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Hitachi

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For other uses, see Hitachi (disambiguation).
Hitachi, Ltd.
株式会社日立製作所
Company type
Public kabushiki gaisha ("stock company")
TYO: 6501
OTC Pink: HTHIY
IndustryConglomerate
Founded1910; 114 years ago (1910)
Hitachi, Ibaraki, Japan
FounderNamihei Odaira
Headquarters
Chiyoda, Tokyo
,
Japan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Products
Services
RevenueIncrease ¥9.774 trillion (2015)[1]
Decrease ¥482.95 billion (2015)[1]
Decrease ¥217.48 billion (2015)[1]
Total assetsIncrease ¥12.433 trillion (2015)[1]
Total equityIncrease ¥2.942 trillion (2015)[1]
Number of employees
336,670 (2015)[2]
Websitewww.hitachi.com

Hitachi, Ltd. (株式会社日立製作所, Kabushiki-gaisha Hitachi Seisakusho) (Japanese pronunciation: [çiꜜtatɕi]) is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent of the Hitachi Group (Hitachi Gurūpu) and forms part of the DKB Group of companies. Hitachi is a highly diversified company that operates eleven business segments: Information & Telecommunication Systems, Social Infrastructure, High Functional Materials & Components, Financial Services, Power Systems, Electronic Systems & Equipment, Automotive Systems, Railway & Urban Systems, Digital Media & Consumer Products, Construction Machinery and Other Components & Systems.[3]

Hitachi is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the Nikkei 225 and TOPIX indices. It is ranked 38th in the 2012 Fortune Global 500 and 129th in the 2012 Forbes Global 2000.[4] On January 21, 2014, numerous tech articles around the globe published findings from the cloud storage provider Backblaze that Hitachi hard disks are the most reliable among prominent hard disk manufactures.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

History

File:Hitachi old logo2.gif
Former Hitachi logo

Hitachi was founded in 1910 by electrical engineer Namihei Odaira in Ibaraki Prefecture.[11] The company's first product was Japan's first 5-horsepower electric induction motor, initially developed for use in copper mining. Odaira's company soon became the domestic leader in electric motors and electric power industry infrastructure.[12]

The company began as an in-house venture of Fusanosuke Kuhara's mining company in Hitachi, Ibaraki. Odaira moved headquarters to Tokyo in 1918. Long before that, he coined the company’s toponymic name by superimposing two kanji characters: hi meaning “sun” and tachi meaning “rise”. The young company's national aspirations were conveyed by its original brand mark, which evoked Japan's imperial rising sun flag.

Hitachi America, Ltd. was established in 1959.[13] Hitachi Europe, Ltd. was established in 1982.[14]

In March 2011, Hitachi agreed to sell its hard disk drive subsidiary, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, to Western Digital for a combination of cash and shares worth US$4.3 billion.[15] Due to concerns of a duopoly of WD and Seagate by the EU Commission and the Federal Trade Commission, Hitachi's 3.5" HDD division was sold to Toshiba. The transaction was completed in March 2012.[16]

Hitachi entered talks with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in August 2011 about a potential merger of the two companies, in what would have been the largest merger between two Japanese companies in history.[17][18] The talks subsequently broke down and were suspended.[19]

In October 2012, Hitachi agreed to acquire the United Kingdom-based nuclear energy company Horizon Nuclear Power, which plans to construct up to six nuclear power plants in the UK, from E.ON and RWE for £700 million.[20][21]

In November 2012, Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries agreed to merge their thermal power generation businesses into a joint venture to be owned 65% by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and 35% by Hitachi.[22][23] The joint venture began operations in February 2014.[24]

Products and services

Information and telecommunication systems

The Hitachi factory in Toyokawa, Japan

Power systems

Social infrastructure and industrial systems

Hitachi's G1TOWER, currently the world's Tallest elevator research tower,[25] located at Hitachinaka, Ibaraki

Electronic systems and equipment

Construction machinery

A Hitachi hydraulic excavator in use
  • Hydraulic Excavators
  • Forestry Equipment
  • Mechanical & Hydraulic Cranes
  • Mining Dump Trucks
  • Crawler Dump trucks
  • Wheel Loaders

High functional materials and components

  • Circuit boards and materials
  • Copper products
  • High grade casting components and materials
  • Magnetic materials and components
  • Semiconductor and Display Related Materials
  • Specialty steels
  • Wires and cables

Automotive systems

Hitachi Automotive Systems Americas Offices, Farmington Hills, Michigan
  • Car Information Systems
  • Drive Control
  • Electric Powertrain Systems
  • Engine Management Systems

Defense Systems

Components and devices

The Magic Wand[27][28]
  • Batteries
  • Hard disk drives (Separated division for this product line as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, then HGST was purchased by Western Digital)
  • Information Storage Media
  • LCDs

Digital media and consumer products

2008 Hitachi air conditioning outdoor unit

Note: A new product from Hitachi called Memory glass is to be introduced in 2015. It is a high density information storage medium utilizing laser etched/readable Fused quartz.

