Toshiba 59703 222474261 2008-06-29T15:09:55Z SmackBot 433328 Date the maintenance tags or general fixes {{Infobox_Company | company_name = Toshiba Corporation<br />株式会社東芝 | company_type = Corporation {{tyo|6502}}, ({{lse|TOS}}) | company_logo = [[Image:Toshiba logo.svg|250px|Toshiba logo]] | key_people = [[Hisashige Tanaka]], Founder of Shibaura Engineering Works <br> [[Ichisuke Fujioka]] and [[Shoichi Miyoshi]], Founders of Tokyo Electric <br> [[Atsutoshi Nishida]], CEO| products = Digital products, Digital [[telephony]], Electronic devices & components, Home appliances and others | slogan = Leading Innovation<ref>[http://www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide Toshiba : Worldwide Top Page<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> | location = [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] | num_employees = 190,708 (2007)| revenue = 7,668.1 billion Yen ($76.68 billion) (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2008)<ref>{{citeweb|url=http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/ir/en/library/er/er2007/fy/ter2007fye.pdf |title=Toshiba Corporation Earnings Release FY2007}}</ref> | net_income = 127.4 billion Yen ($1.274 billion) (Fiscal year ended March 31, 2008) | homepage = [http://www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/ Toshiba Worldwide]| foundation = 1939 (merger) }} [[Image:Toshiba Corporation at night.jpg|thumb|250px|Toshiba Corporation's headquarters (center) in Hamamatsucho, Tokyo.]] [[Image:Toshiba sales 2005.png|thumb|250px|Toshiba Corporation sales by division for year ending [[March 31]], [[2005]].]] {{Nihongo|'''Toshiba Corporation'''|株式会社東芝|Kabushiki-gaisha Tōshiba }} ({{tyo|6502}}) is a [[multinational corporation|multinational]] [[list of conglomerates|conglomerate]] manufacturing company, headquartered in [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]. The company's businesses are in [[high technology]], [[electrical engineering]], and [[electronics]] fields. Toshiba-made [[Semiconductors]] are among the [[Semiconductor sales leaders by year|Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders]]. ==History== Toshiba was founded by the merging of two companies in 1939. One, [[Tanaka Seizosho]] (Tanaka Engineering Works), was Japan's first manufacturer of [[telegraph]] equipment and was established by [[Hisashige Tanaka]] in 1875. In 1904, its name was changed to [[Shibaura Seisakusho]] (Shibaura Engineering Works). Through the first part of the 20th century Shibaura Engineering Works became a major manufacturer of heavy electrical machinery as Japan modernized during the [[Meiji Era]] and became a world industrial power. The second company, [[Hakunetsusha]], was established in 1890 and was Japan's first producer of incandescent electric lamps. It diversified into the manufacture of other consumer products and in 1899 was renamed [[Tokyo Denki]] (Tokyo Electric). The merger in 1939 of Shibaura Seisakusho and Tokyo Denki created a new company called '''To'''kyo '''Shiba'''ura Denki({{lang|ja-Hani|'''東'''京'''芝'''浦電気}}). It was soon nicknamed Toshiba, but it wasn't until 1978 that the company was officially renamed Toshiba Corporation. The group expanded strongly, both by internal growth and by acquisitions, buying heavy engineering and primary industry firms in the 1940s and 1950s and then spinning off subsidiaries in the 1970s and beyond. Groups created include Toshiba EMI (1960), Toshiba International Corporation (1970's) Toshiba Electrical Equipment (1974), Toshiba Chemical (1974), Toshiba Lighting and Technology (1989), [[Toshiba America Information Systems]] (1989) and Toshiba Carrier Corporation (1999). Toshiba was responsible for a number of Japanese firsts, including radar (1942), the TAC digital computer (1954), transistor television and microwave oven (1959), [[videophone|color video phone]] (1971), Japanese word processor (1978), MRI system (1982), laptop personal computer (1986), NAND EEPROM (1991), DVD (1995), the [[Libretto (notebook)|Libretto]] sub-notebook personal computer (1996) and [[HD DVD]] (2005). In 1987, Toshiba Machine, the subsidiary of Toshiba, was accused of illegally selling [[CNC]] [[milling machine]]s used to produce very quiet [[submarine]] propellers to the [[Soviet Union]] in violation of the [[CoCom]] agreement, an international [[embargo]] on Western exports to [[East Bloc]] countries. The Toshiba-Kongsberg scandal involved a subsidiary of Toshiba and the Norwegian company [[Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace|Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk]]. The incident strained relations between the [[United States]] and [[Japan]], and resulted in the arrest and prosecution of two senior executives, as well as the imposition of [[Economic sanctions|sanctions]] on the company by both countries.