The history of the Samsung industrial group, one of the monsters of the modern global economy, began in 1938, then in a united Korea. An enterprising resident of the town of Daegu, the merchant Byong Chul Lee decided to expand his business and, together with Chinese partners, founded a rice trading company. Things were going well, the company was developing new areas of activity, the staff was growing, and in 1948 it was decided to give the company a fashionable "American" name: Samsung Trading Co. There is no unambiguous version about the origin of the word Samsung (pronounced "samson"), but the most common version that it means "three stars" in Korean. Perhaps the choice of name is related to the three sons of the company's founder, Byong Chul Lee, one of whom, Kun Hee Lee, heads the industrial group at the present time.
In 1969, the firm made a breakthrough into the advanced electronics industry practically from scratch. Together with the Japanese company Sanyo, Samsung Electronics Company “SEC” was created, which specialized in the production of semiconductors and after a few years became the property of Samsung.
A major step forward in the history of the company occurred in 1969, when she, together with the Japanese company Sanyo, opened a workshop for assembling black and white Japanese televisions in South Korea. Already in 1973, a full-fledged large-scale production of various consumer electronics was established in the city of Suwon, and the joint venture completely passed under the control of Samsung Trading Co and turned into Samsung Electronics Corporation.
Having started its activity in the consumer electronics market almost from scratch, in a few years Samsung Electronics has taken a prominent place in it. By adopting Sanyo's technology and then focusing on semiconductors, the corporation has grown over time to become one of the world's largest and best-known electronics manufacturers.
In August 1973, the corporate headquarters moved to Suwon (South Korea), and by December, the construction of a consumer electronics plant was completed. Later, the Korean company Semiconductor Co. joined the corporation, initiating the mass production of washing machines and refrigerators.
By 1978, a sales office was opened in the USA, export volumes of Samsung Electronics exceeded 100 million US dollars. In 1979, the first home video recorders were released.
In 1980, Korea Telecommunications Co. joined the corporation, which was then renamed Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co.
In 1983, the production of personal computers began (model: SPC-1000). And in 1983, a 64M DRAM chip with a memory capacity of 64 MB was released, SAMSUNG was the first to release a player capable of reading ordinary CDs, CD-ROM, VIDEO-CD, PHOTO-CD, CD-OK player. A year later, a sales office in England and a VCR plant in the USA were opened, and construction was completed. the largest plant for the production of microwave ovens (2.4 million pieces per year).
In 1986, the Korean Management Association awarded Samsung Electronics the "Best Company of the Year" award. The same year was marked by the release of the ten millionth color TV set, the opening of sales offices in Canada and Australia, research laboratories in California and Tokyo (Japan). In the fall of 1988, a representative office appeared in France, and the corporation merged with Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications Co.
By 1989, Samsung Electronics was ranked 13th in the world in terms of semiconductor products and opened factories in Thailand and Malaysia. In 1992, factories were launched in China and Czechoslovakia, and the company itself was included in Group A, according to the international credit rating. In order to improve the management structure, in December of the same year, Samsung Electronics switched to single system presidential administration.
In December 1991, the development of personal mobile telephone devices was completed.
In August 1992, the development of a mobile telephone system was completed.
The company's early logos featured three stars. But in 1993, Samsung, having considered the former logo as inconsistent with the image of an international corporation, decided to replace it. It was then that the modern emblem familiar to us saw the light - a dynamically inclined blue ellipse with the name of the company written inside. Great design and scale advertising campaign did their job: the logo has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Advertising students at top universities are now studying the Samsung logo change as an example of an exceptionally successful rebrand.
In 1994, sales reached 5 billion US dollars, and in November, the Mukoonhwa Factory branch was opened using the labor of the disabled. By 1995, exports exceeded US$10 billion, and in February, Samsung Electronics acquired a 40.25% stake in computer company AST Co. (USA).
In September 1996, Samsung Electronics products were recognized as conforming to the ISO-140001 standard.
