, and 2002, accumulatedrelated amortization onwas $7.2 million, $6.6 million and $4.9 million, respectively.

        Amortization of capitalized software development costs is computed on an individual product basis for those products available for market and acquired technology was $22.1is recognized based on the product’s estimated economic life, generally three years. Patents are amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated period of benefit, generally seventeen years. Total intangible assets amortization expense were $10.7 million, $8.3 million and $15.6 million, respectively, accumulated amortization on goodwill was $2.3 million and $1.9 million, respectively, and accumulated amortization on patents was $1.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively. Total amortization costs were $6.2 million, $4.7 million and $4.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively. Software

        Capitalized software development costs, capitalized during 2003, 2002acquired technology, patents and 2001 were $10.7other have weighted-average useful lives of 2.4, 4.9, 11.8 and 4.9, respectively, as of the end of December 31, 2005. The estimated future amortization expense related to intangible assets as of December 31, 2005 is as follows:

Amount
(in thousands)
2006  $13,300 
2007   9,819 
2008   7,753 
2009   3,199 
2010   2,441 
Thereafter   7,090 

   $43,602 

        We established a valuation reserve in 2004 for the estimated total impairment of our $2.5 million $5.8 millioncost-method investment in a start-up company. This impairment was based on our lack of expected recovery of our investment based on the start-up company's lack of profitability.

Note 6:   Goodwill

        The carrying amount of goodwill for 2004 and $3.9 million, respectively, and related amortization was $5.6 million, $3.8 million and $3.1 million, respectively.2005 are as follows:

Amount
(in thousands)
Balance as of December 31, 2003  $11,893 
Acquisitions/purchase accounting adjustments   1,463 
Divestitures    

Balance as of December 31, 2004   13,356 
Acquisitions/purchase accounting adjustments   39,177 
Divestitures    

Balance as of December 31, 2005  $52,533 

        The excess purchase price over the fair value of assets acquired is recorded as goodwill. In 2001, the FASB issuedaccordance with SFAS No. 142,Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets. SFAS No. 142, discontinues amortizationAssets, goodwill is tested for impairment on an annual basis, and between annual tests if indicators of acquiredpotential impairment exist, using a fair-value-based approach. No impairment of goodwill and instead requires annual impairment testing. The Company adopted SFAS No. 142 effective January 1, 2002. Adoptionhas been identified during any of SFAS No. 142 did not have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. periods presented.

Note 6:7:   Income taxes

        The components of income before the provision for income taxes are as follows (in thousands): Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 -------- -------- -------- Domestic..................................... $35,717 $38,965 $45,902 Foreign...................................... 8,774 4,653 7,631 -------- -------- -------- $44,491 $43,618 $53,533 ======== ======== ========

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Domestic  $40,460 $37,786 $35,717 
Foreign   40,220  27,027  8,774 



   $80,680 $64,813 $44,491 



        The provision for income taxes charged to operations is as follows (in thousands): Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 -------- -------- -------- Current tax expense: U.S. federal.............................. $ 8,434 $ 8,288 $13,007 State..................................... 477 654 1,575 Foreign................................... 698 3,478 1,727 -------- -------- -------- Total current.......................... 9,609 12,420 16,309 -------- -------- -------- Deferred tax expense (benefit): U.S. federal.............................. 1,023 697 590 State..................................... 39 56 123 Foreign................................... 452 (960) 109 -------- -------- -------- Total deferred......................... 1,514 (207) 822 -------- -------- -------- Total provision........................ $11,123 $12,213 $17,131 ======== ======== ========

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Current tax expense:        
     U.S. federal  $11,022 $10,594 $8,434 
     State   1,029  1,106  477 
     Foreign   3,725  3,300  698 



          Total current   15,776  15,000  9,609 



Deferred tax expense (benefit):  
     U.S. federal   2,396  1,041  1,023 
     State   (102) 121  39 
     Foreign   1,093  41  452 



          Total deferred   3,387  1,203  1,514 



          Total provision  $19,163 $16,203 $11,123 



        Deferred tax liabilities (assets) at December 31, 20032005 and 20022004 as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Capitalized software................................ $ 4,657 $ 3,246 Unrealized gain on derivative instruments........... 1,827 967 Depreciation and amortization....................... 5,910 2,906 Unrealized exchange gain............................ 193 -- Accrued legal expenses.............................. -- 116 Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries...... 203 183 ---------- ---------- Gross deferred tax liabilities..................... 12,790 7,418 ---------- ---------- Operating loss carryforwards........................ (2,543) (2,465) Vacation and other accruals......................... (1,785) (1,852) Inventory valuation and warranty provisions......... (5,945) (3,218) Doubtful accounts and sales provisions.............. (1,018) (1,184) Unrealized exchange loss............................ -- (588) Intercompany profit................................. (2,820) (1,911) Accrued rent expenses............................... (193) (818) Accrued legal expenses.............................. (997) -- Other............................................... (563) (473) ---------- ---------- Gross deferred tax assets.......................... (15,864) (12,509) ---------- ---------- Valuation allowance................................. 927 615 ---------- ---------- Net deferred tax asset............................. $ (2,147) $ (4,476) ========== ==========

December 31,
20052004
Capitalized software  $6,288 $4,171 
Unrealized gain on derivative instruments   86   
Depreciation and amortization   8,598  9,741 
Unrealized exchange gain   1,238  50 
Accrued rent expenses     256 
Undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries   4,410  2,187 


