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Headquartered in the Silicon Valley of Taiwan, Realtek Semiconductor Corp. is a leading provider of computer components, network devices and multimedia products. The company designs, manufactures and sells a wide range of products that are mainly categorized in two divisions: Communications Network ICs and Computer Peripheral and Multimedia ICs. Some of the products in its line of network solutions include network interface controllers, traditional Ethernet controllers, network switch controllers and gateway controllers, among others. Realtek currently has approximately 900 employees, more than 700 of them well versed in the research and development field.

Realtek was founded in 1987 and listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 1998. One of its early successes was the RTL8139 series of Ethernet controllers released in the late 1990s, a line that dominated the market for many years. These products fell into the peripheral and multimedia category, consisting of traditional audio codecs, high definition codecs, clock generators, card reader controllers and LCD controllers. The most notable Realtek controllers were the 10/100M Ethernet line, having a global market share of 70% in 2003. Its AC97 audio codecs also claimed 50% of the market. Today, its ALC850 and RTL8139 are favorites on the OEM market, offering standard features and low prices. In Asia, the RTL8139 Realtek NIC is often referred to as a crab card, alluding to the crab-like appearance of the company logo.

Realtek has announced on numerous occasions that it would dedicate its R&D resources and expertise to other areas in the future. Some of the markets the company is considering include digital television, along with more advanced wireless technologies such as UWB (Ultra Wide Band) and the proposed 802.11n standard. It appears as if Realtek is gearing up for the highly anticipated myriad of concepts and applications that have been proposed to advance existing and newly emerging technologies.

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Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Tyan Computer Corporation is a world renowned manufacture of motherboards. The company plays an integral role in powering the network environment as many of its models are designed for AMD and Intel processors. Specializing in high-end desktop and server platforms, its products are sold worldwide to OEMs, system integrators and resellers for a wealth of applications. Tyan’s high-performance products are powered by the more than 12,400 employee strong global workforce of MiTAC, the company it was acquired by in March of 2007.

Tyan got its start back in 1989, which appeared to be just the right time. Its founder saw tremendous opportunity in the SMP server market and established the company to fill a much needed void. Tyan began developing, producing and supplying Intel Pentium series motherboards along with several other single-processors targeted at server applications. Since that time, the company has manufactured a number of single, multi and multi-core chips using technologies from companies such as AMD, Broadcom, Intel and NVDIA among others. The impressive design of Tyan motherboards has gained the company numerous honors over the years, including two Maximum PC Kick-Ass Awards for its contributions in the Dream Machine project. Its cutting edge innovations have also helped several partners and customers earn recognition in their respective industries.

If the success of Tyan motherboards wasn’t enough, the brand name became even stronger once it merged with MiTAC, a Taiwanese company that manufactures a wide range of computer products. The MiTAC portfolio includes servers and network products, notebook PCs and outsourced manufacturing services. With the merger, its corporate headquarters in Fremont, California became the North American headquarters. Tyan is currently the company’s leading brand, acting as the engineering and marketing core for the delivery of server and workstation products designed for MiTAC’s worldwide partners and OEM customers.

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VIA Technologies is a fabless semiconductor company headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. The company supplies the highly efficient x86 processor platforms that power the personal computer, client, embedded and ultra mobile markets. Its main product line consists of motherboard chipsets, memory and CPUs, energy-saving solutions that provide enhanced connectivity for an array of computing, networking, communications and multimedia platforms. Best known for its awarding line of VIA chipsets, the company also produces audio and network controllers, low-power processors and chipsets for CD/DVD writers. Over the years, VIA has achieved international reach with state of the art production facilities throughout North America, Europe and Asia. Its client base includes global leading OEMs, system integrators and consumers around the world.