In May 1997, the company becomes the first exporter of CDMA equipment to Shanghai (China). The company has been selected as an “Olympic Partner” in the “Manufacturers of Wireless Communication Equipment” category.
In June, personal communication devices (PCS) were shipped to Sprint Co. (USA). And in July, the world's lightest 137g CDMA cell phone was developed.
By 1998, the corporation took over the main market share of liquid crystal monitors and began mass production of digital TVs. In 1998, Samsung released a new DVD player model, where a specially developed ADAT technology allows you to view discs recorded in the NTSC system on PAL and SECAM TVs without loss of image quality. Diamond heads were introduced into them, the number of which reached six. In March, the development of the world's lightest personal telephone device (PCS, Model SPH-4100) was completed. In January 1999, Samsung Electronics received the "Best Consumer Electronics Company" award given annually by Forbes Global magazine.
Samsung Electronics is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment and digital convergence technologies. About 70 thousand people work in 87 offices of the company in 47 countries of the world. The company has four main divisions: Digital Media Network Business, Device Solution Network Business, Telecommunication Network Business and Digital Appliance Network Business.
Samsung has manufacturing enterprises in Mexico, Portugal, China, Thailand. Samsung is also the largest manufacturer of cathode ray tubes (Samsung Display Devices Co “SDD”) and has factories in Korea, Malaysia and Germany.
Together with the American company General Instruments, they developed equipment for high-definition television. Samsung is still lagging behind Japanese firms, but is developing faster than them.
Labor productivity is measured at Samsung not by the quantity of products produced, but by their quality.
The most profitable for Samsung was the production of semiconductors. Samsung has mastered the production of 64-bit microprocessors with a clock frequency of 800 MHz, which is designed for digital image and sound processing in televisions, camcorders and video recorders.
During the period 2000-2002, Samsung Electronics' position in the world ranking rose by 8 points, and the brand value increased by 30%.
Samsung Electronics knows that its future depends on its customers, so its main task is to satisfy their needs. The main idea of the corporation's business development is the ability to offer the consumer exactly the product in which he is most interested.
An equally important task for Samsung Electronics is the desire to increase the profit of shareholders. To this end, the company continues to work, seeking to expand its position in the global market as a global corporation.
Samsung Electronics sees itself as a leader in the “Revolutionary Digital Convergence Era”; our task is to turn this vision into reality by turning our company into a digital one - Digital-? Company, - this is how the essence of the philosophy of Samsung Electronics is formulated on the official website of the corporation. The company began to put this philosophy into practice in the 1990s in all areas of its activity, including the production of televisions.
Samsung Electronics is always looking for ways to change and improve the world. The company's efforts are aimed at protecting environment, support of culture and sports, development of social programs useful for the society.
Today it is difficult to find an industry in which Samsung divisions are not involved. Literally everything is produced under this brand: from microwaves and toasters to digital cameras and stereo systems, from cars to ocean-going ships and aircraft. In the domestic market of South Korea, Samsung Group is also engaged in financial transactions, insurance and security activities, as a result of which it forms more than 50% of the country's total budget. Almost half a million employees work in the corporation's representative offices around the world, and the South Korean city of Suwon, where the headquarters of Samsung Electronics is located, has long been called "Samsung City".
This time, Samsung, one of the largest manufacturers of high-tech components and telecommunications equipment, fell under the distribution. I hope you enjoy this post as well.
Of course, it would not be possible to tell about everything at once - since Samsung produces too much, including construction equipment, chemicals and foodstuffs. Here are just the main milestones - like the creation of the first mass-produced Blu-ray player, curved TVs, smart watches, android phones and bad phones.
I wonder if you remember this balloon? I was about three or four years old when, in the early 1990s, we bought either a TV or a VCR in a big blue box with this pattern. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any photos on the net.
Back in 1910, Lee Byung-chul was born. His father was big landowner, so he could afford to send his son to the University of Tokyo. After the death of his father, Lee Byung-chul uses the inheritance to start his own business - although at that time in South Korea this was not at all an easy task, since the country was a Japanese colony.