   Gross deferred tax liabilities   20,620  16,405 


Operating loss carryforwards   (22,672) (15,557)
Intangibles   (71,125) (93,995)
Vacation and other accruals   (2,946) (2,646)
Inventory valuation and warranty provisions   (9,043) (6,183)
Doubtful accounts and sales provisions   (1,545) (1,135)
Intercompany profit   (2,442) (2,847)
Accrued rent expenses   (17)  
Accrued legal expenses   (12) (1,134)
Unrealized loss on derivative instruments     (346)
10% minority stock investment   (911) (947)
Stock-based compensation   (563)  
Other   (629) (772)


   Gross deferred tax assets   (111,905) (125,562)


Valuation allowance   91,534  106,187 


   Net deferred tax liability (asset)  $249 $(2,970)


        A reconciliation of income taxes at the U.S. federal statutory income tax rate to the effective tax rate follows: Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 ---- ---- ---- U.S. federal statutory tax rate........................... 35% 35% 35% Foreign sales corporation/ETI benefit..................... (4) (6) (2) Foreign taxes more (less) than federal statutory rate..... (4) 2 (1) Research and development tax credit....................... (1) (2) (1) Tax exempt interest....................................... (2) (2) (2) State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit............ 1 1 3 ---- ---- ---- Effective tax rate........................................ 25% 28% 32% ==== ==== ====

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
U.S. federal statutory tax rate   35% 35% 35%
Foreign sales corporation/ETI benefit   (2) (3) (4)
Domestic production activities   (1)    
Foreign taxes more (less) than federal statutory rate   (7) (6) (4)
Change in valuation allowance   (1)    
Research and development tax credit   (1) (1) (1)
Tax exempt interest   (1) (1) (2)
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit   1  1  1 
Other   1     



Effective tax rate   24% 25% 25%



        As of December 31, 2003, twenty2005, eighteen of the Company'sour subsidiaries have available, for income tax purposes, foreign net operating loss carryforwards of an aggregate of approximately $15.9$142.5 million, of which $2.0$7.5 million expire during the years 2005 - - 20132008 — 2015 and $13.9$135.0 million of which may be carried forward indefinitely. The Company'sOur tax valuation allowance relates to the realizability of certain of these foreign net operating loss carryforwards.carryforwards and benefits of tax deductible goodwill in excess of book goodwill.

        We maintain a manufacturing facility in Hungary. As a result of certain foreign investment incentives available under Hungarian law, the profit from the Company'sour Hungarian operation is currently exempt from income tax. Based on our capital investment in Hungary and current exemption limits which apply to this and any capital investments made through December 31, 2005, we currently expect this special tax status will terminate on or before December 31, 2007. The Companyaggregate tax benefit of the exemption was $3.4 million and $3.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively.

        In 2003, we restructured the organization of our manufacturing operation in Hungary. The tax deductible goodwill in excess of book goodwill created by this restructuring resulted in our being required to record a gross deferred tax asset of $91.0 million. The amortization of this excess tax deductible goodwill resulted in a $20.1 million and $11.3 million deferred tax asset for the associated net operating loss for the year ended December 31, 2005 and 2004, respectively. As of December 31, 2005 and 2004, the gross deferred tax asset related to the excess tax goodwill was $71.1 million and $94.0 million, respectively, and the gross deferred tax asset related to the net operating loss was $20.1 million and $11.3 million, respectively. Because we do not expect to have significant taxable income in the relevant jurisdiction in future periods to realize the benefit of these deferred tax assets, a valuation allowance for the entire amount of these deferred tax assets has been established.

        We have not provided for U.S. federal income and foreign withholding taxes on approximately $17.4$72.6 million of certain non-U.S. subsidiaries'subsidiaries’ undistributed earnings as of December 31, 2003.2005. These earnings would become subject to taxes of approximately $5.0$24.3 million, if they were actually or deemed to be remitted to the parent company as dividends or if the Companywe should sell itsour stock in these subsidiaries. The CompanyWe currently intendsintend to reinvest indefinitely these undistributed earnings.

Note 7: Stockholders'8:    Stockholders’ equity

   Stock repurchases and retirements

        In 1998, the Company'sour Board of Directors approved the repurchase and retirement of shares of common stock to reduce the dilutive effect of the Company'sour stock plans. Pursuant to thisthe 1998 repurchase program the Company haswe have repurchased and retired a total of 935,1501,402,725 shares for approximately $23.1 million. In 2002, our Board of Directors approved a new repurchase and retirement plan, which replaced the 1998 plan. Under the plan approved in 2002, we have authorization to repurchase up to 4,700,000 shares of National Instruments stock. This plan has no expiration date. Pursuant to our repurchase program, we have repurchased and retired a total of 2,614,196 shares for approximately $65.5 million.

Stock option plans The

        Our stockholders of the Company approved the 1994 Incentive Stock Option Plan on May 9, 1994. At the time of approval, 6,075,0009,112,500 shares of the Company'sour common stock were reserved for issuance under this plan. In 1997, an additional 4,725,0007,087,500 shares of the Company'sour common stock were reserved for issuance under this plan.plan, and an additional 750,000 shares were reserved for issuance under this plan, as amended, in 2004. The 1994 Plan administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, provides for granting of incentiveterminated in May 2005, except with respect to outstanding awards in the form of stock options to directors, executive officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries.previously granted thereunder. Awards under the plan must be granted within ten years of the effective date of the 1994 Plan. Options granted may be eitherwere incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code or nonqualified options. The right to purchase shares vests over a five to ten-year period, beginning on the date of grant. Stock options must be exercised within ten years from date of grant. Stock options arewere issued at the market price at the grant date. Shares available for grant at December 31, 2003 were 1,606,326.