<ref>{{cite news | first=Roderick | last=Seeman| coauthors= | title=Toshiba Case—CoCom - Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control Revision | date=April, 1987 | publisher=The Japan Lawletter | url =http://japanlaw.info/lawletter/april87/fdf.htm | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2007-09-18 | language = }}</ref> The US had always relied on the fact that the Soviets had noisy boats, so technology that would make the USSR's submarines harder to detect created a significant threat to America's security. Senator [[John Heinz]] of Pennsylvania said "What Toshiba and Kongsberg did was ransom the security of the United States for $517 million." In 2001, Toshiba signed a contract with [[Orion Electric]], one of the world's largest [[Original equipment manufacturer|OEM]] consumer video electronic makers and suppliers, to manufacture and supply finished consumer TV and video products for Toshiba to meet the increasing demand for the North American market. In December 2004, Toshiba quietly announced it would discontinue manufacturing traditional [[cathode ray tube]] (CRT) televisions. In 2006, Toshiba terminated production of plasma TVs. Toshiba quickly switched to Orion as the supplier and maker of Toshiba-branded CRT-based TVs and plasma TVs. However, to ensure its future competitiveness in the flat-panel digital television and display market, Toshiba has made a considerable investment in a new kind of display technology called [[Surface-conduction electron-emitter display|SED]]. Before [[World War II]], Toshiba was a member of the [[Mitsui|Mitsui Group]] [[zaibatsu]]. Today Toshiba is a member of the Mitsui [[keiretsu]] (a set of companies with interlocking business relationships and shareholdings), and still has preferential arrangements with Mitsui Bank and the other members of the keiretsu. Membership in a keiretsu traditionally meant loyalty, both corporate and private, to other members of the keiretsu or allied keiretsu. This loyalty could extend as far as the [[beer]] that workers would consume, which in Toshiba's case was [[Asahi Breweries|Asahi]]. In July 2005, [[BNFL]] confirmed it planned to sell [[Westinghouse Electric Company]], then estimated to be worth $1.8bn (£1bn).<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=BNFL plans to sell Westinghouse | date=[[2004-07-01]] | publisher=BBC News | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4640411.stm | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-11 | language = }}</ref> However the bid attracted interest from several companies including Toshiba, [[General Electric]] and [[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries]] and when the ''[[Financial Times]]'' reported on [[January 23]], [[2006]] that Toshiba had won the bid, it valued the company's offer at $5bn (£2.8bn). The bid surprised many industry experts who questioned the wisdom of selling one of the world's largest producers of nuclear reactors shortly before the market for nuclear power is expected to grow substantially; [[People's Republic of China|China]], the [[United States]] and the [[United Kingdom]] are all expected to invest heavily in nuclear power.<ref>{{cite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=BNFL to sell US power plant arm | date=[[2004-01-23]] | publisher=BBC News | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4638960.stm | pages = | accessdate = 2007-06-11 | language = }}</ref> The acquisition of [[Westinghouse Electric Company|Westinghouse]] for $5.4bn was completed on [[October 17]], [[2006]], with Toshiba obtaining a 77% share, and partners [[The Shaw Group]] a 20% share and Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. a 3% share As a chip maker, Toshiba Semiconductors is a major player. During the eighties, it was one the two largest semiconductor companies (with [[NEC]]). During the nineties and up to now, Toshiba Semiconductors was almost always among the Top 5. In 2007, Toshiba Semiconductors is number 3, behind [[Intel]] and [[Samsung]]. Also, in late 2007, Toshiba's logo replaced the former Discover Card logo on one of the screens atop [[One Times Square]]. It displays the iconic New Year's countdown on its screen, as well as messages, greetings, and advertisements for the company. ==Current status== In March 2008, Toshiba announced that it had launched a new company in America called, "Toshiba America Nuclear Energy corp". The primary mission of the company is marketing and promoting advanced boiling water nuclear power plants and providing support for related services. Toshiba is believed to prepare (together with the [[Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry]]) the small (30MW) nuclear plant [[Toshiba 4S]] for installation at [[Galena, Alaska]]<ref name="galena">[http://www.roe.com/about_techGalena.htm The Galena Project Technical Publications], Burns and Roe.</ref> and ever smaller (200KW) plants for Japan and Europe;<ref name="micro">[http://www.nextenergynews.com/news1/next-energy-news-toshiba-micro-nuclear-12.17b.html Toshiba Builds 100x Smaller Micro Nuclear Reactor]. Next energy news.</ref> but the information about such plants does not appear on Toshiba's homepage [http://www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/ Toshiba Worldwide]. Toshiba occupies good position in the worldwide marker of semiconductors, see <!