VIA was officially established in 1987 from the Symphony Company, a computer company based in the Silicon Valley of Taiwan. The founder, Wen Chi Chen, was an Intel employee before joining Symphony, where he still presides as CEO. In the late 1990s, the manufacturer focused on diversifying its core logic solutions and has since acquired a number of subsidiaries. Some of its most notable acquisitions include a CPU division, a sound division and a graphics division acquired from S3 Graphics. With Taiwan’s manufacturing sector constantly increasing the level of integration and functionality in chipset products, these divisions have helped VIA remain afloat in the competitive core logic market.

Coupled with the S3 Graphics merger, the company has been able to hold onto a respectable share of the PC graphics market due to the efficiency of their VIA graphics cards. In 2008, the company announced the launch of official 2D accelerated drivers for Linux chipsets with 3D accelerated drivers in the works. Just releasing the VX855 Media System Processor, a fully integrated all-on-one chip designed for mobile PC systems, VIA looks to take its innovative ways into another decade of success.

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Based in Inverness, Illinois, VisionTek Products is a subsidiary of Hartford Computer Group Inc. and a leading provider of PC enhancement products designed for the retailer and consumer markets. Powered by ATI Radeon technology, its high-performance products appeal to enthusiasts and supported by outstanding customer service and the most extensive warranty in the industry. VisionTek’s products can be found at BestBuy, Fry’s Electronics, MicroCenter and several major online retailers throughout North America, Asia and Europe.

VisionTek was founded in 1998. Since then, it has been setting the standard for excellence in the graphics card market. Its graphics cards have included the Xtreme Gamer Edition series as well as the award-winning XTASY card line. The company specializes in much more than VisionTek graphics cards. Other products include TV tuner cards, power supplies, gaming mice, graphics converters, memory sticks and the popular ATI All-in-Wonder Video and Graphics card, the ultimate digital entertainment solution.

In 2002, VisionTek shifted its focus from the local sector to a global strategy that helped it become established in both the Asian and European markets. To say the move was a success would be an understatement. From dealings with NVIDIA to an exclusive partnership with ATI, VisionTek has quickly become one of the most dominant companies in the graphics card business. In fact, it became the leading supplier of PC/TV tuners, graphics solutions and PC accessories in 2008, topping out all other companies who supply ATI-based graphics boards.

Conventional wisdom leads one to believe that VisionTek will be a major player for some time to come. A 70,000 square foot production facility, highly skilled R&D teams and an industry-leading lifetime money back guarantee has enabled to remain ahead of the competition. The company has many new innovations in the works and hints that the best is still yet to come.

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Established in 1988, Compro Technology is a company that creates and sells a wide range of multimedia and PC graphics products. Thriving off the latest innovations, it has a team of highly motivated expert engineers with offices located in several regions throughout the world. The Compro infrastructure allows it to deliver top notch products tailored to the fast growing PC market.

In the beginning, Compro set its focus on the OEM industry, utilizing its design and production talents to create quality products. The company enjoyed considerable success throughout the 1990s and into the new millennium. In 2001, the company formed a partnership with the prominent graphics card manufacturer NVIDIA, a move that led to the launch of Personal Cinema, the company’s first branded product. Compro Personal Cinema marked the first complete multimedia offering that integrated a direct-link TV tuner box with a high-performance graphics card. The company released its VideoMate line of PC graphics solutions in 2002 along with a complete lineup of Compro 3D cards with built-in video capability.

Compro VideoMate PCI TV tuner cards and the USB TV tuner cards were released in 2003, offering exclusive features, such as remote power on/off, power up scheduling recording and built in recording software. This innovation garnered the company industry recognition and numerous awards worldwide. The product line was extended in 2004, ranging from mainstream to premium TV cards equipped with superb image quality and new improved features. Compro made significant waves in 2005, launching a new range of digital TV products that include dPCI digital TV cards and USB digital television boxes. Since 2007, Compro’s products have been designed to support Windows Vista and are bundled with Microsoft services, such as Windows Media Center and Vista Gadget.

Compro plans to unveil a new range of video solutions in 2009, including the VideoMate IP Cam and VideoMate Network Media Center. These lines will breathe fresh air into the industry of home electronics, as the products will carry Compro’s user-friendly features and cutting-edge hardware design.

