Barr Rosenberg and Andrew Rudd, two leading authorities on modern portfolio theory, founded Barra in 1975 in Berkeley, California. During its first year of operation, the company developed its first and most profound innovation -- the multi-factor model. Later that same year, Barra launched its first product: a tool for measuring the risk of U.S. equity portfolios.

Barra continued to innovate throughout the 1970s and 80s, essentially creating the field of financial risk management and its vocabulary. Highlights of the two decades include:

	Invention of performance attribution products;
	Adding equity and fixed income models for Japan, U.K., and Canada;
	Launching the first global equity and fixed income models;
	The publication of Modern Portfolio Theory: The Principles of Investment Management, by Andrew Rudd and Henry K. Clasing, the first of many books published by Barra professionals.

Barra entered the 1990s with 187 employees in six offices worldwide, serving over 400 clients in 26 countries. The company went public on October 1, 1991. In concert with the decade's explosive growth in the financial markets around the world, Barra introduced an emerging markets model, expanding its global coverage. Other notable events of the decade include:

	Introduction of Microsoft Windows®-based product suites Aegis™ for equity portfolio managers and Cosmos™ for fixed income portfolio managers;
	TotalRisk™, the first enterprise risk management system for asset managers, is released;
	Launch of EMU-compatible global fixed income and equity models;
	Availability of a global equity model.

The 00s saw the introduction of Barra's Integrated Model, the world's first multi-asset-class, global risk model. The company's core business revenues crossed $100 million, and BarraOne™, a web-based risk management solution, was introduced.

In 2002, Barra extended its reach into new markets by acquiring Financial Engineering Associates (FEA), a company specializing in the development of option valuation models and market risk assessment software for the energy, financial and commodities markets.

Barra's strong spirit of innovation continues into the new century, ensuring that our clients possess the tools and information they need to make better investment decisions and improve their performance.