        Transactions under all stock option plans are summarized as follows: Weighted Number of average shares under exercise option price ------------ -------- Outstanding at December 31, 2000.................... 6,314,514 $ 22.40 Exercised....................................... (388,474) 11.52 Canceled........................................ (188,255) 33.39 Granted......................................... 1,507,998 32.13 ------------ -------- Outstanding at December 31, 2001.................... 7,245,783 $ 24.72 Exercised....................................... (386,012) 11.42 Canceled........................................ (175,303) 35.99 Granted......................................... 317,900 36.25 ------------ -------- Outstanding at December 31, 2002.................... 7,002,368 $ 25.70 Exercised....................................... (747,993) 15.43 Canceled........................................ (208,021) 35.32 Granted......................................... 450,650 33.24 ------------ -------- Outstanding at December 31, 2003.................... 6,497,004 $ 27.10 Options exercisable at December 31: 2001............................................ 3,765,856 $ 17.82 2002............................................ 4,202,831 20.48 2003............................................ 4,137,003 22.92 Number of Weighted shares under average option fair value ------------ ---------- Weighted average, grant date fair value of options granted during: 2001............................................ 1,507,998 $ 20.03 2002............................................ 317,900 21.34 2003............................................ 450,650 18.05
December 31, 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Options Outstanding Options Exercisable ----------------------------------- ---------------------------- Weighted Number Weighted average Number outstanding average remaining exercisable Weighted as of exercise contractual as of average Exercise price 12/31/2003 price life 12/31/2003 exercise price -------------- ----------- -------- ----------- ----------- -------------- $ 6.44 - $ 8.89............. 860,244 $ 8.21 2.0 856,792 $ 8.20 9.78 - 14.44............. 934,222 $14.35 3.0 842,464 $ 14.36 14.83 - 22.96............ 1,439,080 $21.03 5.0 1,183,902 $ 21.09 23.33 - 31.56............ 1,527,282 $30.84 8.0 461,972 $ 30.85 31.88 - 51.56............ 1,736,176 $45.05 7.0 791,873 $ 46.07 ----------- ----------- 6,497,004 $27.10 6.0 4,137,003 $ 22.92 =========== ===========

Number of shares under optionWeighted average exercise price
Outstanding at December 31, 2002   10,488,007 $17.14 
     Exercised   (1,121,795) 10.28 
     Canceled   (315,001) 23.55 
     Granted   675,207  22.15 


Outstanding at December 31, 2003   9,726,418 $18.07 
     Exercised   (882,539) 9.60 
     Canceled   (325,912) 27.66 
     Granted   1,262,599  29.71 


Outstanding at December 31, 2004   9,780,566 $20.02 
     Exercised   (1,188,614) 10.72 
     Canceled   (358,444) 29.49 
     Granted   244,725  24.24 


Outstanding at December 31, 2005   8,478,233 $21.05 

Options exercisable at December 31:  
     2003   6,278,297 $15.35 
     2004   6,353,236  17.23 
     2005   5,946,139  19.10 

Number of shares under options
Weighted average fair value
Weighted average, grant date fair value of options granted during:      
     2003   675,207 $12.07 
     2004   1,262,599  16.72 
     2005   244,725  12.85 

December 31, 2005
Options OutstandingOptions Exercisable
Exercise priceNumber outstanding as of 12/31/2005Weighted average exercise priceWeighted average remaining contractual lifeNumber exercisable as of 12/31/2005Weighted average exercise price
$ 5.93 - $ 9.37   301,800 $6.47    299,561 $6.47 
   9.63 - 15.22   1,728,052 $10.79  3  1,656,602 $10.74 
  15.31 - 20.83   1,647,212 $16.75  6  1,315,914 $16.08 
  21.04 - 28.39   2,212,173 $22.52  6  1,276,545 $22.28 
  28.79 - 34.38   2,588,996 $31.08  8  1,397,517 $31.65 





    8,478,233 $21.05  4.55  5,946,139 $19.10 





        The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions: 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Dividend expense yield................ 0.1% 0% 0% Expected life......................... 5 years 5 years 5 years Expected volatility................... 55.8% 60.2% 59.0% Risk-free interest rate............... 2.7% 4.5% 4.7%

200520042003
Dividend expense yield   0.2%  0.2%  0.1% 
Expected life   5.5 years  5.5 years  5 years 
Expected volatility   43.3%  53.2%  55.8% 
Risk-free interest rate   4.0%  2.7%  2.7% 

   Restricted stock plan

        Our stockholders approved the 2005 Incentive Plan on May 10, 2005. At the time of approval, 2,700,000 shares of our common stock were reserved for issuance under this plan, as well as the number of shares which had been reserved, but not issued under the 1994 Plan (our incentive stock option plan which terminated in May 2005), and any shares that returned to the 1994 Plan as a result of termination of options or repurchase of shares issued under such plan. The 2005 Plan, administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, provides for granting of incentive awards in the form of restricted stock and restricted stock units to directors, executive officers and employees of the Company and its subsidiaries. Awards vest over a three, five or ten-year period, beginning on the date of grant. Vesting may accelerate based on Company performance. Shares available for grant at December 31, 2005 were 4,277,992.