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Based in Minato, Tokyo Japan, NEC Corporation is a multi-international company that specializes in IT and network solutions geared towards the PC, business enterprise, communications, service provider and government markets. Their portfolio includes an extensive line of personal computers, servers, semiconductors, computer software and peripherals, storage devices and digital broadcasting products.

NEC services and solutions are delivered to clients in various industries ranging from aviation and automotive to banking and wholesale distribution. As a chip maker, the company is among the world’s top 20 semiconductor companies in terms of sales.

An early pioneer in telecommunications technology, NEC was originally founded in 1898 as Nippon Electric Limited Partnership. The company survived the tragic Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, despite losing 105 of its employees and engineers along with four factories and thirteen offices. It also persevered during World War II when their Mita and Tamagawa production plants were placed under military control. The company experienced considerable domestic growth in the 1950’s and expanded globally during the 1960s.

NEC computers were launched in 1970’s, around the same time it introduced the C&C concept, which saw the integration of computers and communications. In 1980, it created the world’s first digital signal processor and jumped into the semiconductor business full time the following year with the establishment of NEC Semiconductors. NEC processors and computers were a mainstay throughout the 1990s and into the 2000s. In 2002, it created the Earth Simulator Computer, highly regarded as the world’s fastest supercomputer up until 2004.

The NEC brand has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Though best known for its technological efforts, the company has also been the sponsor of numerous sports teams and actively participates in a variety of energy-efficient initiatives. NEC is said to currently be in talks with Nissan to develop lithium ion batteries for hybrid automobiles.

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Microsoft is a world renowned company that specializes in various aspects of computer technology. With its headquarters in Redmond, Washington, Microsoft is a global leader in the developing, manufacturing and marketing of various software products for computer devices.

The Microsoft brand is largely supported by wide a range of third-party vendors, giving it a huge advantage over competitors. The company is well known for its highly popular products, such as the Microsoft Windows operating system and Microsoft Office software applications. This company has been one of the most successful in the history of technology, birthing four billionaires and approximately 12,000 millionaires.

Originally founded in 1975, Microsoft started out developing and selling BASIC interpreters that were used for the Altair 8800, the microcomputer design often credited for sparking the phenomenon of personal computers. It quickly evolved to dominate the home computer market with its MS-DOS operating system in the mid 80s. This success was followed by the Microsoft Windows line of software products, a system that has become a mainstay in homes, offices and more increasingly in the network setting.

The company has a major presence in several other markets as well, provided by subsidiaries such as the MSNBC cable TV network, the multimedia Microsoft Encarta encyclopedia and the MSN Internet portal. It also sells a variety of computer hardware products and digital entertainment designs, such as MSN TV, Xbox 360 and Zune, which is hailed by many as a worthy competitor to Apple’s iPod.

Microsoft continues to be an innovator in technology, playing a significant role in the computer industry and helping to evolve internet standards. In February 2009, the company revealed plans to further strengthen its local presence by opening up a small chain of Microsoft-branded retail outlets. Considering what the company has accomplished to this point, it’s hard not to imagine this move being another successful venture.

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Based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, Fujitsu is a multi-international company that specializes in a wide range of computer hardware and consumer electronics products. Its specialties include personal computers, supercomputers, servers, semiconductors, air conditioners and telecommunications to name a few. World renown, Fujitsu has approximately 500 subsidiary companies and an estimated 160,000 employees. Throughout the years, it has been a rival of industry leading companies such as IBM and NEC.

Fujitsu has a rich history that spans more than 70 years. Founded in 1935, the company specialized solely in the telecommunications field until the dawn of the “Information Age” in the 1960’s. The first Fujitsu computers were created in 1961, leading to mass production in 1966. Its mainframe systems were mostly deployed in Japan until the launch of Fujitsu America Inc. in 1968.