--For more information, refer to the ~--> '''[[Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Market Share Ranking Year by Year]]'''. ==In-house companies== *Digital Products Group :*Mobile Communications Company :*Digital Media Network Company :*Personal Computer & Network Company *Electronic Devices & Components Group :*Semiconductor Company :*Display Devices & Components Control Center *Infrastructure Systems Group :*[[Toshiba Power Systems]] Company :*[[Toshiba Industrial Systems]] Company :*Social Infrastructure Systems Company<ref>[http://www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/about/manage.html Toshiba : Management Structure<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ==Corporate affairs== ===UPS involvement=== After an image problem developed years ago when customers felt that the repair process for broken machines was too long, Toshiba partnered with the [[United Parcel Service]] (UPS) to design a better repair process. Customers are told to drop off their machines at a UPS Store, from which they will be shipped to Toshiba for repairs and then sent back to the customer. In reality, after dropping off their machines at a UPS Store, they are shipped off to a UPS-run repair facility, where UPS repairs the laptops themselves and ships them back to the customer from there. During this process, the laptops never enter Toshiba's hands although no such claim as such is ever purported.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://money.cnn.com/magazines/business2/business2_archive/2004/07/01/374848/index.htm |title=The Next Delivery? Computer Repairs by UPS |publisher=CNNMoney.com |date=[[July 1]], [[2004]]}}</ref> == HD DVD == On Tuesday, [[February 19]], [[2008]], Toshiba announced that it was to drop its format in the HD DVD 'war' with Sony and Pioneer-backed [[Blu-ray Disc]] devices.<ref>{{cite press release | title=Toshiba Announces Discontinuation of HD DVD Businesses | date=[[2008-02-19]] | publisher = Toshiba | url =http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2008_02/pr1903.htm | accessdate =2008-04-15 }}</ref> Following a review of its business, Toshiba said it would stop production of HD DVD players and recorders. The HD DVD format had suffered as major US film studios backed the Blu-ray format, which is being developed by electronics firm Sony and partners. Toshiba's President, Atsutoshi Nishida, announced "We concluded that a swift decision would be best [and] if we had continued, that would have created problems for consumers, and we simply had no chance to win". Toshiba continued to supply retailers with machines until the end of March 2008. Toshiba then continued to provide technical support to the estimated one million people worldwide who owned HD DVD players and recorders. Toshiba's president has stated that the company has no intention to begin manufacturing Blu-ray disc players and he also said that Toshiba will "think about its role in online video-downloading more seriously". The press release stated the following; "Toshiba also intends to maintain collaborative relations with the companies who joined with Toshiba in working to build up the HD DVD market, including Universal Studios, Paramount Pictures, and DreamWorks Animation and major Japanese and European content providers on the entertainment side, as well as leaders in the IT industry, including Microsoft, Intel, and HP. Toshiba will study possible collaboration with these companies for future business opportunities, utilizing the many assets generated through the development of HD DVD." The HD DVD versus Blu-ray battle has been likened to the VHS versus Betamax war of the 1980s. See also "[[HD DVD#Decline|Decline of HD DVD]] ". ==Products== ===Harddisks=== *HDD2190 ==Environmental Record== {{Original research|date=June 2008}} [[E-waste]] is something that negatively affects the environment due to improper discard of items such as computers, DVD players, and cell phones. <ref>http://www.thejournalok.com/atf.php?sid=12418 The Journal May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008</ref> Most [[e-waste]] is hazardous to the environment because of its tendency to release toxic materials, such as lead and mercury, into soil and water, which later affects human, animal, and vegetation health. <ref>http://www.thejournalok.com/atf.php?sid=12418 The Journal May 1, 2008. Retrieved May 4, 2008</ref> Toshiba, however, has been making efforts to lessen their impact on the environment. They tied for first place in Greenpeace’s seventh edition of its Guide to Greener Electronics. <ref>http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/105302 Heise Zeitschriften Verlag News March 19, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008</ref> Greenpeace is an environmental protection organization that seeks to rank electronic companies based on their chemical use and recycling programs. <ref>http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/105302 Heise Zeitschriften Verlag News March 19, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008</ref> Toshiba received 7.7 points out of ten points possible, showing its improvement in recycling and chemical use since the last edition when it was only ranked number six. <ref>http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/105302 Heise Zeitschriften Verlag News March 19, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008</ref><ref>http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,23537853-5013037,00.html Australian IT April 15, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008.