        Transactions under the restricted stock plan are summarized as follows:

RSUs
Number of RSUsWeighted Average Grant Price
Balance at January 1, 2005   0  0 
     Granted   813,305  22.24 
     Vested/exercised   0  0 
     Canceled   (15,000) 22.12 


Balance at December 31, 2005   798,305  22.24 


   Employee stock purchase plan The Company's

        Our employee stock purchase plan permits substantially all domestic employees and employees of designated subsidiaries to acquire the Company'sour common stock at a purchase price of 85% of the lower of the market price at the beginning or the end of the participation period. The semi-annualOn December 21, 2005, our Compensation Committee amended the periods beginto be quarterly beginning on OctoberNovember 1, February 1, May 1 and AprilAugust 1 of each year. The initial period commences in April 1, 2006 and ends on July 31, 2006. Employees may designate up to 15% of their compensation for the purchase of common stock. Common stock reserved for future employee purchases aggregated 1,471,5181,362,850 shares at December 31, 2003.2005. Shares issued under this plan were 353,810467,932 in 2003.2005. The weighted average fair value of the employees'employees’ purchase rights, as shown below was estimated using the Black-Scholes model with the following assumptions: 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Dividend expense yield................ 0.1% 0% 0% Expected life......................... 6 months 6 months 6 months Expected volatility................... 33% 49% 63% Risk-free interest rate............... 1.1% 2.3% 5.1%

200520042003
Dividend expense yield   0.2%  0.2%  0.1% 
Expected life   6 months  6 months  6 months 
Expected volatility   29%  35%  33% 
Risk-free interest rate   3.2%  1.0%  1.1% 

        Weighted average, grant date fair value of purchase rights granted under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Weighted Number average of shares fair value --------- ---------- 2001....................................... 290,082 $ 9.62 2002....................................... 323,265 8.22 2003....................................... 259,909 9.20

Number of sharesWeighted average fair value
2003   389,864 $5.96 
2004   380,211  7.73 
2005   467,932  6.08 

   Authorized Preferred Stock and Preferred Stock Purchase Rights Plan National Instruments has

        We have 5,000,000 authorized shares of preferred stock. On January 21, 2004, theour Board of Directors of National Instruments designated 500,000750,000 of these shares as Series A Participating Preferred Stock in conjunction with its adoption of a Preferred Stock Rights Agreement (the "Rights Agreement"“Rights Agreement”) and declaration of a dividend of one preferred share purchase right (a "Right"“Right”) for each share of common stock outstanding held as of May 10, 2004 or issued thereafter. Each Right will entitle its holder to purchase one one-thousandth of a share of National Instruments'Instruments’ Series A Participating Preferred Stock at an exercise price of $200, (after giving effect to the 3 for 2 stock split in the form of a stock dividend declared by the Board of Directors of the Company on January 21, 2004), subject to adjustment, under certain circumstances. The Rights Agreement was not adopted in response to any effort to acquire control of National Instruments.

        The Rights only become exercisable in certain limited circumstances following the tenth day after a person or group announces acquisitions of or tender offers for 20% or more of National Instruments'our common stock. In addition, if an acquirer (subject to certain exclusions for certain current stockholders of National Instruments, an "Acquiring Person"“Acquiring Person”) obtains 20% or more of National Instruments'our common stock, then each Right (other than the Rights owned by an Acquiring Person or its affiliates) will entitle the holder to purchase, for the exercise price, shares of National Instruments'our common stock having a value equal to two times the exercise price. Under certain circumstances, the National Instruments'our Board of Directors may redeem the Rights, in whole, but not in part, at a purchase price of $0.01 per Right. The Rights have no voting privileges and are attached to and automatically traded with National Instrumentsour common stock until the occurrence of specified trigger events. The Rights will expire on the earlier of May 10, 2014 or the exchange or redemption of the Rights.

Note 8:9:   Employee retirement plan The Company has

        We have a defined contribution retirement plan pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. Substantially all domestic employees with at least thirty days of continuous service are eligible to participate and may contribute up to 15% of their compensation. The Board of Directors has elected to make matching contributions equal to 50% of employee contributions, which may be applied to a maximum of 6% of each participant'sparticipant’s compensation. Employees are eligible for the Company'sour matching contributions after one year of continuous service. Company contributions vest immediately. The Company'sOur policy prohibits participants from direct investment in shares of our common stock ofwithin the Company.plan. Company contributions charged to expense were $2.6 million, $2.4 million and $2.0 million $1.8 millionin 2005, 2004 and $1.6 million in 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

Note 9:10:   Financial instruments

   Fair value of financial instruments

        The estimated fair value amounts disclosed below have been determined by the Company using available market information and valuation methodologies described below. For certain of our financial instruments, of the Company, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued liabilities, the carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of these instruments. The estimated fair values of the other assets (liabilities) of the Company'sour remaining financial instruments at December 31, 20032005 and 20022004 are as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2003 2002 -------------------- -------------------- Carrying Fair Carrying Fair Amount Value Amount Value --------- --------- --------- --------- Short-term investments............... $141,227 $141,227 $113,638 $113,638 Other assets/liabilities: Forward contracts................ (5,552) (5,552) (2,685) (2,685) Purchased options................ (35) (35) 694 694

December 31,
20052004
Carrying AmountFair ValueCarrying AmountFair Value
Short-term investments  $119,846 $119,846 $150,392 $150,392 
Other assets/liabilities:  
     Forward contracts   523  523  (2,940) (2,940)

        The fair values of short-term investments and foreign currency forward and purchased option contracts were estimated based upon quotes from brokers as of the applicable balance sheet date.

Note 10:11:   Derivative instruments and hedging activities The Company has

        We have operations in 40 countries. Approximately 53%52% of the Company'sour revenues are generated outside North America. The Company'sthe Americas. Our activities expose itus to a variety of market risks, including the effects of changes in foreign-currency exchange rates and interest rates. These financial risks are monitored and managed by the Companyus as an integral part of itsour overall risk management program. The Company maintains

        We maintain a foreign-currency risk management strategy that uses derivative instruments (foreign currency forward and purchased options contracts) to protect its interests from fluctuations inour earnings and cash flows from fluctuations caused by the volatility in currency exchange rates. Movements in foreign-currency exchange rates pose a risk to the Company'sour operations and competitive position, since exchange rate changes may affect theour profitability and cash flow, of the Company, and business and/or pricing strategies of our non-U.S. based competitors.

