The Application Performance Characterization (APC) project group is seeking ISVs to help in its quest to develop and maintain standardized benchmarks based on graphics-intensive applications. The non-profit APC group is part of SPEC’s Graphics Performance Characterization (GPC) Group. Current members include Compaq, Digital Equipment Corp., Dynamic Pictures Inc., Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Intergraph, Real 3D, Silicon Graphics and Sun Microsystems.

It is the APC’s belief that end users of graphics applications will benefit greatly from a broad-ranging set of benchmarks focusing on the graphics portions of applications in CAD/CAM/CAE, visualization, simulation, industrial design, animation, AEC and games. The APC group is working directly with leading ISVs to develop benchmarks that reflect the real-world work of graphics users. Here are some of the benefits ISVs receive from working with the APC Group:

• Participation in the development process to ensure that benchmarks reflect real-world user experience.
• Access to beta versions of benchmarks to test how your company’s application performs on different hardware systems.
• Recognition of your company’s application as an industry leader by APC members representing major graphics systems vendors.
• Positive marketing exposure for your company’s application in the trade press and on the GPC Group’s popular Web site.
• Positive marketing exposure for your company’s application through its use as a worldwide industry standard.
• Positive marketing exposure for your company’s application through quotes of performance numbers in advertisements, testing lab reports in trade publications, and marketing collateral.