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.

Contact the APC project group to discuss how we can work together to make your company’s application become the basis for a worldwide benchmarking standard.