   Foreign currency fair value and cash flow hedges

        The Company'svast majority of our foreign sales are denominated in the customers'customers’ local currency. The Company purchasesWe purchase foreign currency forward and purchased options contracts as hedges of forecasted sales that are denominated in foreign currencies and as hedges of foreign currency denominated receivables. These contracts are entered into to protect against the risk that the eventual dollar-net-cash inflows resulting from such sales or firm commitments will be adversely affected by changes in exchange rates. The Company

        We held forward contracts with notional amounts totaling $27.7$24.1 million and $24.1$31.3 million at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, respectively, that were designated as foreign currency fair value hedges of the Company'sour foreign denominated receivables. The fair value of these contracts, which are for 90-day periods, is a receivable of $278,000 and a liability of $1.6$2.6 million at December 31, 2003,2005 and a liability2004, respectively. We recorded net gains of $1.3 million at December 31, 2002. The Company recorded a net loss of $4.6$2.2 million, and $4.9net losses of $2.6 million and $4.6 million for fair value hedges for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, and 2002, respectively, and a net gain of $2.0 million for fair value hedges for the year ended December 31, 2001, which was recorded in "Foreign Currency Gain(Loss)“Foreign Exchange Gain (Loss)." The Company hedges” We hedge up to 90% of itsour outstanding foreign denominated receivables. The Company

        We held forward contracts with a notional amount of $48.6$7.1 million and $48.1 million and option contracts with notional amounts totaling $42.4 million and $86.4$10.2 million at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, respectively, that were designated as foreign currency cash flow hedges related to the Company'sour anticipated sales transactions. The fair value of these contracts, which are for terms up to twenty-fourtwelve months, is a receivable of $245,000 and a liability of $4.0 million and $2.8 million$309,000 at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, respectively, and a net unrealized deferred gain of $245,000 and a net unrealized deferred loss of $4.0 million and $2.8 million$309,000 at December 31, 20032005 and 2002,2004, respectively, was recorded in "Accumulated“Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income." The Company hedges” We hedge up to 100% of anticipated foreign currency denominated cash inflows for the following 1up to 3640 months. The CompanyWe recorded a net loss of $6.9 million and net gains of $3.6$105,000 and net losses of $5.8 million and $4.4$6.9 million for cash flow hedges for the year ended December 31, 2003, 20022005, 2004 and 2001,2003, respectively, which was included in "Net Revenue."“Net Sales.”

        As of December 31, 2003, $3.4 million2005, $245,000 of deferred lossesgains on cash flow hedges recorded in "Accumulated“Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income"Income” are expected to be reclassified to earnings during the next twelve months. The actual foreign sales expected to occur over the next twelve months will necessitate the reclassifying to earnings of these derivative losses.

        Hedge ineffectivenesseffectiveness of a foreign currency option contract designated as a cash flow hedge is measured by comparing the hedging instrument'sinstrument’s cumulative change in fair value from inception to maturity to the forecasted transaction'stransaction’s terminal value. No amounts were excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness for the years ended December 31, 20032005 and 2002. 2004.

Note 11:12:   Segment information

        In accordance with SFAS No. 131,Disclosures about Segments of an Enterprise and Related Information, the Company determines we determine operating segments using the management approach. The management approach designates the internal organization that is used by management for making operating decisions and assessing performance as the source of the Company's reportableour operating segments. It also requires disclosures about products and services, geographic areas and major customers.

        While the Company sells itswe sell our products to many different markets, its management has chosen to organize the Company by geographic areas, and as a result has determined that it haswe have one reportableoperating segment. Substantially all of the interest income, interest expense, depreciation and amortization is recorded in North America.the Americas. Net sales, operating income and identifiable assets, classified by the major geographic areas in which the Company operates,we operate, are as follows (in thousands): Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Net sales: North America: Unaffiliated customer sales......... $ 200,210 $ 195,770 $ 195,842 Geographic transfers................ 63,483 58,330 58,041 ---------- ---------- ---------- 263,693 254,100 253,883 ---------- ---------- ---------- Europe: Unaffiliated customer sales......... 137,761 122,800 128,523 Geographic transfers................ 50,301 35,027 6,981 ---------- ---------- ---------- 188,062 157,827 135,504 ---------- ---------- ---------- Asia Pacific: Unaffiliated customer sales......... 87,921 72,220 60,910 ---------- ---------- ---------- Eliminations........................... (113,784) (93,357) (65,022) ---------- ---------- ---------- $ 425,892 $ 390,790 $ 385,275 ========== ========== ========== Years Ended December 31, 2003 2002 2001 ---------- ---------- ---------- Operating income: North America.............................. $ 31,649 $ 31,031 $ 40,624 Europe..................................... 44,428 37,789 41,229 Asia Pacific............................... 35,168 35,499 27,336 Unallocated: Research and development expenses.......... (70,896) (63,964) (60,745) ---------- ---------- ---------- $ 40,349 $ 40,355 $ 48,444 ========== ========== ========== December 31, 2003 2002 ---------- ---------- Identifiable assets: North America.............................. $ 420,082 $ 373,066 Europe..................................... 77,963 63,600 Asia Pacific............................... 27,106 22,048 ---------- ---------- $ 525,151 $ 458,714 ========== ==========

Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Net sales:        
Americas:  
     Unaffiliated customer sales  $275,524 $243,651 $200,210 
     Geographic transfers   87,072  84,520  63,483 



    362,596  328,171  263,693 



Europe:  
     Unaffiliated customer sales   171,499  164,895  137,761 
     Geographic transfers   125,650  99,958  50,301 



    297,149  264,853  188,062 



Asia Pacific:  
     Unaffiliated customer sales   124,818  105,542  87,921 



Eliminations   (212,722) (184,478) (113,784)



   $571,841 $514,088 $425,892 




Years Ended December 31,
200520042003
Operating income:        
Americas  $63,267 $53,472 $31,649 
Europe   61,790  55,705  44,428 
Asia Pacific   40,996  38,211  35,168 
Unallocated:  
Research and development expenses   (87,841) (84,692) (70,896)



   $78,212 $62,696 $40,349 




December 31,
20052004
Identifiable assets:      
Americas  $459,391 $454,791 
Europe   73,297  80,578 
Asia Pacific   75,648  46,724 


   $608,336 $582,093 


        Total sales outside the United States for 2005, 2004 and 2003 2002were $323.9 million, $293.3 million and 2001 were $244.9 million, $212.7 million and $189.8 million, respectively.


