Alps Electric

Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (Japanese: アルプス電気株式会社, Hepburn: Arupusu Denki Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese multinational corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, producing electronic devices, including switches, potentiometers, sensors, encoders and touchpads.[3]

Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
アルプス電気株式会社
TypePublic (K.K)
TYO: 6770
Nikkei 225 Component
IndustryElectronics
Founded1 November 1948 (1948-11-01) (as Kataoka Electric Co., Ltd.)
Headquarters1-7 Yukigaya-otsuka-machi, Ota, Tokyo 145-8501,
Japan
Key people
Toshihiro Kuriyama, (President)
Masataka Kataoka, (Chairman)
Products
RevenueUS$5.806 billion (FY 2012) (¥ 546.423 billion) (FY 2012)
US$75.18 million (FY 2012) (¥ -7.075 billion) (FY 2012)
Number of employees
36,199 (as of the end of March 2013)
SubsidiariesAlpine Electronics
Cirque Corporation
Alps Logistics
Alps Green Devices
Websitewww.alps.com
Footnotes / references
[1][2]

The company was established in 1948 as Kataoka Electric Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Alps Electric Co., Ltd. in December 1964. Since June 22, 2012, the President has been Toshihiro Kuriyama and Chairman is Masataka Kataoka.[1] Alps is also well known for the Alpine brand of car audio.

The Alps Electric Group has R&D, production and sales bases located in Japan and around the globe—in the Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia, Korea, and Greater China.[4] Since its founding, Alps Electric has supplied around 40,000 types of electronic components to over 2,000 manufacturers of home appliances, mobile devices, automobiles and industrial equipment worldwide.[5]

Alps Group comprises 84 subsidiary companies, 25 through Alps Electric, 32 through Alpine Electronics and 27 through Alps Logistics.[6]

The company is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and a constituent of the Nikkei 225 stock index.[7]

The company changed company name to Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. in January 2019.[8]

Business divisions

Alps Automotive division focuses on provision of custom products and modules, including control panels and steering modules, for specific vehicle models, and components compatible with any vehicle.[9]

Alps Home and Mobile divisions focuses on provision of switches, potentiometers, sensors, and other components through to multi-input devices like touch panels and GlidePoint™ to home, mobile and PC markets. Alps Electric focuses on human-machine and machine-machine interfaces for home appliances, mobile devices and PCs.[9]

Alps Industry, Healthcare & Energy divisions focuses on provision of a wide variety of products, including sensors, power inductors, switches and communication modules, to industry, healthcare and energy markets.[9]

Alps touchpad hardware is developed and manufactured by the Cirque Corporation, which they acquired in 2003;[10] however, the parent company continues to write their own drivers. Their drivers are Windows certified. They are mostly found in Sony, Toshiba and Dell notebooks, as well as the OLPC XO-1. They also manufacture keyboards for Apple computers, including the original Macintosh and the first iMac.

Business integration and name change

On January 1, 2019, Alps Electric Co., Ltd. and Alpine Electronics, Inc. integrated the two businesses together under the new name of Alps Alpine Co., Ltd..[11] Alpine Electronics, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Alps in 1978 when Alps acquired all shares of Alps Motorola Inc. [12]

  • Alps Amber switch in an Apple IIc keyboard
    Alps Amber switch in an Apple IIc keyboard
  • Alps SKBM Grey switch
    Alps SKBM Grey switch
  • Alps SKBM Grey switch backside with old logo
    Alps SKBM Grey switch backside with old logo
  • Alps SKBM Grey — upper shell with simplified mould numbering and more rounded, more heavily embossed Alps logo
    Alps SKBM Grey — upper shell with simplified mould numbering and more rounded, more heavily embossed Alps logo
  • Alps SKCM Orange switch, completely disassembled
    Alps SKCM Orange switch, completely disassembled

See also

References
  1. "Corporate Facts". Archived from the original on December 23, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  2. "Annual Report 2013" (PDF). Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  3. "Corporate Profile". Bloomberg Businessweek. Archived from the original on April 17, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  4. "Alps Global Network". Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  5. "Alps Electric Bolsters Infotainment Systems with aptX® Integration". Businesswire. April 9, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  6. "Alps Group". Archived from the original on April 14, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  7. "Components:Nikkei Stock Average". Nikkei Inc. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  8. "【会社概要】 経営統合について | アルプスアルパイン". www.alpsalpine.com. Retrieved 2020-02-05.
  9. "Company Business Areas". Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  10. "Cirque Corporation Website: Alps Electric Co". Archived from the original on June 27, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  11. "[Our Company] About the Business Integration – Alps Alpine". www.alpsalpine.com. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
  12. "Form 20-F". www.sec.gov. Retrieved 2021-05-20.
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