Slogan: Technology. document management. consulting services.
To paraphrase a classic of communist poetry, we can say "We say copying documents - we mean Xerox". Indeed, almost everywhere, including on the territory of the entire former USSR (where this brand came as far back as 1968), the word "Xerox" means copy or copy.
It all began in 1906, when a company was formed in Rochester, New York. The Haloid Companyengaged in the production and sale of photographic paper. For quite a long time, the development of the company proceeded at a moderate pace.
The year 1938 was marked by the discovery that Chester Carlson, a lawyer by profession, an inventor by passion, made. In his makeshift laboratory, he creates the world's first "electrophotographic" print, when the image is transferred to paper, using a light-sensitive semiconductor and dye powder. Well versed in copyright issues, Carlson immediately patented his invention - patent number 2,297,691, dated 1942. However, it took almost ten years before the invention interested manufacturers.
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| Carlson at work. In the upper left corner is the first image he received. |
In 1947 The Haloid Company buys all rights to his electrophotography from Carlson. And the following year, the term was changed to a more euphonious one. "xerography" (from Greek words, xeros – "dry" и grapho – "write"). That's when the brand is born. Xerox. In 1949, the first photocopier with the unpretentious name Model A appears on sale.
The success of these products on the market led to the fact that on April 16, 1958 the company changed its name to Haloid Xerox Inc.. This is done in order to emphasize that the main activity of the company from now on will be xerography.
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| Xerox Model A |
In 1959, the Xerox 914 appears. It was the first fully automatic office copier using plain paper. The device was expected to be a huge commercial success, which led to the fact that on April 18, 1961 the company changed its name to Xerox Corporation.
By 1970 leadership Xerox decides that having captured the "paper" sphere of the office, it's time to take on the sphere of data processing, challenging IBM. A research center is being created Xerox Computer Serviceslocated in Palo Alto, California. For this, a company was bought Scientific Data Systemsinvolved in computers.
Companies Xerox own many outstanding inventions. However, she failed to take full advantage of them. Consumers perceived the company solely as a creator of systems for copying. How a manufacturer of computer systems was much more trusted IBM. One of the most notable achievements Scientific Data Systems is a computer mouse and graphical interface implemented on the Xerox ALTO computer in 1974. However, neither one nor the other was of interest to the company's management, which simply did not see any prospects in them. But they were interested in Steve Jobs, who paid a “friendly visit” to the laboratory. He immediately realized that before him was a brilliant invention. As a result, the company Apple Computers was the first to equip its computers with a graphical interface and mice. Understand the depth of the loss Xerox managed too late. Bill Gates later "avenged" her, "borrowing" the graphical interface from Jobs's company.
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| Xerox ALTO |
Xerox's achievements have played a huge role in the development of laser printers and computer networks. As a result, she managed to push IBM in the business of putting information on paper, but not in the business of data processing.
But the main headache Xerox brought at all IBM, and Japanese manufacturers. When the US market began to supply its products CanonNobody took her seriously. After all, it was simple and cheap, designed for small businesses, or even home use. But time has shown the correctness of the Japanese approach, and Xerox lost the title of absolute leader in copying documents.
The company decides to emphasize its belonging to the world of documents in 1994 by introducing a new logo to the world - "The Document Company-Xerox". However, in 2004 it was simplified. And four years later presented "Red Ball", which other users jokingly dubbed "Kyrgyz flag".
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| The similarity of the new Xerox logo and the flag of Kyrgyzstan did not go unnoticed by the wits |
To date Xerox remains one of the largest manufacturers of equipment for offices of various levels. In addition to copiers, printers, faxes and much more are produced. The company is also engaged in stationery products. Xerox owns thousands of patents on various topics. Its income is in the tens of billions of US dollars.
Over the years of its existence Xerox has absorbed more than one company associated with software development or the creation of computing systems. The largest joint venture is Fuji Xerox, founded in 1962, working with technology Xerox and accessories for it in Asia and the Pacific. Operates in India Xerox India (previously Modi Xerox). There is also Rank Xerox – joint venture c Rank Organization from the UK, engaged in the production and sale of Xerox equipment in Europe and Africa.
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| Xerox DC250 |
Interesting Facts:
Company Xerox has long been actively, but to no avail, struggling with the fact that the word xerox used as a verb. But if it is still able to influence large publications, then most people have long been accustomed to such expressions as "make a xeroxed copy". Needless to say, even the Oxford English Dictionary has such a verb.