Note 12:13:   Commitments, contingencies and leases The Company has

        We have commitments under non-cancelable operating leases primarily for office facilities and equipment. Certain leases require us to pay property taxes, insurance and routine maintenance, and include escalation clauses. Future minimum lease payments as of December 31, 2003,2005, for each of the next five years are as follows (in thousands): 2004................................ $ 7,113 2005................................ 5,387 2006................................ 3,202 2007................................ 2,089 2008................................ 881 Thereafter.......................... 6,014 ------- $24,686 During 2002, the Company and Trilogy Software ("Trilogy") settled a dispute regarding Trilogy's buy-out of the lease of the Company's Millenium office building which resulted in a gain of approximately $6.0 million from lease termination. As a result of additional facility lease consolidation, the Company incurred lease termination costs of approximately $2.4 million in 2002. These amounts were included in general and administrative expenses.

2006  $6,068 
2007   3,495 
2008   2,293 
2009   1,588 
2010   880 
Thereafter   172 

   $14,496 

        Rent expense under operating leases was approximately $6.3$7.8 million, $6.3$6.5 million and $5.4$6.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2005, 2004 and 2003, 2002 and 2001, respectively.

        As of December 31, 2003, the Company has2005, we have non-cancelable purchase commitments with various suppliers of customized inventory and inventory components totaling approximately $3.4$5.6 million over the next twelve months.

        As of December 31, 2003, the Company has2005, we have outstanding guarantees for payment of foreign operating leases, customs and foreign grants totaling approximately $3.5$2.9 million.

Note 13:14:   Litigation The Company has

        We filed two complaints against The MathWorks, Inc. ("Defendant") fora patent infringement. In both complaints, the Company claimed the Defendant infringes certain of its U.S. patents and the Defendant challenged the validity and enforceability of those patents and asserts that it does not infringe the claims of those patents. The first complaint was filedinfringement action on January 25, 2001 in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division). claiming that The MathWorks, Inc. (“MathWorks”) infringed certain of our U.S. patents. On January 30, 2003, thea jury found infringement by the DefendantMathWorks of three of the patents involved and awarded the Companyus specified damages. On June 23, 2003, the District Court entered final judgementjudgment in favor of the Company in an amount of approximately $4 millionus and entered an injunction against Defendant'sMathWorks’ sale of its Simulink and related products. The Courtproducts and stayed the injunction pending appeal. Upon appeal, of the case and required the Defendant to pay a specified royalty on its U.S. sales of the same products during the pendency of appeal. The initial judgementjudgment and the royalties on the sales of infringing products through December 31, 2003 total $4.9 million and are escrowed. On July 22, 2003, Defendant filed its Notice of Appeal and the case is currently pending on appeal beforeinjunction were affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. TheCircuit (September 3, 2004). Subsequently the stay of injunction was lifted by the District Court. In November 2004, the final judgement has notjudgment amount of $7.4 million which had been recordedheld in the financial statements of the Companyescrow pending the disposition of the appeal. The second complaintappeal was released to us.

        An action was filed October 21, 2002, alsoby MathWorks against us on September 22, 2004, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division) and on August 27, 2003, the complaint was dismissed by agreement of the parties. On January 15, 2003, SoftWIRE Technology, LLC ("SoftWIRE") and Measurement Computing Corporation ("MCC") filed a complaint against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts asking the court to declare that SoftWIRE does not infringe certain of the Company's U.S. patents and that such patents are invalid and unenforceable. On February 21, 2003, the Company filed a complaint against SoftWIRE and MCC in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas (Marshall Division), claiming that both SoftWIREon that day MathWorks had released modified versions of its Simulink and MCC infringerelated products, and seeking a declaratory judgment that the same and certain other of the Company's U.S. patents. SoftWIRE and MCC challenge the validity and enforceability of these patents and assert that theymodified products do not infringe anythe three patents adjudged infringed in the District Court’s decision of these patents. InJune 23, 2003, (and affirmed by the Eastern District action,Court of Appeals on September 3, 2004). On November 2, 2004, MathWorks served the Company seeks monetarycomplaint on us. We filed an answer to MathWorks’ declaratory judgment complaint, denying MathWorks’ claims of non-infringement and alleging our own affirmative defenses. On January 5, 2005, the Court denied a contempt motion by us to enjoin the modified Simulink products under the injunction in effect from the first case. On January 7, 2005, we amended our answer to include counterclaims that MathWorks’ modified products are infringing three of our patents, and requested unspecified damages and injunctionan injunction. MathWorks filed its reply to our counterclaims on February 7, 2005, denying the counterclaims and alleging affirmative defenses. On March 2, 2005, we filed a notice of appeal regarding the Court’s denial of the sale of certain products of SoftWIRE and MCC as well as attorney's fees and costs. By order ofcontempt motion. On March 15, 2005, the Court stayed MathWorks’ declaratory judgment action, pending a decision on the Eastern District action was transferred toappeal by the U.S. District Court of Appeals for the District of Massachusetts on May 9, 2003, andFederal Circuit. The case schedule has been consolidated with the previously-filed SoftWIRE action, which also includes counterclaims by the Company that are the sameyet to be set in substance as the Company's claims in the Eastern Districtthis action. On June 12, 2003, SoftWIRE moved for leave to amend its complaint in order to allege that the Company infringes two U.S. patents that SoftWIRE acquired by purchase on May 23, 2003. On November 5, 2003,February 9, 2006, the Court granted SoftWIRE's motion to amend, thereby adding SoftWIRE's two patents toof Appeals for the litigation. With respect to those two SoftWIRE patents, SoftWIRE seeks monetary damages and injunction ofFederal Circuit affirmed the sale of certain products of the Company as well as attorney's fees and costs. The Company challenges the validity, enforceability and alleged infringement of those patents and intends to vigorously defend against SoftWIRE's claims. Discovery in the litigation is underway.District Court’s January 2005 order. During the fourth quarter of 2003, the Company2004, we accrued $3.8$4 million related to itsour probable loss from this contingency, which consists solelyentirely of anticipated patent defense costs that are probable of being incurred. However, the outcome of any litigation is inherently uncertain and there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome of this matter or any other litigation. The Company did not make any chargesWe charged approximately $19,000 against this accrual during calendar 2003. the fourth quarter of 2005. We have charged a total of $344,000 against this accrual through December 31, 2005.

