Search

List of defunct hard disk manufacturers

At least 218 companies have manufactured hard disk drives (HDDs) since 1956. Most of that industry has vanished through bankruptcy or mergers and acquisitions. None of the first several entrants (including IBM, who invented the HDD) continue in the industry today. Only three manufacturers have survived—Seagate, Toshiba and Western Digital (WD)—all of which grew at least in part through mergers and acquisitions.[1]

Diagram of consolidation

Manufacturers

The following is a partial list of defunct hard disk manufacturers. There are currently 119 manufacturers in this incomplete list.

NameCountry of originYear of market entryYear of market exitFateNotesReferences
3MUnited States19811983HDD assets sold to Disc Tech One[2]
Alps ElectricJapan?2008HDD assets sold to TDK[3]
AmcodyneUnited States19831986Acquried by Century Data Systems[4][5]
AmpexUnited States1970??[6]
Anelex CorporationUnited States19641967Acquired by Mohawk Data Sciences[7][8]
Areal TechnologyUnited States19871999Acquired by Tomen Electronics and Sanyo in 1993, dissolved in 1998Manufactured the first HDDs employing glass as the substrate for their platters[9]
AtasiUnited States19821987Acquired by Tandon[10][11]
Aura AssociatesUnited States1992??[12]
Avatar SystemsUnited States19911998Bankruptcy[13][14][15]
BASFGermany19701982HDD assets sold to Kennedy Company[16][17]
Brand TechnologiesUnited States1986??[18]
Bryant Computer ProductsUnited States19591972DissolutionRenamed to XLO Computer Products in 1972[19]
Bull PeripheralUnited States19841989Acquired by Seagate TechnologyAmerican subsidiary of CII-Honeywell-Bull[20]
BurroughsUnited States1964??[21]
C. ItohJapan1985??[22]
Castlewood SystemsUnited States19992004Bankruptcy
Caelus MemoriesUnited States19671969Acquired by Electronic Memories & Magnetics[23][24][25]
CalCompUnited States19721979HDD assets sold to Xerox[26]
Calluna TechnologyScotland19922001Dissolution[27][28]
Cardiff PeripheralsUnited States1987??[29]
Century Data SystemsUnited States19681972Acquired by CalComp in 1972; later sold to Xerox in 1979[26]
CII-Honeywell-BullFrance19751989HDD business acquired by Seagate TechnologyResold drives through partnership with Magnetic Peripherals; CII-Honeywell-Bull was itself a joint venture between Compagnie Internationale d'Informatique, Honeywell, and Groupe Bull[30]
Cogito SystemsUnited States19831985Dissolution[31][32]
ComportUnited States19881991Dissolution[33][34]
Computer Memories, Inc.United States19791986Exited the HDD business
Computer Memory DevicesUnited States19691971Dissolution[35][36][37]
Conner PeripheralsUnited States19851996Acquired by Seagate Technology
CorniceUnited States20002007Dissolution[38][39]
Data DiscUnited States19621977Acquired by Datapoint[40][41]
Data GeneralUnited States1969??
DatapointJapan19771984HDD assets sold to Xebec Corporation[41][42]
DataproductsUnited States1962?Exited the HDD business
Data Recording InstrumentUnited Kingdom19701988Acquired by FKIFirst company to manufactured HDDs in Europe[43][44][45]: 289 
Data-Tech MemoriesUnited States19861989Dissolution[46][47]: 133 
Diablo SystemsUnited States19691972Acquired by Xerox[48]
Digital Equipment CorporationUnited States19691993Exited the HDD business[49]
Disc Tech OneUnited States19831984Acquired by Life Tech Industries[50][51]
DisctronUnited States19821983DissolutionSpin-off of Computer & Communications Technology[52][53]
DMA SystemsUnited States19811985Dissolution[54]
DZU ADBulgaria19681999DissolutionOriginally a state-owned entity, later converted to private company; HDD assets dispersed between 1997 and 1999[45]: 289 [55]
Ecol. 2United States19901993DissolutionNever produced any drives beyond prototypes[56]
Electronic Memories & MagneticsUnited States19691985Acquired by Titan Systems[57][25]
EmulexUnited States19791992HDD assets spun off as QLogic
EpsonJapan19851987Left the HDD business[58][59]
EspertSouth Korea1990?Dissolution[60]
ExcelStor TechnologyChina20002008Dissolution
Fuji ElectricJapan19852011Exited the HDD business[61][62]
FujitsuJapan19632009HDD assets sold to Toshiba[63][64]
General ElectricUnited States19621970HDD assets sold to Honeywell[65][66]
GS MagicstorChina2003?Dissolution[67]
Hewlett-PackardUnited States19791996Exited the HDD businessManufactured the first 1.3-inch HDDs[68][69]
HGSTUnited States20032018Acquired by Western DigitalHitachi's HDD business after acquiring IBM's HDD assets
HitachiUnited States19672018HDD assets sold to Western Digital[63]
Hokushin Electric WorksJapan1980??[45]: 289 [70]
HyosungSouth Korea???[47]: 138 
