Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Electronic Royal Dutchwoman Philips S.A.), more known under the name of the company Philips is one of largest the world groups as regards electronic, of electric household appliances and music publishing. In 2004, its sales reached 30,3 billion euros and it employed 161  586 people in more than 60 countries. Philips is organized in divisions: medical products general public, semiconductors, lighting and systems.

In 2005, as a chipmaker electronic, a Philips points in the 9th place among the twenty larger manufacturers of semiconductors.

September 1st, 2006, Frans van Houten, the chairman from Philips Semiconductors announced the creation of NXP , Spin-off of Philips Semiconductors, held to 80.1% by a consortium of private investors.

History

Foundation and innovations

The company was founded in 1891 by the brothers Gerald (1858-1942) and Anton Philips (1874-1951) with Eindhoven, with the Netherlands. Its first products were electric bulbs and others Produits electrotechnical. The first manufacture is used today as museum.

In the Years 1920, the company started to manufacture other products, like the first electric Rasoir, the Philishave , in 1939. With the the United States, the Brand name is Norelco. Philips introduced the cassette with audio ribbon with a broad success, but failed in the imposition of its standard for the cassettes video ribbon, the V2000, in favor of Betamax and especially of VHS, the cassette DCC (DIGITAL Compact Cassette) launched in November 1992 in partnership with Matsushita (Panasonic, Technics) vis-a-vis the MANDELEVIUM of Sony which will be final to the only survivor in spite of a departure favorable to the DCC.

Second world war

During the Second world war, the May 9th 1940, the leaders of Philips were informed of the German invasion of the Netherlands of the following day. They then decided to flee with the the United States, taking along with them a broad portion of the capital of the company. They thus could make function the remote company during the war, having made it move (on paper), with the Dutch West Indies. After the War, Philips redéménagé in Eindhoven, the Netherlands (of 1997 with 2001, the head office was moved with Amsterdam). Many research centres had been hidden or padlocked, so that after the withdrawal of the Germans, Philips quickly could take again its activities.

One thinks that Philips has, before and during the war, provided equipment to the Germans, which led some to believe that they had collaborated with the Nazis, like several other companies of the time. However, there does not exist proof indicating that Philips or its leaders sympathized with the Nazis or their ideologies. In addition, Philips was not able to prevent the occupant using his manufactures and from putting its employees at the forced labor. The manufacture of Philips d' Eindhoven was the only target of allied bombardment in the Netherlands.

The data-processing adventure

The September 6th 1972, Philips joined the consortium Unidata, European project launched the January 28th 1972 intended to allow in the Années 1970 the emergence of an big industry Informatique Européen for identical of Airbus in the Aéronautique. Competences of the three participants were developed: the International Compagnie for Data processing (CII) received the control of work the architecture of the machines and the Logiciel, electronic technology returned to Philips, and Siemens took care of the mechanical peripherals. Valery Giscard d'Estaing elected president in 1974 put an end to the project in 1975: the France denounced unilaterally the agreement Unidata and CII amalgamated with Honeywell-Bull. Philips returned never again in data processing.

However, in the Years 1980, Philips sold micro computers, as well as home computers compatible with the standard MSX 1 & 2. Example: VG5000 manufactured with Radiotechnology.

Lately (fine 2005), Philips sold its own PC.

The subsidiary company Philips Semiconductors

September 1st, 2006, Philips created a Spin-off of Philips Semiconductors by selling it with an American group of private investors. The new business is called NXP and is held to 80.1% by the group of investors, Philips keeping the 19.9% remainders. Name NXP refers to the slogan Consumer Next Experience like at the platform mulimedia Nexperia of Philips Semiconductors.

Fields

• Audio-visual

• Apparatuses
• Music publishing
• domestic Apparatuses
• Semiconductor
• Lighting
• medical Apparatuses
• electronic Scientific research
• Microscopy
• Diffractometry of x-rays, Spectrometry of x-ray fluorescence: this branch was sold with Spectris in 2003 to become PANalytical

Principal inventions

• the Musicassette (compact cassette) in 1963

• the Compact disk (CD) with Sony in 1983

External bonds

• Philips France
• Official site Philips
• Philips Speech Processing
• Philips Belgium

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