Computer Memory

Acer is one of the largest producers of computer hardware in the world in the modern day and is a multinational company with its HQ located in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

However, as is the case with many companies, it had quite humble beginnings. It began in 1976 with an investment of just $25,000 of capital and the company (then known as Multitech) was founded in Hsinchu City by Stan Shih, his wife Carolyn Yeh and five other investors. To begin with, the enterprise was concerned primarily with the distribution of electronic parts and would go on to be a big part of the emerging IBM PC market. 

By 1987, the company had become a major player in PC manufacturing and it was at this point that it became known as brand Acer.

By the end of the 1990s, Acer had reorganised itself into 5 subsidiaries:

Acer International Service Group
Acer Sertek Group
Acer Semiconductor Group
Acer Information Products Group
Acer Peripherals Group
 
In the year 2000, another restructuring occurred, as Acer extricated itself from the contract manufacturing side of the business, which then had two primary parts - Wistron Corporation and BenQ, which it then sold to concentrate all of its time and resources on designing and selling computers.

This is the point where the company began to resemble the one we know today, as it began to significantly increase its worldwide sales. By 2005, despite employing just 7,800 people globally (which is not a lot for a major producer of computers), it was turning over more than $11 billion annually.

Notebook Success
One of the major drivers for Acer’s success during this period was its production of consumer notebooks and as we mentioned earlier, the company’s overheads were relatively low, which meant they enjoyed more success than most in this field.

Acer products are used across the world, but it is in Europe that is holds the largest of its market share and it tried to buck the trend of online retail sales in favour of more traditional retail distribution channels.

Acquisitions
In 2007, Packard Bell and US company Gateway were acquired by Acer, which led to the company becoming the third largest provider of computers in the world and the second largest for notebooks. Acer’s ultimate goal is to become the largest PC vendor on the planet and it is one that they are confident in pulling off, with the European computer market continuing to prove a good hunting ground for the multinational.

Sony is a name known around the world and it is one that is synonymous with innovations in the field of consumer electronics. Its full name Soni Kabushiki Kaisha is a bit of a mouthful, which is why they settled on the name they did and the corporation has its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan.

This Japanese giant is a diverse manufacturer, with operations in gaming, financial services, entertainment and electronic components and hardware. Sony Corporation is the parent company and there are four operating subsidiaries which include:

• Electronics
• Motion Pictures
• Music
• Financial Service

Sony Computers
Sony entered the computer market back in the 1980s with its NEWS workstations and MSX home computers, but at this time, their machines were only for sale in Japan. Having enjoyed limited success during this period, Sony decided to withdraw from the production of computers in 1990, but this was by no means the end for its computer production.

Sony Vaio 
Sony entered the global computer market in 1996 with their proprietary VAIO brand, which stands for ‘Video Audio Integrated Operation’. This new line of computers was the first to focus on the visual and audio output aspect.

Controversy
There were troubled times ahead in 2006, as the company experienced what was then the largest computer industry recall in history due to malfunctioning batteries on some of its laptops. Poor sales and an increasingly crowded marketplace led to Sony selling its VAIO PC arm to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) in 2014, but it still retained a minority state in this new and independent enterprise. Amidst this era of big change, Sony entered the world of tablets, marketing the palm held devices under the Xperia brand it uses for its range of smartphones.

Modern Day Sony
Diversification has been the watchword for Sony over the last decade. It has made great strides in the UHD TV market with its BRAVIA range and has its name behind many films and albums, as well as photography and medical equipment. The company is also a large producer of components and semiconductors which include a wide array of devices that include OLED display panels, laser diodes, image processors and CMOS image sensors that are used in many tablets, cameras, and smartphones.

Sony will likely be with us in another 30 years, as it is a serial innovator. Devices like the Sony Walkman and the Playstation are just a couple of examples of how this amazing company has helped change the way we live our lives forever.