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Panasonic Corporation

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Panasonic Corporation
パナソニック株式会社
Type Public, TYO: 6752, NYSEPC
Founded Osaka, Japan (1918)
Headquarters Flag of Japan Kadoma, Osaka, Japan
Key people Konosuke Matsushita, Founder
Kunio Nakamura, Chairman, Fumio Ohtsubo, President
Industry Consumer Electronics
Products AVC networks, Home appliances, Components and devices, digital cameras, others
Market cap $34 billion USD (2008)[1]
Revenue 9,068,930 Million Yen (US$86.2 billion) (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2008)[2]
Operating income 519,481 Million Yen (US$4.9 billion) (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2008)
Net income 434,993 Million Yen (US$4.1 billion) (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2008)
Employees 328,645 (Consolidated, as of March 31, 2007)
Website Panasonic Global Site

Panasonic Corporation (パナソニック株式会社 Panasonikku Kabushiki-gaisha?) (TYO: 6752 NYSEPC), formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., is a multinational corporation based in Kadoma, Japan. Its main business is in electronics manufacturing and produces products under a variety of names including Panasonic and Technics.

Since its founding in 1918, it grew to become the largest Japanese electronics producer. In addition to electronics, Panasonic offers non-electronic products and services such as home renovation services. Panasonic was ranked the 59th largest company in the world in 2007 by the Forbes Global 500 and is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.[3]

Contents

Name

For 90 years since establishment, the name of the company was always topped with "松下" ("Matsushita"); before the company renamed itself on October 1, 2008, the company's name was "松下電器産業株式会社" ("Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd."), which was used since 1935[4][5].

In 1927, the company founder adopted a brand name "ナショナル" ("National") for a new lamp product, knowing "national" meant "of or relating to a people, a nation."[6] In 1955, the company labeled its export audio speakers "PanaSonic", which was the first time it used its "Panasonic" brand name[7]. The company began to use a brand name "Technics" in 1965[7]. Multiple brand age lasted for some decades[7].

In May 2003, the company put "Panasonic" as its global brand, and set its global brand slogan, "Panasonic ideas for life."[8] The company began to unify its brands to "Panasonic" and, by March 2004 replaced "National" for products and outdoor signboards, except for those in Japan[8].

On January 10, 2008, the company announced that it would change its name to "Panasonic Corporation" (effective on October 1, 2008) and unify "National" in Japan to its global brand "Panasonic" (by March 2010)[9]. The name change was approved at a shareholders' meeting on June 26, 2008[10].


History

Konosuke Matsushita on the cover of TIME Magazine, February 1962

Panasonic was founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita first selling duplex lamp sockets. In 1927, it produced a bicycle lamp, the first product it marketed under the brand name National. It operated factories in Japan and Asia through the end of World War II, producing electrical components and appliances such as light fixtures, motors, and electric irons.

After World War II, Panasonic regrouped and began to supply the post war boom in Japan with radios and appliances. Matsushita's brother-in-law, Toshio Iue founded Sanyo as a subcontractor for components after WWII. Sanyo grew to become a competitor to Panasonic.

In 1961, Konosuke Matsushita traveled to the United States and met with American dealers. Panasonic began producing television sets for the U.S. market under the Panasonic brand name, and expanded the use of the brand to Europe in 1979.[11]

The company used the National trademark outside of North America during the 1950s through the 1970s. It sold televisions, radios, and home appliances in some markets. The company began opening manufacturing plants around the world. It quickly developed a reputation for well-made reliable products.

The company debuted a hi-fi speaker in Japan in 1965 with the brand Technics. This line of high quality stereo components became worldwide favorites. The most famous product still made today is the SL-1200 record player, acknowledged for its high performance, precision, and durability.

Panasonic in Kadoma, Osaka, Japan. Foreground left: Panasonic Konosuke Matsushita Museum; behind: Corporate R&D laboratories

In November 1999, the Japan Times reported that Panasonic planned to develop a "next generation first aid kit" called the Electronic Health Checker. At the time, the target market was said to be elderly people, especially those living in rural areas where medical help might not be immediately available, so it was planned that the kit would include support for telemedicine. The kits were then in the testing stage, with plans for eventual overseas distribution, to include the United States.

In recent years the company has been involved with the development of high-density optical disc standards intended to eventually replace the DVD and the SD memory card.

On January 19, 2006 Panasonic announced that, starting in February, it will stop producing analog televisions (then 30% of its total TV business) to concentrate on digital TVs. [12]

On November 3, 2008 Panasonic and Sanyo have come to an agreement, and Pansonic will be buying up Sanyo. The actual act should be completed by April next year, and will result in one mega-corporation with revenues over ¥11.2 trillion (around $110 billion). As part of what will be Japan's biggest electronics company, Sanyo won't be disappearing as a brand though, and Panasonic apparently intends to retain most of Sanyo's employees. [13]

Brands and divisions

Matsushita produces electronic products under a variety of names, including:

  • Panasonic (home appliances for the overseas market, personal electronics, audio/video equipment, microchips, automotive components)
  • National (home appliances for the Japanese market, used until September 2008)
  • Nais (components for automated systems, replaced by Panasonic in 2004)
  • Quasar (lower-priced televisions, video equipment and appliances in the North American market—being phased out)
  • Technics (audio equipment)
  • Ramsa (professional audio equipment)
  • Rasonic (as of 1994, home appliances for the Chinese market).

In many computer systems, Matsushita devices identify themselves as "MATSHITA", to fit the limit of 8 characters imposed by Microsoft Windows device handlers.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "Company Profile for Panasonic Corp (PC)". Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
  2. ^ "Panasonic Corp (6752.T) Financial Statements". Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  3. ^ Fortune Global 500 Profile, CNN, retrieved 7 September 2007
  4. ^ 松下電器産業株式会社が「パナソニック株式会社」に社名変更, Panasonic Corporation. 2008-10-01. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.(Japanese)
  5. ^ Matsushita Electric Becomes Panasonic Corporation, Panasonic Corporation. 2008-10-01. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  6. ^ Panasonic History: 1927 | Square bicycle lamp developed and marketed, Panasonic Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
  7. ^ a b c Brand History, Panasonic Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-10-02.
  8. ^ a b 社史:2003年(平成15年) グローバルブランドを「Panasonic」に統一, Panasonic Corporation. Retrieved on 2008-10-02. (Japanese)
  9. ^ Matsushita Electric to Change Name to Panasonic Corporation, Panasonic Corporation. 2008-01-10. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  10. ^ Shareholders of Matsushita approve company name change to Panasonic, International Herald Tribune, 2008-06-26. Retrieved on 2008-10-03.
  11. ^ Panasonic expands use of Panasonic brand name globally in April, 2003
  12. ^ Panasonic exiting analog TV business - Engadget
  13. ^ [1]

Further reading

External links

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