Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.

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Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. (松下電器産業株式会社, Matsushita Denki Sangyō Kabushiki-gaisha^?) (TYO: 6752, NYSE: MC) is a Japanese electronics manufacturer based in Kadoma, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It produces products under a variety of names including Panasonic and Technics.

The company was founded by Konosuke Matsushita in 1918 to sell duplex lamp sockets. In 1927, it produced a bicycle lamp, the first product it marketed under the brand name National. Since then, it has become the largest Japanese electronics producer. In addition to electronics, Matsushita offers non-electronic products and services such as home renovation services.

Matsushita was ranked the 59th company in the world in 2007 by the Forbes Global 500 and is among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.^[1]

The common English mispronunciation is /ˌmɑtsuːˈʃiːtə/, while the proper Japanese pronunciation for the company is /matsɯɕ(i)ta/.

[edit] 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)
• 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 Microsoft Windows systems device details, Matsushita devices are abbreviated to MATSHITA, to fit the limit of 8 characters.

[edit] History

Matsushita was founded in 1918 by Konosuke Matsushita and 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, Matsushita 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 Matsushita.

In 1961, Konosuke Matsushita traveled to the United States and met with American dealers. Matsushita 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.^[2]

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 known for its high performance and durability.

During the 1970s, Matsushita expanded further in the U.S. market, purchasing Quasar from Motorola in 1974 and purchasing MCA-Universal in 1989. Many American employees who transferred over from Motorola felt that they were discriminated against and filed a lawsuit in 1986 after three-quarters of American managers from the Quasar division were let go. [2]

The company then became a major target of anti-Japanese sentiment among workers in the United States. However, the Japanese stock market crash of 1989–1990 caused Matsushita's international power to wane: the company sold many of its foreign assets in the 1990s, including Universal to Edgar Bronfman, Jr. of Seagram's.

In November 1999, the Japan Times reported that Matsushita 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 immediataly 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.

Since the spring of 2004, Matsushita has used Panasonic as its primary global brand. The matsushita.co.jp website now redirects to panasonic.co.jp. ^[2]

On January 19, 2006 Matsushita announced that, starting in February, it will stop producing analog televisions (currently 30% of its total TV business) to concentrate on digital TVs. ^[3]

[edit] Shareholders

[edit] See also

• List of Matsushita products
• Panasonic CD interface
• List of Japanese companies
• Gamba Osaka
• Technics
• Hiro Matsushita
• Toughbook

[edit] Notes

[edit] Further reading

• Matsushita Leadership by John Paul Kotter, Simon and Schuster (1998)

[edit] External links

• panasonic.net Global Home.
• Matsushita stock performance chart

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