List of defunct hard disk manufacturers

List of defunct hard disk manufacturers
At least 223 companies have manufactured hard disk drives. Most of that industry has vanished through bankruptcy or mergers and acquisitions. None of the first four entrants 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.
Partial list of defunct manufacturers
Some of the defunct manufacturers include:
Alps America
Amcodyne
Ampex
Anelex Corp.
Areal Technology – acquired by Tomen Corp in 1993
Atasi Technology, Inc.
Aura Associates
Avatar Systems
BASF
Brand Technologies
Bryant Computer Products
Bull
Burroughs Corporation – merged with Sperry Corporation to form Unisys in 1986
C. Itoh Electronics
Castlewood Systems
Caelus Memories|Caelus Memories, Inc.
CalComp
Calluna Technologies
Cardiff
Century Data
Cogito
Comport
Computer Memories Inc. (CMI) – left industry in 1986
Computer Memory Devices, Inc.
Conner Peripherals – merged with Seagate in 1996
Control Data Corporation (CDC) / Imprimis Technology – sold hard disk drive business to Seagate in 1989
Cornice LLC – bankrupt in 2007
Data General
Data Products Corp.
Data Recording Instruments (DRI)
Data Tech Memories
Diablo Systems - became Diablo Data Systems in 1972
Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) – sold hard disk drive business to Quantum Corporation in 1994
Disc Tech One
Disctron
DMA
DZU (of Bulgaria) – converted from government-owned to private, and sold to Videoton in 1999
Ecol. 2
Emulex
Epson
Espert
ExcelStor Technology – left industry
Fuji Electric
Fujitsu – HDD division acquired by Toshiba in July 2009
General Electric (GE)
Gigastorage
GS Magicstor, Inc. – manufacturing 1-inch drives
Hewlett-Packard (HP) - 1976 to 1996, left industry
Hitachi Global Storage Technologies (HGST) – 2002 merger of Hitachi and IBM disk drive businesses, sold to Western Digital in 2012 with part of 3.5″ manufacturing facilities going to Toshiba
Hokushin Electric Works
Honeywell Bull
Hyosung
IBM – hard disk drive business acquired by Hitachi Global Storage Technologies in 2002
Information Storage Systems Acquired by Itel, then Univac and finally CDC
Integral Peripherals – first rigid 1.8" drive; bankrupt in 1998
International Memories, Inc.(IMI) Discontinued manufacturing in early 1985.
Iomec
Iomega – left industry
ISOT/ИЗОТ (of Bulgaria)
Josephine County Technology (JCT) Ceased manufacturing in 1988.
JT Storage (JTS) – bankrupt in 1999
JVC – left industry
Kalok – bankrupt in 1994
Kyocera Electronics, Inc
LaPine Technologies
Librascope
Marshall Laboratories
Matsushita - left industry in 2004, its final production was exclusive for Quantum Corporation and then Maxtor
Maxtor – acquired by Seagate in 2006
Memorex – acquired by Burroughs 1981 and then merged into Unisys 1986; HDD division shut down in 1988
Microcomputer Memories – Chapter 7 bancrutpcy in 1987
Micropolis Corporation – bankrupt in 1997
Microscience International – bankrupt in 1992
MiniScribe – bankrupt and then acquired by Maxtor in 1990
Ministor Peripherals – first mobile 1.8" drive; bankrupt in 1998
Mitsubishi – left industry
Mitsumi Electronics Corporation
NCR Corporation
NEC – left industry
Newberry Data
Nippon Electric Industry Co. Ltd. (NEI) AKA as Densei in Japan was 34.5% owned by NEC. Stopped manufacturing HDDs in December 1986.
Nippon Peripherals, Limited (NPL)
Nomaï
Okidata
Olivetti
Orca Technology Corporation
Otari 1982-1986
Pertec Computer
Philips
Plus Development – Subsidiary of Quantum; created Hardcard; absorbed back into Quantum 1992
Potter Instrument
PrairieTek – first 2.5" rigid HDD; bankrupt in 1991
Priam Corporation – 1978–1989, became Priam Systems Corporation in 1990 and sold product line to Prima International in 1991
Peripheral Technology, Inc (PTI)
Quantum Corporation – sold hard disk drive business to Maxtor in 2001
Raymond Engineering
Ricoh
Rodime – first 3.5" rigid HDD; shut down manufacturing in 1991; licensed its patents until the patent business was sold for $1.5M in July 2003. The company was then the subject of a reverse merger and became Sportech PLC.
Rotating Memory Systems, Inc. (RMS) Acquired by CCT in 1982
Sagem
Samsung – HDD business acquired by Seagate for $1.4 billion in 2011
Seiko Epson
Sequel - spin out of Memorex in 1988
Shugart Associates – Acquired by Xerox in 1977 and shut down in 1986.
Siemens
Sony
Storage Technology Corporation (StorageTek or STK) – left industry
SyQuest Technology – bankrupt in 1998; some patents acquired by Iomega. Re-emerged selling cartridges for their previously discontinued products.
Tandon Corporation – acquired by Western Digital in 1988
Teac America, Inc.
Texas Instruments
Tokico
Tulin Corporation – bankrupt
Vertex Peripherals – acquired by Priam Corporation in 1985
Xebec – Xebec's 1410 SCSI controller formed the basis of IBM PC's hard disk controller.
YE-Data
See also
History of hard disk drives
List of computer hardware manufacturers
List of hard disk manufacturers
List of solid-state drive manufacturers
Notes
References
Further reading
- lists 126 HDD manufacturers including 3 current ones.
Hard-disk manufacturers
Defunct hard-disk manufacturers
Defunct hard-disk manufacturers
Hard disk
Hard disk