The company established itself as an international entity throughout the 1970s, catering to office users with its FACOM line of computers. Fujitsu computers were right there at the advent of personal computing in the 1980s, introducing a number of units designed for home, workstation and enterprise users. It became a major player in the way of internet and networking technologies in the late 1990s, forming partnerships with names such as Intel, Siemens and Toshiba. Fujitsu steam-rolled into the new millennium, a decade that saw the introduction of its popular LifeBook series of notebooks as well as various products that catered to the emerging wireless and mobile PC markets.

Fujitsu has been at the forefront of innovation for longer than most, playing an integral part in the introduction of technologies such as HD TV, Flash and numerous solutions developed for the open-source market. While the competition has struggled in recent times, Fujitsu remains to be highly profitable, reporting consolidated revenues of an estimated $53 billion in 2008. A brand new roster of multimedia products and network solutions indicate that this company will continue to writer additional chapters in the history books.

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Headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, BenQ Corporation is a global leader in the manufacturing and marketing of various consumer electronics, computing and communications devices. Its main product line consists of desktop and notebook PCs, digital projectors, digital cameras, LCD TVs, mobile phones and computer components such as optical drives, keywords and mice. The BenQ brand is strong in more than 100 countries, enabled by offices in Asia, Europe and the Americas and a highly skilled workforce of nearly 1,400 employees.

Originally founded in 1984 as Continental Systems Inc., the company did not officially become BenQ until 2001. With more than 20 years of experience, it has been one of the most successful names in the computer hardware industry, particularly in the 2000’s.

In 2005 the company delved heavily into the mobile telecommunications market, expanding its portfolio by acquiring Siemens AG’s mobile devices division. This move made it the sixth largest company in the mobile phone industry. Out of this acquisition came BenQ Mobile, a division dedicated solely to wireless communications. Devices in this group are marketed under the BenQ-Siemens brand name. The innovative design of BenQ mobile phones and computer products has helped the company garner numerous awards over the years. As recently as 2009, it won five Red Dot Design awards as well as the coveted iF Design Award 2009. Highly regarded as one of the best performing IT companies in the world, BenQ has consistently been featured in BusinessWeek’s Infotech 100 among other publications.

Moving ahead, BenQ is focused on maintaining its position as a leading marketer of digital projectors and LCD displays. It looks to accomplish this by leveraging the best of technology and delivering a versatile line of products that offer unparalleled quality to the customer. After two successful decades in the most competitive markets, the company knows how to stay abreast of industry changes and thrive in the completive market.

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Establish in 1996, Alienware is a manufacturer of computer hardware and a wholly owned subsidiary of Dell. Its main focus is the assembly of high-end graphics cards, desktop and laptop computer components that enable high performance gaming. Aside from gaming, Alienware products also support a number of graphic-intense applications such as video editing, audio editing and simulation. Products for sale in its portfolio include desktop and laptop personal computers along with computer peripherals such as mice, keywords, displays and USB headsets.

With its headquarters located in Kendall, Florida, Alienware was founded to fill a gap in the market for high performance gaming products, a market that was virtually untouched at the time by prominent PC manufacturers such as Dell. With little competition on the high-end market, it became an OEM that sold PCs with the highest performing hardware and specifications in the industry. The company is perhaps best known for its Alienware graphics cards and popular line of gaming computers, which differentiated from the competition in terms of performance and the trademark sci-fi-like design.

Dell acquired Alienware in 2006, maintaining its autonomy in regard to design and marketing all while keeping its original line of XPS PC gaming systems. Now consolidated within Dell’s gaming division, it has since become the computer manufacturer’s premiere gaming division. As a subsidiary of Dell, the company currently specializes in various aspects of PC gaming, marketing everything from accessories to popular video game downloads.

Alienware has been a major player in the PC gaming market for more than a decade. Over the years, it has competed with companies such as AVADirect, Falcon Northwest, Velocity Micro and even Dell’s XPS gaming system. Today, the company is focused on maximizing its profits and powering the PC gaming market through high performance products and annual initiatives such as PC Gaming Season.

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