Financial services

  • Leasing
  • Loan Guarantees
  • Invoice Finance (via the Hitachi Capital arm of the business)

Other

  • Logistics
  • Property management

Aircraft

(Pre-war)

Aircraft engines

Hitachi Hatsukaze

Subsidiaries and divisions

Current

Hitachi Solutions America

Main article: Hitachi Solutions America

Hitachi Solutions America is a consulting firm and systems integrator focusing primarily on Microsoft Dynamics. The firm utilizes AX and CRM from the Dynamics family to provide customers with a broad base of solutions. The company is international, with subsidiaries residing in the United Kingdom, Canada, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Japan and India. Hitachi Solutions America acquired Ignify - another leading Microsoft Dynamics Solution providers in December 2015. Hitachi Solutions has about 2000 Microsoft Dynamics consultants worldwide after the acquisition of Ignify.

Hitachi Consulting

Main article: Hitachi Consulting

Hitachi Consulting is an international management and technology consulting firm with headquarters in Dallas, Texas. It was founded in 2000 and currently employs approximately 5,000 people across the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, India, Spain, Portugal, Germany and China.

Hitachi Data Systems

Main article: Hitachi Data Systems

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi which provides hardware, software and services to help companies manage their digital data. Its flagship products are the Virtual Storage Platform (for enterprise storage), Hitachi Unified Storage VM for large sized companies, Hitachi Unified Storage for small and mid-sized companies, Hitachi Content Platform (archiving and cloud architecture), Hitachi Command Suite (for storage management), Hitachi TrueCopy and Hitachi Universal Replicator (for remote replication), and the Hitachi NAS Platform.

Hitachi Electronics

Hitachi manufactures many types of electronic products including TVs, Camcorders, Projectors and Recording Media under its own brand name.

R & D Group

(Includes Intellectual Property Group [subgroup])[29]

  • Technology Strategy Office
  • Central Research Laboratory
  • Hitachi Research Laboratory - Includes Mechanical Engineering Research Laboratory (Robotics)
  • Yokohama Research Laboratory
  • Design Division
  • Overseas research centers
  • In-house/Business division

-Development center
-Development & Design section

Hitachi Defense Systems Company

Hitachi provides various defense related/derived products & services (see Defense Systems entry in the Products and services section above).

Hitachi Metals, Ltd.

Among other things, Hitachi Metals supplies materials for aircraft engines and fuselage components (e.g. landing gear), along with finished components for same and other aerospace applications. It also provides materials, components and tools for the automotive and electronics industries.

Hitachi Koki

Hitachi manufactures many types of tools including chainsaws, drills, woodworking power tools. Some are branded Koki Tanaka. March 1, 2016 Hitachi Koki acquired German power tools manufacturer Metabo from Chequers Capital.[30]

Hitachi Plant Technologies

Hitachi Plant Technologies, Ltd., along with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, manufacture, sale, servicing, and execution of social and industrial infrastructure machinery, mechatronics, air-conditioning systems, industrial plants, and energy plant equipment in Asia and internationally.

Hitachi Rail

A British Rail Class 395 train produced by Hitachi

Hitachi Rail is involved in designing and manufacturing many models of Shinkansen vehicles, including the N700 Series Shinkansen.[31] and the THSR 700T for Taiwan High Speed Rail.

Hitachi markets a general-purpose train known as the "A-train", which utilises double-skin friction stir welded aluminium body construction. The A-train concept can be customised to form a commuter train like the automated 3000 series train for the Nanakuma Line, a limited express train like the E257 series, or a high-speed train such as the Class 395 operating in the UK.[31]

In June 2008, Hitachi also submitted a tender for the UK's Intercity Express Programme which won.[32]

Hitachi also develops rolling stock for many metro systems, including the Fukuoka Subway, Tokyo Metro, Yokohama Municipal Subway, and MARTA, as well as operating vehicles via Hitachi Monorail.

Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries agreed to cooperate in the field of international intra-city railway systems in 2010.[33]

In 2015 Hitachi Rail bought Italian manufacturer Ansaldo Breda

Hitachi Works

Hitachi Works is the oldest member of the Hitachi Group and consists of three factories: Kaigan Works, Yamate Works, and Rinkai Works. Yamate Works, the oldest of the three factories, was founded in 1910 by Namihei Odaira as an electrical equipment repair and manufacturing facility. This facility was named Hitachi, after the Hitachi Mine near Hitachi, Ibaraki, and is regarded as the ancestral home of Hitachi, Ltd.