The image shows a warehouse in the city of Daegu, from which the history of Samsung began.
In 1938, the name Samsung Trading Company appeared - then it was a company exporting goods to China and Manchuria. The entrepreneur did not stop there and founded several more companies that were engaged in the production of sugar and fabric, as well as - insurance company.
Lee Byung-chul passed away in 1987.
TVs
In the 1960s, the era of black-and-white TV sets began for Samsung. The company teams up with Sanyo and launches its first black and white TV, p-3202. In 1976, the company's one millionth b/w television set was produced.Samsung-Sanyo Electronics was formed to start producing television sets, renamed Samsung Electro-Mechanics in 1975 and becoming Samsung Electronics in 1977.
In 1987, an institute was established to develop new products. As soon as international laws allowed in the 1990s, Samsung immediately began exporting TVs around the world. Together with Sony, the company was engaged in the development of liquid crystal displays. In the late 1990s, Samsung produced the largest LCD displays ever, at 30 inches.
One of the 1997 models.
In 1998, the company began producing flat screen televisions. At the beginning of this century, the company led the industry, creating the thinnest TV in 2002 and the world's first two-sided liquid crystal display in 2006. In 2005, the largest OLED panel was 21 inches, and it was produced by Samsung.
The world's first mass-produced Blu-ray player was released by Samsung in 2006. The model received the designation BD-P1000. The release of the player helped Blu-ray win the "Format War" and a couple of years later HD DVD was discontinued. Warner Brothers was the last to abandon HD DVD.
In 2007, Samsung introduced Internet TV - the ability to simultaneously watch TV shows and receive information from your Internet. A little later, Samsung Smart TV appeared.
In 2010, sales of Samsung 3D TVs began. In the first six months, more than a million copies were bought. The company became the first in the industry to have a full range of 3D home equipment: TVs, Blu-ray players, content and glasses.
The world's first curved UHD TV was unveiled by Samsung at CES 2014. TV diagonal - 105 inches, aspect ratio - 21:9. Screen resolution - 5120 x 2160 pixels. Auto Depth Enhancer technology allows you to view 3D movies without glasses. The company's line of UHD TVs now includes a dozen models. You can also play games from Electronic Arts (EA) and Gameloft on these smart TVs. The brains are a quad-core processor from Samsung.
Cell phones and smartphones
Samsung entered the telecommunications market in 1977, forming the Samsung Telecommunications division, which became part of the Samsung Group. The division was created for the production of mobile phones and other portable devices - laptops, players, as well as network equipment.10 years after the opening of the division, in 1988, the SH-100 cell phone entered the Korean market. Not only is this the first cell phone manufactured by Samsung, but it is also the first cell phone made in Korea, so the gadget is very symbolic.
SH-700 was released in 1993. It was an "ultra-light" cell phone - it weighed only one hundred grams. It was much smaller than the phones offered by other companies at the time.
In 2003, the SPH-A500 was one of the lightest, most comfortable and stylish bedchairs available.
In the same year, Samsung introduced its first phone at WIndows Mobile 2002. It was the SCH-i600. In combination, this is the first cellular company that works with 3G.
The 2004 A790 was Samsung's first CDMA and GSM compatible phone. This clamshell also has two displays, the diagonal of the internal one is 2.35 inches. By the way, it did not have a speakerphone and e-mail support.
And here is one of the first camera phones! The Samsung MM-A800 slider, which debuted in 2005, was the first cell phone with a 2-megapixel camera in the US. But he had a drawback: he did not work in 3G networks.
Slim and attractive, the U600 is a slider with a 2.2 inch display. Now the navigation button is not trapezoidal, as in previous models, but round.
Samsung BlackJack in 2003 was a dream for many. He worked in 3G and had a keyboard. In my opinion, it was an excellent business class phone at that time. Suddenly, the company was attacked by trolls from RIM - they were sure that consumers would not be able to distinguish Blackberry from Blackjack.
After 4 years, the Samsung Ultra II line appeared in Russia.
