COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 334112

Computer Storage Device Manufacturing

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

14companies1886–1992founding years13still active1no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedUnisys Corporation
1886
FoundedNEC Corporation
1899
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedInternational Business Machines Corporation
1910
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedKonica CorporationFoundedRicoh Company, Ltd.
1936
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1946
TechnologyENIAC, the first general-purpose electronic computer, is unveiled.
FoundedHewlett-Packard Company
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
FoundedSANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
1950
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedJaco Electronics, Inc.
1961
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
1969
TechnologyARPANET, the internet's precursor, goes live.
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedSeagate Technology, Inc.
1979
FoundedQuantum Corporation
1980
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedFileNet Corporation
1982
FoundedDell Inc.
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedGateway, Inc.
1986
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
TechnologyLinux and open source challenge proprietary software.
FoundedNetwork Appliance, Inc.
1992
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
2000
EconomyThe dot-com bubble bursts.
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Unisys Corporation →
Active · founded 1886
Unisys Corporation is a major provider of computer-related services and technologies to customers in the financial…
NEC Corporation →
Active · founded 1899 · Japan
Early 1920s:NEC, IWE, and a division of the Sumitomo group form a joint venture to produce electrical cables, marking…
International Business Machines Corporation →
Active · founded 1910
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is the largest computer maker in the world.
Konica Corporation →
Active · founded 1936 · Japan
Konica Corporation produces a wide range of products, mainly within the imaging sphere.
Ricoh Company, Ltd. →
Active · founded 1936 · Japan
Ricoh Company, Ltd.
Hewlett-Packard Company →
Active · founded 1947
Since merging in 2002, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Compaq have created the new HP (Hewlett-Packard Company), serving more…
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. →
Defunct · founded 1950 · Japan
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.
Jaco Electronics, Inc. →
Active · founded 1961
Jaco Electronics, Inc.
Seagate Technology, Inc. →
Active · founded 1979
Seagate Technology, Inc.
Quantum Corporation →
Active · founded 1980
Quantum Corporation is a leading supplier of digital linear tape (DLT) technology used to backup data.
FileNet Corporation →
Active · founded 1982
Since the mid-1980s, FileNet Corporation has been helping paperwork-heavy enterprises efficiently track and store…
Dell Inc. →
Active · founded 1984
Long the world's largest direct-sale computer vendor, Dell Inc.
Gateway, Inc. →
Active · founded 1986
Following its March 2004 acquisition of eMachines, Inc., Gateway, Inc.
Network Appliance, Inc. →
Active · founded 1992
Network Appliance, Inc.
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