MEMOREX

Established in 1961 in Silicon Valley, 'Memorex' is today a consumer electronics brand of Imation specializing in disk recordable media (CD & DVD Drives), travel drives, flash storage, computer accessories and other electronics. Memorex entered the consumer business in 1971 first with its "shattering glass" advertisements and then with a series of famous commercials featuring Ella Fitzgerald. In the commercials she would sing a note that shattered a glass while being recorded to a Memorex cassette tape. The tape was played back and the recording also broke the glass, asking "Is it live, or is it Memorex?"
Memorex started by first selling computer and video tapes, then added other media (e.g. disk packs) and then added peripheral equipment for IBM mainframes. During the 1970s and into the 1980s Memorex was worldwide a leading independent supplier of disk drives and communication controllers to users of IBM-compatible mainframes as well as a leading computer and consumer media supplier.
Memorex is a major distributor of blank CD and DVD media. Memorex-branded media is made by either CMC Magnetics, Ritek, Moser Baer, Daxon. Memorex branded discs are frequently on sale at major retailers.
Memorex's peripheral equipment businesses missed the transition from mainframes to servers and/or personal computers so in the 1980s Memorex was dismembered by its then owners, first Burroughs and then Unisys.
'Memorex Telex N.V.', a Netherlands corporation, survived as an entity of the original Memorex until the middle 1990s^[1]. Unisys out the media, communications and IBM end user sales and service organization as Memorex. Subsequently Memorex merged with Telex. The company evolved into a provider of information technology solutions including the distribution and integration of data network and storage products and the provision of related services in 18 countries worldwide. As late as 2006, several pieces existed as subsidiaries of other companies, see e.g., Memorex Telex Japan Ltd^[2] a subsidiary of Kanematsu^[3] or Memorex Telex (UK) Ltd. a subsidiary of EDS Global Field Services^[4].

Contents

Timeline

References

External links

Timeline

★ 1961 - Memorex is founded by Laurence L. Spitters

★ Jun 1968 - Memorex ships world's first IBM plug-compatible disk drive

★ 1971 - Memorex collaborates with CBS to form CMX Systems, a company formed to design videotape editing systems

★ Sep 1971 - Memorex launches its consumer business with shattering glass advertisements

★ 1972 - Memorex launches its famous "Is it live, or is it Memorex?" campaign

★ Apr 1981 - Burroughs acquires Memorex

★ Apr 1982 - Burroughs sells Memorex consumer brand to Tandy

★ May 1985 - Burroughs exits OEM disk drive business, selling sales and service to Toshiba

★ Sep 1986 - Burroughs and Sperry merge to form Unisys

★ Dec 1986 - Unisys spins off Memorex Media, Telecommunications and International businesses as Memorex International NV.

★ Jan 1988 - Memorex-Telex merger^[5]

★ Dec 1988 - Unisys mainly shuts down large disk business and spins off service and repair as Sequel.

★ Nov 1993 - Tandy sells Memorex consumer brand to Hanny Holdings of Hong Kong ^[6]

★ Jan 2006 - Hanny Holdings sells Memorex consumer brand to Imation in an all-cash transaction.^[7]

References

1. http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/818035/0000912057-96-027150.txt
2. http://www.memorex.co.jp/
3. http://www.kanematsu.co.jp/CONTENTS/eng/group/it.html
4. http://www.memorex-telex.com/aboutus/
5. http://febcm.club.fr/english/information_technology/information_technology_4.htm
6. http://www.memorex.com/images/About_Memorex.pdf
7. http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/01/19/imation_acquires_memorex/

External links

★ Memorex History at Computer History Museum website

★ Memorex Brand Official Website