LIKE A child playing with his Lego blocks and making something new each time, software engineers are picking up the building blocks from National Instruments to design innovative solutions.

National Instruments managing director for India Jayaram Pillai, however, is more gung-ho about the way engineering students are taking to the technology.And what is the technology?

"National Instruments provides a broad base of tools to scientists to create measurement and automation systems." If that sounds drab and very very industrial, it is not.

Explains Pillai, "Internet appliances are using the connectivity of desktop compters and applying it to specific purposes. For instance, your refrigerator may one day automatically generate your weekly grocery list and email it to your favourite market or store.

"This connectivity is now being extended to the industrial arena. "A similar change is taking place here," says Pillai. Small businesses and large corporations are reaping the benefits of networked systems, which can be customised to meet specific needs when built with the proper hardware and software.

In measurement and automation, engineers and scientists are exploiting the benefits of networks to create networked measurement and automation systems. This is the "virtual instrumentation" that NI is advocating. The user defines what the computer should do. And National Instruments builds just the functionality needed - no more, no less.

Pillai gives the example of GE Motors, which makes about 14,000 motors a day. Each finished product has to be tested for some 14 parameters. GE bought testing equipment for $87,000 (Rs 4.1 crore). "But GE managers are smart.

They decided they must do something about the high costs and asked us if we could work out a solution. We did. Our product worked out to Rs 27 lakh, could test three motors instead of two and took 10 seconds instead of the 15 it used to take." GE Motors now wants to standardise the NI testing solution the world over, reveals Pillai.

And as more such works gets routed from India, Pillai is keen on encouraging and developing local talent. An annual tech-fest called V-I Mantra has been flagged off this year in engineering colleges. The Vellore Engineering College, which won the competition will get a lab worth $30,000 from NI. The mantra seems to be: measurable monetary benefits for everyone.