Communications is wrapping up the world to make it truly a global village. Electronic devices have become omnipresent, affecting every aspect of our life. Before any device like a semiconductor, networked computer, cell phone or an Internet appliance, comes into the market, it has to be tested and monitored for quality. So, when we talk about Oscilloscopes, Modulation Analysers and other high end measuring devices, there is only one name that stands apart from the competition.

Tektronix has been the global leader in test and measurement devices in the electronic industry since 1946. When the world saw the advent of the television and the computer in the early 1960s, Tektronix was already there to support these gadgets with its electronic signal detectors. Oscilloscopes, Logic Analyzers, Waveform Generators, Curve Tracers, Modulation Analyser tools are just some of the products offered. Now the emergence of the Internet and wireless communications has created tremendous opportunities for test and measurement companies like Tektronix.

Tektronix has been operating in India since 1997 with an initial investment of $10 million. With its headquarters in Bangalore, it is now focusing to integrate its resources in its key areas of digital and wireless communications, distributed systems, microprocessors and busses. Tektronix recently announced an increased investment in its India operations for software development. The company plans to grow its existing Tektronix Engineering Development India Ltd staff by 30% per year in the coming years. For the past several years Tektronix has used the Engineering Development operations here to leverage 24-hour product development cycles on specific programmes.

India is moving ahead to take a global leadership role in training its workforce in information technology. Like the other multinationals in the country, Tektronix wants to take advantage of the second largest technically qualified talent pool. "We are talking to educational institutions like the Indian Institute of Science to collaborate in utilizing the talented manpower. We believe in investing on personnel rather than on infrastructure and other assets," says Ashok Kapoor, Managing Director, South Asia.

For the last few years, the American sanctions have been holding back the growth in electronic testing devices and measurement industry. But now, since the US president came to India, there have been talks to lift the sanctions. But despite that the growth in this sector has been enormous, opined Ashok Kapoor. "Our products have been in demand from major players like C-DOT, Bharti, BEL, VSNL, Star TV, Lucent Technologies, Hughes Telecom and others. We have an enormous range of nearly 1400 products and have a credit of 765 patents. With 60 new patents being applied every year, our R&D centers in India and abroad speak volumes about our innovativeness."

Apart from the test and measurement industry, Tektronix has a powerful presence in the field of Video Networking Solutions. With innovative tools like MPEG Video Compressing, Modulation Analysers and monitoring devices for High Definition Television, it offers a comprehensive range of advanced monitoring and trunking solutions. With the sale of its assets in Colour Printing and Imaging division to Xerox Corporation, Tektronix now concentrates on Measurement devices, Video monitoring and Networking solutions. As the company's president Rick Wills says, "Everytime an Intel pentium processor comes out of the assembly, everytime a radar is tested in a defence lab, everytime you watch a live telecast of a cricket match, remember there is a Tektronix device involved."

Levine Lawrence

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