NOTE 15:    Acquisitions

        On January 31, 2005, we acquired all of the common stock of Toronto, Canada-based Electronics Workbench, a supplier of electronics design automation software. The acquisition was accounted for as a purchase. The purchase price of the acquisition, subject to adjustment as provided for in the purchase agreement, was $12.1 million in cash. We funded the purchase price from existing cash balances. Our consolidated financial statements include the operating results from the date of acquisition. Pro-forma results of operations have not been presented because the effects of those operations were not material. In accordance with SFAS 141,Business Combinations, the total purchase consideration has been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including identifiable intangible assets, based on their respective estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The purchase price and resulting allocation to the underlying assets acquired, net of deferred income taxes, were as follows (in thousands):

Goodwill  $8,169 
Acquired Core Technology   2,917 
Intangible Assets   521 
Trade Accounts Receivable   1,277 
Other Net Tangible Liabilities   (749)

Total Assets Acquired  $12,135 

        On April 29, 2005, we acquired the operating assets of Measurement Computing Corporation (MCC), a provider of low-cost data acquisition products. The acquisition was accounted for as a purchase. We acquired the operating assets of MCC, which included the legal positions of MCC and SoftWIRE in litigation against us. As a result of the asset acquisition, a pending legal action was dismissed with prejudice and we eliminated our remaining $1.9 million accrual for patent defense costs related to MCC. The gain that resulted from the elimination of the accrual was recorded in general and administrative expenses in the quarter ended June 30, 2005. The purchase price of the acquisition, subject to adjustment as provided for in the purchase agreement, was $33.2 million in cash. We funded the purchase price from existing cash balances. Our consolidated financial statements include the operating results from the date of acquisition. Pro-forma results of operations have not been presented because the effects of those operations were not material. In accordance with SFAS 141, the total purchase consideration has been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including identifiable assets, based on their respective estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. Analysis supporting the purchase price allocation includes a valuation of assets and liabilities as of the closing date, including a third party valuation of intangible items and a detailed review of the opening balance sheet to determine adjustments required to recognize assets and liabilities at fair value. The purchase price and resulting allocation to the underlying assets acquired, net of deferred income taxes, were as follows (in thousands):

Goodwill  $22,928 
Acquired Core Technology   5,500 
Intangible Assets   2,320 
Trade Accounts Receivable   1,443 
Inventories   1,476 
Other Net Tangible Liabilities   (516)

Total Assets Acquired  $33,151 

        In accordance with FASB Interpretation 4, “Applicability of FASB Statement 2 to Business Contributions Accounted for by the Purchase Method”, the $200,000 of in-process research and development acquired was written-off at the date of acquisition and was recorded in research and development expenses.

        On October 17, 2005, we acquired the operating assets of IOtech, Inc., a provider of PC-based data acquisition and instrumentation products. The acquisition was accounted for as a purchase. The purchase price of the acquisition, subject to adjustment as provided for in the purchase agreement, was $17.6 million in cash. We funded the purchase price from existing cash balances. Our consolidated financial statements include the operating results from the date of acquisition. Pro-forma results of operations have not been presented because the effects of those operations were not material. In accordance with SFAS 141, the total purchase consideration has been allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed, including identifiable assets, based on their respective estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. The purchase price and resulting allocation to the underlying assets acquired, net of deferred income taxes, were as follows (in thousands):

Goodwill  $8,993 
Acquired Core Technology   4,205 
Intangible Assets   542 
Trade Accounts Receivable   1,621 
Inventories   2,697 
Other Net Tangible Liabilities   (453)

Total Assets Acquired  $17,605 

        Goodwill is deductible for tax purposes. Goodwill is not amortized but is reviewed periodically for impairment. Acquired core technology and intangible assets are amortized over their useful lives, which range from three to eight years. Amortization expense for intangible assets acquired was approximately $2.0 million for 2005, of which approximately $1.7 million was recorded in cost of sales and approximately $309,000 was recorded in operating expenses. The estimated amortization expense of intangible assets acquired for the current fiscal year and in future years will be recorded in the consolidated statements of income as follows (in thousands):

Fiscal YearCost of SalesAcquisition related costs and amortization, netTotal
2006  $2,689 $450 $3,139 
2007   2,689  450  3,139 
2008   2,532  412  2,944 
2009   2,259  338  2,597 
2010   1,725  177  1,902 
Thereafter   1,166  271  1,437 
Total  $13,060 $2,098 $15,158 

Note 14:16:   Related party transactions

        During 2002, the Companywe contributed approximately $3.6 million to the National Instruments Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation established in 2002 for the purpose of continued promotion of scientific and engineering research and education at higher education institutions worldwide. This contribution was recorded as general and administrative expense in 2002. Two of the four directors of the National Instruments Foundation are current officers of National Instruments.

