Logitech

Logitech International S.A.

Type	Public
Traded as	SIX: LOGN NASDAQ: LOGI
Industry	Computer peripherals
Founded	October 2, 1981
Headquarters	Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Guerrino De Luca (Chairman and acting CEO), Erik Bardman (SVP, Finance and CFO)
Products	Computer peripherals
Revenue	$2.4 billion (2010)
Profit	$128 million (2010)
Total assets	$1.5 billion (2010)
Total equity	$999 million (2010)
Employees	11,000 (2010)
Website	www.logitech.com

Logitech's Silicon Valley office in Fremont

Wireless Trackman Mouse

USB speakers

Precision PC game controller

Logitech International S.A. (SIX: LOGN, NASDAQ: LOGI) is a global provider of personal peripherals for computers and other digital platforms headquartered in Romanel-sur-Morges, Switzerland. The company develops and markets products like peripheral devices for PCs, including keyboards, mice, microphones, game controllers and webcams. Logitech also makes home and computer speakers, headphones, wireless audio devices, as well as audio devices for MP3 players and mobile phones.

In addition to its Swiss headquarters, the company has offices in Fremont, California, as well as throughout Europe, Asia and the rest of the Americas. Logitech's sales and marketing activities are organized into four geographic regions: Americas, EMEA, Asia Pacific and China.

Brand names

In the Japanese market, Logitech uses the brand name Logicool since a company known as Logitec (ロジテック, rojitekku) that focuses on computer peripheral devices has existed in that country since 1982, and its parent company, Elecom, has used the brand name since 1974. Similar-sounding trademarks in the same industry can be infringing; Logitech chose to avoid this situation.

In the UK, Logitech trades under 'Logi (UK) Ltd.'; a 'Logitech' based in Glasgow, Scotland manufactures precision cutting, lapping and polishing equipment for the materials processing industry. In Canada, Logitech International uses its own name without conflict with Logitech Electronics, an InterTAN Canada Ltd. supplier of consumer electronics since 1988.

Since the 1980s, Logitech has made computer mice and keyboards directly for Apple, HP, Dell and for other platforms including PlayStation.

History

Logitech International S.A. was co-founded in Apples, Vaud, Switzerland, in 1981 by two Stanford Masters alumni, Daniel Borel and Pierluigi Zappacosta, Jean-luc Mazzone and Giacomo Marini, formerly a manager at Olivetti.

The mass-marketed computer mouse was the product that made Logitech well-known. The range of products offered improvements over a product originally developed at LAMI (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) by professor Jean-Daniel Nicoud and engineer André Guignard, who was involved in the design changes of the computer mouse originally invented by Douglas Engelbart.

For a time during its formative years, Logitech's Silicon Valley offices occupied space at 165 University Avenue, Palo Alto, California, home to a number of noted technology startups.

From there, Logitech expanded its product line (see below) to encompass many mass market computer peripherals and beyond (such as the "Harmony" range of programmable universal remote controls).

In 2007, Logitech licensed Hillcrest Labs' Freespace motion control technology to produce the MX Air Mouse, which allows a user to use natural gestures to control a PC.

In December 2008, Logitech shipped its one billionth mouse.

In May 2010, Logitech, in partnership with Google introduced the internet enabled television; named Google TV.

In July 2011, Logitech acquired the mobile visual communications provider, Mirial.

Due to Tablet PC expanding market, the world's biggest maker of computer mice confirmed a significant drop in Q3 2011 operating Income to $23 million from $51 million a year ago.

Production

The first Logitech mice were made in Le Lieu, in the Swiss Canton of Vaud by Dubois Depraz SA.

Production facilities were then established in the US, Taiwan, Ireland and moved subsequently to Suzhou, China. As of 2005, the manufacturing operations in China produce approximately half of Logitech's products. The remaining production is outsourced to contract manufacturers and original design manufacturers in Asia.

Products

• PC keyboards, mice, gamepads, and trackballs (wired and wireless models).
• QuickCam webcams including the first webcam to support 1080p video on Skype.
• PC speakers, including stereo as well as 2.1 and 5.1 channel surround sound systems.
• Logitech 'G' series PC gaming hardware.
• PS2, PS3, Xbox, Xbox 360 and PSP gaming hardware, including game controllers, joysticks, keyboards and racing wheels.
• Headphones, headsets and desktop microphones.
• iPod, PSP, MP3 player and mobile phone accessories. Including iPod and PSP speaker docks.
• Harmony universal remotes.
• Squeezebox wireless music systems and adapter.
• io2 Digital Writing System.
• Ultimate Ears headphones and in ear monitors.
• Logitech MOMO Force steering wheel
• Logitech Alert 750e Outdoor Master System security cameras
• Logitech Alert 750i Indoor Master System security cameras

See also

• 3Dconnexion (Subsidiary of Logitech)
• Labtec (Subsidiary of Logitech)
• LifeSize (Subsidiary of Logitech)
• Harmony (Subsidiary of Logitech)
• Ultimate Ears (Subsidiary of Logitech)
• Slim Devices (Subsidiary of Logitech)
• Mirial (Subsidiary of Logitech)

External links

Listen to this article (info/dl)

This audio file was created from a revision of the "Logitech" article dated 2006-06-09, and does not reflect subsequent edits to the article. (Audio help)

More spoken articles

• Official website
• Online Community
• Official Company Blog