</ref> Toshiba focused on improving their score in Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR), which measures how efficiently a company deals with e-waste that is created from their own products that are thrown away. <ref>http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,144482-c,recycling/article.html PC World April 12, 2008. Retrieved April 18, 2008 </ref> Toshiba also partnered with China’s Tsinghua University in 2008 in order to form a research facility to focus on energy conservation and the environment. <ref>http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=17699 Japan’s Corporate Network April 14, 2008. Retrieved: April 27, 2008.</ref> The new Toshiba Energy and Environment Research Center is located in Beijing where forty students from the university will work to research electric power equipment and new technologies that will help stop the global warming process. <ref>http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=17699 Japan’s Corporate Network April 14, 2008. Retrieved: April 27, 2008.</ref> Through this partnership, Toshiba hopes to develop products that will better protect the environment and save energy in China. <ref>http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=17699 Japan’s Corporate Network April 14, 2008. Retrieved: April 27, 2008.</ref> This contract between Tsinghua University and Toshiba originally began in October 2007 when they signed an agreement on joint energy and environment research. <ref>http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=17699 Japan’s Corporate Network April 14, 2008. Retrieved: April 27, 2008.</ref> The projects that they conduct work to reduce car pollution and to create power systems that don’t negatively affect the environment. <ref>http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=17699 Japan’s Corporate Network April 14, 2008. Retrieved: April 27, 2008.</ref> ==Main competitors== ===Electronics=== <div style="-moz-column-count:2"> *[[Panasonic|Matsushita Electric Industrial (Panasonic)]] *[[Samsung]] *[[STMicroelectronics]] *[[Sony]] *[[JVC]] *[[Thomson SA]] *[[Hewlett-Packard Company|Hewlett-Packard]] *[[Sharp Corporation]] *[[Philips]] *[[Hitachi, Ltd.|Hitachi]] *[[Pioneer Corporation|Pioneer]] *[[Sanyo Electric]] *[[Mitsubishi Electric]] *[[Daikin]] *[[LG-Philips LCD]] *[[Dell]] *[[General Electric]] *[[Siemens AG|Siemens]] *[[Apple Inc.]] </div> ===Nuclear Power Plants=== <div style="-moz-column-count:2"> *[[Areva]] *[[Hitachi, Ltd.|Hitachi]] *[[Mitsubishi_Heavy_Industries#Nuclear_energy_systems|Mitsubishi]] </div> ==See also== *[[HD DVD]] *[[Toshio Doko]] *[[Toshiba DynaSheet]] *[[Toshiba Satellite]], [[Toshiba Portege]], [[Toshiba Tecra]], [[Qosmio]], [[Libretto (notebook)|Libretto]] and [[Equium]] *[[Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corporation]], joint venture between Toshiba and [[Samsung]] *[[Flash memory]] **[[SmartMedia]] **[[xD-Picture Card]] *[[Digital audio player]] **[[Gigabeat]] *[[List of digital camera brands]] *[[List of computer system manufacturers]] ==References== {{Reflist|2}} *[http://www.a70m30xsettlement.com/ Satellite A70, A75, M30X, M35X Class Action Settlement for Toshiba America Information Systems] *[http://www.toshibaa70classaction.com/ Toshiba Class Action Settlement for Toshiba Canada Ltd] *[http://www.laptopbatteryinc.com/toshiba/dynabook-aw2-series.htm TOSHIBA DYNABOOK AW2 SERIES Laptop Battery] *[http://www.toshiba-laptop-battery.com/toshiba-pa3250.htm Toshiba Satellite PA3250 battery] ==External links== {{commonscat|Toshiba}} *[http://www.toshiba.co.jp/worldwide/ Toshiba Worldwide portal] *[http://www.toshiba.com/ Toshiba America Inc.] {{Japanese Electronics Industry}} {{IT giants}} {{TOPIX 100}} [[Category:Companies based in Tokyo]] [[Category:Electronics companies]] [[Category:Electronics companies of Japan]] [[Category:Mitsui Sumitomo]] [[Category:Companies established in 1904]] [[Category:Toshiba brands| ]] [[Category:Semiconductor companies]] [[Category:Nuclear power companies]] [[Category:Electric batteries]] [[Category:Locomotive manufacturers]] [[ar:توشيبا]] [[bn:টোশিবা]] [[ca:Toshiba]] [[de:Toshiba]] [[es:Toshiba]] [[eo:Toshiba]] [[fa:توشیبا]] [[fr:Toshiba]] [[ko:도시바]] [[id:Toshiba]] [[is:Toshiba]] [[it:Toshiba]] [[he:טושיבה]] [[nl:Toshiba]] [[ja:東芝]] [[no:Toshiba]] [[pl:Toshiba]] [[pt:Toshiba]] [[ro:Toshiba]] [[ru:Toshiba Corporation]] [[sq:Toshiba]] [[sk:Toshiba]] [[fi:Toshiba]] [[sv:Toshiba]] [[vi:Toshiba]] [[tr:Toshiba]] [[zh:东芝]]