Note 15:17:   Quarterly results (unaudited)

        The following quarterly results have been derived from unaudited consolidated financial statements that, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair presentation of such quarterly information. The operating results for any quarter are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for any future period. The unaudited quarterly financial data for each of the eight quarters in the two years ended December 31, 20032005 are as follows (in thousands, except per share data): Three Months Ended -------------------------------------- Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Sep. 30, Dec. 31, 2003 2003 2003 2003 -------- -------- -------- -------- Net sales............................ $ 99,173 $100,165 $104,644 $121,910 Gross profit......................... 73,160 73,015 77,210 90,835 Operating income..................... 8,324 8,814 9,758 13,453 Net income........................... 6,763 7,404 7,954 11,248 Basic earnings per share............. $ 0.13 $ 0.14 $ 0.15 $ 0.22 Weighted average shares outstanding-basic................... 51,156 51,490 51,532 51,869 Diluted earnings per share........... $ 0.13 $ 0.14 $ 0.15 $ 0.21 Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted................. 53,273 53,633 53,932 54,408 Dividends declared per share......... $ -- $ -- $ 0.05 $ 0.05 Three Months Ended -------------------------------------- Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Sep. 30, Dec. 31, 2002 2002 2002 2002 -------- -------- -------- -------- Net sales............................ $ 94,739 $ 93,505 $ 96,020 $106,525 Gross profit......................... 69,381 66,902 70,824 78,597 Operating income..................... 10,255 8,760 8,606 12,735 Net income........................... 7,367 7,388 6,685 9,965 Basic earnings per share............. $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.13 $ 0.20 Weighted average shares outstanding-basic................... 51,205 51,449 51,195 51,013 Diluted earnings per share........... $ 0.14 $ 0.14 $ 0.13 $ 0.19 Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted................. 53,953 53,974 52,906 52,875

Three Months Ended
Mar. 31,Jun. 30,Sep. 30,Dec. 31,
2005200520052005
Net sales  $129,740 $140,822 $141,618 $159,661 
Gross profit   97,376  104,109  103,725  117,322 
Operating income   14,182  19,093  18,343  26,594 
Net income   11,136  15,024  14,399  20,958 
Basic earnings per share  $0.14 $0.19 $0.18 $0.27 
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic   79,175  78,303  78,158  78,505 
Diluted earnings per share  $0.14 $0.19 $0.18 $0.26 
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted   81,924  80,190  80,575  80,821 
Dividends declared per share  $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 

Three Months Ended
Mar. 31,Jun. 30,Sep. 30,Dec. 31,
2004200420042004
Net sales  $124,638 $127,127 $125,348 $136,975 
Gross profit   93,068  93,802  91,101  100,643 
Operating income   16,345  15,008  10,037  21,305 
Net income   12,827  11,360  7,937  16,485 
Basic earnings per share  $0.16 $0.15 $0.10 $0.21 
Weighted average shares outstanding-basic   77,964  78,287  78,671  78,823 
Diluted earnings per share  $0.16 $0.14 $0.10 $0.20 
Weighted average shares outstanding-diluted   81,905  81,994  81,749  81,802 
Dividends declared per share  $0.03 $0.05 $0.05 $0.05 

Note 16:18:   Subsequent Events The Company'sEvent

        On January 25, 2006, our Board of Directors declared on January 21, 2004, a quarterly cash dividend of $0.05$0.06 per common share, payable February 20, 2004,27, 2006, to shareholders of record February 5, 2004. The Company's Board of Directors declared on January 21, 2004, a stock split effected in the form of a dividend of one share of common stock for each two shares of common stock outstanding. The dividend is payable on or about February 20, 2004 to holders of record as of the close of business on February 5, 2004. 6, 2006.


SCHEDULE II

NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS CORPORATION

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS (In

(In thousands)

Allowance for doubtful accounts:
Balance at Provision for Write-Offs Balance at Beginning Bad Debt Charged to End of Year Description of Period Expense Allowances Period - ---- ----------- --------- ------------- ---------- ---------- 2001... Allowance for doubtful accounts $ 4,516 $ 1,579 $ 1,175 $ 4,920 2002... Allowance for doubtful accounts 4,920 (840) 329 3,751 2003... Allowance for doubtful accounts 3,751 501 1,008 3,244
Valuation allowances for excess and obsolete inventories:
Balance at Provision Write-Offs Balance at Beginning Charged to Charged to End of Year Description of Period Cost of Sales Allowances Period - ---- ----------- --------- ------------- ---------- ---------- 2001... Valuation allowances for excess and obsolete inventories $ 2,466 $ 1,082 $ 682 $ 2,866 2002... Valuation allowances for excess and obsolete inventories 2,866 1,818 1,212 3,472 2003... Valuation allowances for excess and obsolete inventories 3,472 766 391 3,847

sales returns:
YearDescriptionBalance at Beginning of PeriodProvision for Bad Debt ExpenseWrite-Offs Charged to AllowancesBalance at End of Period
2003  Allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns  $3,751 $501 $1,008 $3,244 
2004  Allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns   3,244  596  329  3,511 
2005  Allowance for doubtful accounts and sales returns   3,511  1,462  239  4,734