Samsung launched its first touchscreen phone in 2008. This cell phone boasted flash-3D effects, gesture control and haptic feedback. Which, however, I always turn off when I pick up a new gadget.
And here is one of the first smartphones on Android - I7500 - appeared in 2009, it was the very first Galaxy. It had a 3.2-inch AMOLED display, connected to Wi-Fi, and had a built-in GPS receiver. Thickness - only 11.9 millimeters.
In 2010, the first smartphone was released, working with the bada 1.0 operating system. It was the flagship Samsung Wave S8500. The operating system lived for only a few years, until in February 2013, Samsung announced the merger of bada with Tizen, thereby declaring the end of bada. Who owned this smartphone - what games did they play?
The Wave S8500 smartphone is worth noting for its display - SuperAMOLED was used for the first time. The Super Active Matrix Organic Light-Emitting Diode technology assumes that the touch layer is glued to the screen, which eliminates the air gap in between. Thus, these displays have higher clarity, images are better visible in the sun, colors are richer, and the display itself is thinner.
Specifications Samsung Wave S8500
Operating system: bada
CPU: Samsung Exynos 3110, 1000 MHz
Video processor: PowerVR SGX540
Display: 3.3 inch SuperAMOLED
Built-in memory: 2 GB
Memory card support: microSD (TransFlash), up to 32 GB
Camera: 5 MP, 2560x1920, built-in flash
Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G
Interfaces: WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, USB
Battery capacity: 1500 mAh
Weight: 118 g
Dimensions: 56x118x11mm
The Samsung Galaxy S was released in 2010. It was built on a 1GHz ARM "Hummingbird" processor, had a 4-inch display and a 5-megapixel camera.
In November of the same year, Eric Schmidt introduced the Nexus S, a smartphone jointly developed by Samsung and Google. The smartphone was built on the basis of the Exynos 3110 processor, which worked in conjunction with 512MB random access memory. But he didn’t have an expansion slot - he had to limit himself to the built-in 16GB. Not the best tradition.
Specifications of Google Nexus S
CPU: Cortex A8 (Hummingbird), 1000 MHz
Video accelerator: PowerVR SGX540
Memory: ROM 16 GB, RAM 512 MB
Operating system: Android 2.3
Standards: GSM 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA 900/2100
Screen: Super AMOLED, 4″, 480x800 pixels, touch, capacitive
Interfaces: USB 2.0 (microUSB), Bluetooth 2.1+EDR (A2DP), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Built-in camera: 5 MP, autofocus, widescreen, flash, geotagging
Battery, autonomy: Li-Ion, 1500 mAh, 1–2 days
Additional features: GPS (pre-installed maps), MS Exchange, synchronization with Google services
In 2011, the Galaxy S II was presented at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Thanks to this model, in the third quarter of 2011, Samsung overtook Apple in smartphone sales. The smartphone is equipped with a 4.27-inch SUPER AMOLED Plus display.
The flagships of 2012 were the Samsung Galaxy S III Apple iPhone 5 and Nokia Lumia 920. The most anticipated smartphone of 2011 from Samsung caused a lot of rumors, which in the end did not come true. But users got an excellent smartphone based on a 1.4 GHz Exynos 4412 quad-core processor, equipped with a 4.8-inch HD SuperAMOLED display, 1 GB of RAM, a 2100 mAh battery and an 8-megapixel camera. The company's Smart Stay feature allowed the front camera to recognize the user's gaze and not turn off the display if the gaze is directed at it.
In 2012, the company overtook everyone in smartphone sales.
