KONICA MINOLTA

About Konica Minolta

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History

About Konica Minolta

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1873 Rokusaburo Sugiura began selling photographic and lithographic materials at Konishiya Rokubeiten in Kojimachi, Tokyo (the startup of the business of Konica Corporation).
1903 Released "Cherry Hand Camera," Japan's first brand name camera.
1928 Kazuo Tashima established Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shoten (Japan-Germany photo company; the precursor of Minolta Co., Ltd.) and launched production of cameras in Japan.
1929 Released made-in-Japan camera "Nifcalette."
1936 Konishiroku Honten (the precursor of Konica Corporation) is registered as a public corporation.
1940 Released the first made-in-Japan color film "Sakura Natural Color Film."
1956 Established the first American subsidiary in Philadelphia, USA.
1957 Completed the Company's first planetarium unit.
1960 Completed the Company's first copier "Minolta Copymaster."
1962 Established the first European subsidiary in Hamburg, Germany.
1971 Released high-performance photostatic plain paper copier "U-Bix480."
1973 Launched the operation of the Sakura driver's license printing system nationwide.
1975 Released the world's first 35mm camera with built-in flash and AE functions "C35EF."
1977 Released the world's first 35mm compact autofocus camera "C35AF."
Released world's first finger measurement type pulse oximeter "OXIMET MET-1471."
1983 Released the world's first copier with zoom magnification/reduction function "EP450Z."
1984 Developed an ultra-high-precision aspheric plastic lens for CD players.
1985 Released SLR camera with autofocus function "7000."
1987 Released simple color-proofing system "Konsensus."
1989 Released medical digital imaging output system "Laser Imager Li-10."
1990 Released monochrome laser printer "SP101"; entered LBP market on a full scale.
Released digital full-color copier "CF70."
2000 Fully launched business for TAC films for LCD polarizers.
Established Konica Minolta Supplies Manufacturing Co., Ltd., a joint venture for the production of polymerized toners.
2003 Established a holding company Konica Minolta Holdings, Inc., by integrating the management of Konica Corporation and Minolta Co., Ltd.
2004 Adopted "bizhub" as its new brand for office equipment.
Opened its own planetarium Sunshine Starlight Dome "Manten" in Tokyo, Japan.
Released next-generation textile inkjet printer "Nassenger V."
Released non-contact 3D digitizer for industrial "VIVID 9i/VI-9i."
2005 Released the world's first mammography to use phase contrast technology "PCM System."
2006 Released high-speed digital color MFP for the production print "bizhub PRO C6500."
2007 Withdrawal of photo and camera business.
Opened the first "Digital Imaging Square," a presentation space oriented toward the production print market.
2010 Adopted "bizhub PRESS" as its new product brand for production print segment.
2011 Released wireless DR system "AeroDR".
Released the world's first Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) lighting panels using all phosphorescent materials.
2012 Opened the Konica Minolta Planetarium "Tenku" at the TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN®.
2013 Reorganized the group management system and changed the company's name to Konica Minolta, Inc.

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