Kyocera

Kyocera Corporation is a big company from Japan that makes many kinds of products. It started in 1959 in Kyoto, Japan, and was first called the Kyoto Ceramic Company. The person who started it was named Kazuo Inamori. Later, in 1982, the company changed its name to Kyocera.

Today, Kyocera makes many important things that we use every day. They create special ceramics used in industry, systems that help make solar power, equipment for telephones and communication, tools for offices to scan and copy documents, tiny parts for electronics, and even parts used in medical and dental treatments. Because of all the different products they make, Kyocera is known around the world as a leader in technology and manufacturing.

History

Kyoto Ceramic Company

Kyocera started in April 1959 as Kyoto Ceramic Co., Ltd, founded by Kazuo Inamori. The company made special ceramic parts and grew quickly. It opened offices in Tokyo and a plant in Shiga. By the 1960s, Kyocera made ceramic parts for electronics and space technology.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Kyocera expanded into many areas. It made solar power parts, medical tools for teeth and joints, tools for factories, and even special kitchen knives. The company also began making computers and cameras.

Kyocera Corporation

In 1982, Kyoto Ceramic merged with several smaller companies to become Kyocera Corporation. Soon after, Kyocera made one of the first small, portable computers with a screen that could show text and pictures.

Kyocera kept growing. It made cameras, telephone equipment, and parts for computers. The company opened offices around the world and bought other companies to add new technologies.

Since 2000

Since 2000, Kyocera has bought many companies to grow even more. It made copiers, mobile phones, and parts for electronic devices. Kyocera also made special phones that could change shape and used new technology to make lights brighter.

In 2011, Kyocera started making new kinds of energy products. The company continues to create new technologies in many areas today.

Main products

Printers and multi-function devices

Kyocera makes many kinds of printers and devices that can do many tasks, like printing and copying. These products are sold in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. In some places, they are sold under different names, such as Copystar in the Americas and TA Triumph-Adler and Utax in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Satellite phones

In the past, Kyocera made phones that could work from space for a special network. Three of these phones were released in 1999, including one that had a special station to connect to the network and a small messaging device.

Mobile phones

North America (Kyocera International, Inc.)

Kyocera makes mobile phones for use in the United States and Canada. The company bought parts of a technology company in 2000 and later took over another company's phone business in 2008.

Japan

Kyocera also makes phones for people in Japan, selling them under different brand names for various wireless services. In 2012, they released a special phone in Japan that could produce sound through vibrations instead of a speaker, which helped people hear better in loud places or if they had trouble hearing.

Solar cells

See also: Solar cell and building integrated photovoltaics

Kyocera has built centers and factories to make solar energy products. They have factories in Japan and China and have even put solar panels on cars. They also run large solar power plants.

Cutting tools

In 2001, Kyocera bought a company in California to help make tools for cutting materials. Later, they bought more companies in Denmark and elsewhere to grow this part of their business. They now have one group that makes all these cutting tools.

Advanced ceramics

See also: Ceramic knife

Kyocera sells knives made from special materials through their online store and in stores.

Corporate affairs

Kyocera's main office is in Kyoto, Japan. The building is very tall, measuring 95 metres or 312 feet. On the roof and one wall of the building, there is a special system that helps make energy from sunlight. This system has 1,900 panels and can provide a little bit of the energy the building needs each year. It makes enough energy to power the building for 182 megawatt hours every year.

Sponsorships

From 1978 to 1998, Kyocera helped students from the United States visit Japan. This program, called HORIZON, let students aged 10 to 14 learn about Japanese culture and make friends.

Kyocera has supported many sports teams. The brand Mita first sponsored a team in Argentina called Independiente from 1985 to 1992. Mita also appeared on the shirts of an English team, Aston Villa F.C., from 1984 to 1993, and an Italian team, Como 1907, from 1983 to 1989. Later, Kyocera sponsored Reading F.C. and a Brazilian team, Atlético Paranaense, from 2005 to 2008.

Today, Kyocera sponsors the Kyoto Sanga F.C., a team in their home city. They also have naming rights for the Kyocera Dome Osaka, home to two baseball teams: the Orix Buffaloes and the Hanshin Tigers.

Gallery of products

Here are some interesting products made by Kyocera:

• A CONTAX compact camera
• Kyocera 6035 mobile phone (Sprint PCS)
• A Kyocera branded router
• Kyocera DR-350 digital camera
• Kyocera Echo, an Android smartphone from 2011
• Kyocera VP-210 Japanese phone from 1999
• Kyocera PowerPC microprocessor
• Kyocera Finecam SL400R, a compact digital camera from 2004
• A Kyocera Lynx 35mm film camera