Many management trainees intern at Hitachi Works before being permanently assigned to other Hitachi divisions. Senior management personnel are often participants in rotations at Hitachi Works for a few years as their career develops towards eventual head office stature. As a result, many of the senior managers of Hitachi Ltd have passed through Hitachi Works.

Spin-off entities from Hitachi Works include Hitachi Cable (1956) and Hitachi Canadian Industries (1988).

Former

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies

Main article: Hitachi GST

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (Hitachi GST) manufactures computer hard drives. There are 3 main ranges: Hitachi Travelstar, Hitachi Deskstar, and Hitachi Ultrastar.

On March 7, 2011 Hitachi Global Storage Technologies was purchased by Western Digital Corporation for $3.5 billion in cash and $750 million in Western Digital common stock.[34]

Hitachi Printing Systems

Hitachi Printing Systems was established in 1980 and was acquired by Ricoh in 2004, becoming Ricoh Printing Systems, Ltd.

Corporate social responsibility

In August 2011, it was announced that Hitachi would donate an electron microscope to each of five universities in Indonesia (the University of North Sumatra in Medan, the Indonesian Christian University in Jakarta, Padjadjaran University in Bandung, General Soedirman University in Purwokerto and Muhammadiyah University in Malang).[35]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Hitachi Financial Statements" (PDF). Hitachi.
  2. ^ "Corporate Profile". Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  3. ^ Our Businesses : Hitachi Global. Hitachi.com. Retrieved on 2013-08-16.
  4. ^ "Global 500 2014". Retrieved 2015-04-29.
  5. ^ "Backblaze data shows Hitachi and Seagate as most and least reliable hard drives, respectively". January 21, 2014.
  6. ^ "The Most (and Least) Reliable Hard Drive Brands". January 21, 2014.
  7. ^ "Hitachi hard drives are the most reliable, says BackBlaze". January 21, 2014.
  8. ^ "Seagate maybe the least reliable hard drive brand, BackBlaze Study". January 21, 2014.
  9. ^ "Who makes the most reliable hard disk drives? Backblaze has updated its stats". January 21, 2014.
  10. ^ "Seagate hard drives are the least reliable, says BackBlaze". January 22, 2014.
  11. ^ "Little Known Facts About Hitachi". Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  12. ^ "History (1910-1959) : Hitachi Global". Hitachi.com. 2010-06-29. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  13. ^ "History (1910-1959)". Hitachi. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  14. ^ "History (1980-1999)". Hitachi. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  15. ^ "WD to Buy Hitachi's Drive Business for $4.3 Billion". PC Magazine. 7 March 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
  16. ^ "Western Digital Closes Hitachi GST Acquisition, to Operate Separate Subsidiaries". Network World. 2012-03-09. Retrieved 2014-09-01.
  17. ^ "Hitachi, Mitsubishi edge towards groundbreaking merger". Reuters. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  18. ^ "Shares of Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy get merger boost". BBC News. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  19. ^ "Mitsubishi Heavy, Hitachi shares tumble as merger talks stall". Reuters. 4 August 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2012.
  20. ^ "Hitachi buys UK nuclear project from E.On and RWE". BBC News. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  21. ^ "Hitachi wins bid to build up to six UK nuclear plants". Reuters. 30 October 2012. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  22. ^ "Hitachi and Mitsubishi Heavy shares rise after merger". BBC News. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  23. ^ "MHI, Hitachi plan to merge thermal power units to boost overseas sales". The Japan Times. 30 November 2012. Retrieved 2 December 2012.
  24. ^ "News Releases". Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  25. ^ "G1TOWER : About Us : Hitachi Global". Hitachi, Ltd. Retrieved 2014-08-14.
  26. ^ "Defense Systems Company".
  27. ^ a b Stuart, Laura Anne (19 April 2013). "The Rebirth of the Magic Wand". Express Milwaukee. Archived from the original on 23 April 2013. Retrieved 6 May 2013. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  28. ^ a b Trout, Christopher (28 August 2014). "The 46-year-old sex toy Hitachi won't talk about". Engadget. Archived from the original on 27 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  29. ^ Hitachi company Overview - R&D Group Organization section Accessed 9th October 2014
  30. ^ "Acquisition of Metabo AG by Hitachi Koki completed" (PDF). Hitachi Koki. Retrieved 17 April 2016.
  31. ^ a b "Hitachi Transportation Systems website". Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  32. ^ "Hitachi Launches Bid For Intercity Express Programme". Hitachi-Rail.com. 2008-06-30. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  33. ^ "Hitachi Certifications". Retrieved 8 October 2014.
  34. ^ Murph, Darren (2011-03-07). "Western Digital drops $4.3 billion to acquire Hitachi GST, enter staring contest with Seagate". Engadget.com. Retrieved 2013-01-07.
  35. ^ "Hitachi to grant electron microscopes". The Jakarta Post. 5 August 2011. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
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