IBMUnited States19562003HDD assets sold to HitachiInventors of the HDD; HDD assets briefly spun off to AdStar between 1992 and 1995
Information Storage SystemsUnited States19691973Acquired by Itel Corporation; later sold to Sperry Univac[71][72][73]
Intégral PeripheralsUnited States19901998Acquired by H&Q Asia PacificManufactured the first 1.8-inch HDDs[74][75]
International MemoriesUnited States19771984Merged with Onyx Systems to become Dorado Micro Systems, later Onyx-IMI; left the HDD business in 1984; HDD business sold to Fujhin Electronic Computer Co. in 1985[76][77][78][79][80]
IomecUnited States19691975Acquired by Data 100[81][82]
IomegaUnited States19952008Acquired by EMC Corporation
ИЗОТ [ru] (English: ISOT)Bulgaria19621991DissolutionState-owned entity
Josephine County TechnologyUnited States19841986Dissolution[83][84][85]
JT StorageUnited States19941999Dissolution
JVCJapan1986??[86]
KalokUnited States19871994Acquired by JT Storage[87][88]
KennedyUnited States19771988Dissolution[89][90]
KyoceraJapan19841991Exited the HDD business[91][92]
LaPine TechnologiesUnited States19841987Bankruptcy[93][94][95]
LibrascopeUnited States19611968Acquired by Singer Corporation[96]
Magnetic PeripheralsUnited States19751989Acquired by Seagate TechnologyJoint venture between Control Data and CII-Honeywell-Bull; later known as Imprimis Technology
Marshall LaboratoriesUnited States19681969Dissolution[97][98]
MatsushitaJapan19892000 ca.Exited the HDD businessOriginally as a licensee of Quantum[99]
MaxtorUnited States19822006Acquired by Seagate Technology
MemorexUnited States19681981Acquired by Burroughs Corporation; HDD assets later sold to ToshibaManufactured the first HDD subsystems that were plug-compatible with IBM's
Microcomputer MemoriesUnited States19831986Bankruptcy[100][101]
MicropolisUnited States19861996HDD assets sold to Singapore Technology
Microscience InternationalUnited States19821993Bankruptcy[102][103]
MiniScribeUnited States19801990Acquired by Maxtor
MiniStor PeripheralsUnited States19911995BankruptcyManufactured the first PC Card HDDs[104][105]
MitsubishiJapan19682002HDD assets sold to Showa Denko[63][106]
Mitsumi ElectricJapan???
NCRUnited States1964??[107]
NECJapan19652002Exited the HDD business[63][108]
Newbury DataUnited Kingdom19841988Acquired by FKI[109][110]
Nippon Electric IndustryJapan1983??[111]
Nippon PeripheralsJapan19711986Dissolution[112][113][114]
NomaïFrance19921998Acquired by Iomega
Ohio ScientificUnited States19801980Acquired by M/A-COM[115]
OkidataJapan19731980HDD business acquired by Ohio Scientific[116][117][118]
Olivetti OPEItaly1981?Left the HDD business[119][120]
Orca TechnologyUnited States19901992Bankruptcy; HDD assets sold to Samsung Electronics in 1995[121][122]
OtariJapan1985?Exited the HDD business[123]
Pertec ComputerUnited States19711987Acquired by Triumph-Adler[124][125]
PhilipsNetherlands???[45]: 289 
Plus DevelopmentUnited States19831993DissolutionInventors of the hardcard
Potter InstrumentUnited States19681975Bankruptcy[126][127][128]
PrairieTekUnited States19851991BankruptcyManufactured the first 2.5-inch HDDs
PriamUnited States19781991HDD assets sold to Prima International
Peripheral TechnologyUnited States19851990Dissolution[129][130]
QuantumUnited States19802000HDD assets sold to Maxtor
RicohJapan1985?Exited the HDD business[131]
RodimeScotland19791991Exited the HDD businessManufactured the first 3.5-inch HDDs
Rotating Memory SystemsUnited States19811982Acquired by Computer & Communications Technology[132][133]
SAGEMFrance??Exited the HDD business
Samsung ElectronicsSouth Korea19882011HDD assets sold to Seagate Technology[134][135]
SequelUnited States19891991BankruptcySpin-off of Memorex's HDD business after the latter was acquired by Unisys[136][137]
Shugart AssociatesUnited States19791985Acquired by Xerox in 1977; assets liquidated in 1985
SiemensGermany???[45]: 289 
Storage Technology CorporationUnited States19692005Acquired by Sun Microsystems
SyQuest TechnologyUnited States19821999HDD assets sold to Iomega
TandonUnited States19811988HDD assets sold to Western Digital[138][139]
TEACJapan???
Texas InstrumentsUnited States1981?Exited the HDD businessFirst company to second-source Seagate's ST-506, the first 5.25-inch HDD[140][141][142]
TokicoJapan???[47]: 166 
TulinUnited States19821991Dissolution[143][144]
Vertex PeripheralsUnited States19821985Acquired by Priam Corporation[145][146]
XebecUnited States1974??Originally named Microcomputer Systems Corporation; 1410 SCSI controller formed the basis of IBM PC's hard disk controller[147][148]
YE-DataJapan?1995Exited the HDD business[47]: 169–170 [149]