Then there was and is the Galaxy S4, which morally will not become obsolete soon.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S4
CPU: Octa Core Octa Core (1.6GHz Quad Core + 1.2GHz Quad Core)
Display: 5 inch Full HD Super AMOLED 1920 x 1080
Operating system: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Battery: 2600 mAh
Built-in memory: 16 / 32 / 64 GB
Main camera: 13 megapixels
Front-camera: 2 megapixels
Flash: Power LED
Standard: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) HSPA+ (850/900/1 900/2 100 MHz)
Wireless network: Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
Location detection: GPS / GLONASS
Weight: 130 g
Dimensions: 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm
In April of this year, sales of the Samsung Galaxy S5, the company's new flagship, will begin. The smartphone is based on Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 quad-core 2.5 GHz.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy S5
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974 Quad Core 2.5GHz
Built-in memory: 16 GB / 32 GB
Screen: 5.1" 1920x1080 PPI 432
OS: Android 4.4
Main camera: 16 MP
Front-camera: 2 MP
RAM: 2 GB
Memory card: microSD (TransFlash) up to 128 GB
Cellular networks: GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900; UMTS - 850, 900, 1900, 2100; GPRS, EDGE, 3G, 4G
WiFi
Battery: 2800 mAh
Protection against moisture and dust: IP67
Weight: 145 g
Dimensions: 142x72.5x8.1 mm
As a nice addition, the model received a fingerprint scanner and a heart rate monitor. The Galaxy S5's 16-megapixel main camera is built using Samsung's ISOCELL technology. The essence of the technology is to create a physical barrier between neighboring pixels, which "allows a greater number of photons to accurately arrive from a particular microlens and collect in the desired photodiode with a minimum level of unwanted electrical crosstalk between pixels."
Wearable electronics
One of the pioneers in the field of "smart watches" was Samsung. In 1999, the Samsung SPH-WP10 went on sale, a wrist phone in the form factor of a watch. The project could be as revolutionary as smartphones. But at that time, for some reason, it seemed to everyone that it was stylish, but nothing more. And now, in 2014, we see that "smart watches" have become very popular.
In 2001 at CES in Las Vegas, Samsung brought a new watch-cell phone hybrid that looks much more interesting. The gadget had a monochrome display and understood voice commands after pressing the corresponding button.
Smart watches stubbornly did not want to become trends! But Samsung did not give up and again introduced a gadget of this form factor in 2009. Samsung S9110 had a touch screen.
In October, Samsung again made an attempt to capture the market for these devices by introducing the Samsung Galaxy Gear to the world.
The sequel was the Samsung Galaxy Gear 2. They no longer run on Android, but on their own Tizen operating system, thanks to which the usage time has increased to 2-3 days with normal use and up to 6 days with "little" use of functions.
The Samsung Gear Fit is positioned as the industry's first wearable device with a curved Super AMOLED display. The gadget can be used independently as a fitness tracker, or it can work in conjunction with a smartphone. The 1.84 inch display shows incoming calls, mail and messages, reminders, scheduler alerts and other applications. The straps are interchangeable - there are black, orange and mocha. Sales start next month.
Samsung Gear Fit specifications
Display: 1.84" Curved Super AMOLED 432x128 pixels
Additional functions: pedometer, exercise, heart rate monitor, sleep tracker, stopwatch, timer
Water and dust protection: IP67
Interface: Bluetooth4.0LE
Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, heart rate sensor
Battery: 210 mAh
Battery life: 3 - 4 days (normal use), up to 5 days (economical use)
Dimensions: 23.4 x 57.4 x 11.95mm
Weight: 27 grams
For those who want to develop applications for wearable electronics, Samsung has released the Tizen SDK for Wearable, available for download.
Computers, laptops and tablets
Samsung's first personal computer appeared only on Korean market in 1982 and was produced until 1986. The model received the designation SPC-1000. The computer is built on the basis of the Z80 processor, was made in Korea, although the BASIC for it was created in Japan by Hudson soft. It had 70 KB of RAM.On the left side of the case there is an ILP button that starts loading the operating system from a magnetic cassette.
Specifications Samsung SPC-1000
CPU: Z80-A 4 MHz
RAM: 64KB
Video RAM: 6KB
Persistent storage device: 32KB
Text display: 32 characters x 16 lines
Graphic arts: 128 x 192 / 256 x 192 dots
Colors: 9 (semigraphic), 4 (128 x 192 mode), 2 (256 x 192 mode)
Sound: 3 voices, 8 octaves
Dimensions: 48 x 27.5 x 9.5 cm
Media: built-in cassette player
Operating system: CP/M with connected floppy
Price: 495,000 won, about $600
Samsung's first laptop was the S5200, released in 1989 for the Korean market.