See also

References

General references
  • McKendrick, David (November 1997). "Sustaining Competitive Advantage in Global Industries: Technological Change and Foreign Assembly in the Hard Disk Drive Industry". Archived from the original on February 9, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
Specific references

Further reading

  • Wong, Poh-Kam (July 1999). "The Dynamics of the HDD Industry Development in Singapore" (PDF). Centre for Management of Innovation and Technopreneurship, National University of Singapore: The Information Storage Industry Center, Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, University of California. Report 99–03. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
Retrieved from "https:https://www.search.com.vn/wiki/index.php?lang=en&q=List_of_defunct_hard_disk_manufacturers&oldid=1208992897"
🔥 Top keywords: Main PageSpecial:SearchIndian Premier LeagueWikipedia:Featured picturesPornhubUEFA Champions League2024 Indian Premier LeagueFallout (American TV series)Jontay PorterXXXTentacionAmar Singh ChamkilaFallout (series)Cloud seedingReal Madrid CFCleopatraRama NavamiRichard GaddDeaths in 2024Civil War (film)Shōgun (2024 miniseries)2024 Indian general electionJennifer PanO. J. SimpsonElla PurnellBaby ReindeerCaitlin ClarkLaverne CoxXXX (film series)Facebook2023–24 UEFA Champions LeagueYouTubeCandidates Tournament 2024InstagramList of European Cup and UEFA Champions League finalsJude BellinghamMichael Porter Jr.Andriy LuninCarlo AncelottiBade Miyan Chote Miyan (2024 film)