Samsung entered the global laptop market in 2003 with several lines under letter designations at once. The Samsung X-10, presented that year at CeBit, was built on an Intel Pentium M Centrino 1.3-1.7 GHz, had 512 MB of RAM, a 60 GB hard drive, a 64 MB video card, a DVD / CDRW drive and WIFI 802.11b. The laptop weighed 1.8 kg, and its thickness was 2.38 cm.
In 2005, the Samsung M70 transformer appeared. The laptop's display could be detached and attached to a stand, turning it into elegant home computer shorts.
In the states, sales of Samsung laptops began as recently as 2009. The first to go on sale was the 13-inch Samsung Q310 in two versions. The younger model was equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo T5800 2.0GHz processor and a 250 GB hard drive, the older one was equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 with 320 GB of memory.
In 2010, the Samsung Galaxy Tab line originates. The first model has a 7-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels and an ARM processor with a frequency of 1000 MHz.
Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 (GT-P6800), introduced in 2012, was the world's first tablet computer with a Super AMOLED Plus screen.
The good news for Samsung was this year's ban on Russian officials from using the iPad.
Active development of supplies food products, such as rice, sugar and dried fish, made it possible to officially register the trademark of Samsung Trading Company. The foreign (for Korea) origin of the name was the result of the far-reaching, ambitious plans of the Korean entrepreneur: by the end of the 1950s, Lee Byung was going to establish trade with the countries of the American continent. And after the US troops landed on the Korean Peninsula, the products of the plant for the production of rice vodka and beer began to be sold to representatives of the allied forces. The Korean War put an end to this business. Warehouses were looted and burned in the same way as the main factories of the company.
There is a legend that on the ruins of a burned house, Lee Byung found a hidden box with money, which he invested in his new business. It was a textile factory, a sugar factory, and later an insurance business. Lee Byung grew rich quickly despite the fact that the average per capita income in Korea in the 1960s did not exceed $80. It is worth noting that at that time even in the capital, Seoul, there was no permanent electricity, electricity was supplied for several hours a day, and there was no centralized water supply. Not surprisingly, a quick military coup toppled Lee Son Man, president and close friend of Lee Byung, who, as a wealthy businessman, was part of the inner circle of the disgraced ruler. Lee Byung-chul himself was imprisoned for bribery and close acquaintance with the deposed president.
Samsung after the Korean War
The new president of South Korea, General Park Chung Hee, began industrial and economic reforms. A program for the development of the industrial sector of the economy was developed, an increased focus on exports was supported by close relations with the United States, it was supposed to take foreign loans to purchase raw materials and modern technologies and re-use the profits for the purchase of raw materials and equipment. The Korean reformers concluded that a stable economy should be based on large concerns, but they had to be created in as soon as possible, so the most prominent businessmen in Korea were given government credits and loans. They were secured by government orders, while certain legal and tax breaks made it possible for small enterprises to grow into vast conglomerates. Among the successful entrepreneurs was Lee Byung-chul.
Thus, 30 large companies(chaebols - "money families"). Among them, in addition to Samsung, were Daewoo, Hyundai, Goldstar (LG), etc. Each "money family" had its own direction: Daewoo - car production, Goldstar - household appliances, Samsung - electronics, Hyundai - construction, etc. d.
Company reform
The merger of Sanyo and Samsung marked the beginning of one of the largest sectors of the Samsung Group - Samsung Electronics. The company managed, albeit with heavy losses, to survive the economic crisis of the 1980s. The price of the crisis is several non-core divisions, a sharp reduction in the number of subsidiaries. With the advent of Lee Gong Hee, a whole range of reforms was proposed, which included not only a complete restructuring of the company, but also a change in the very foundations of management: the company had to fully meet the conditions of the law on free trade. The proposals to change the policy towards external investors were supposed to increase the company's attractiveness for subsidies, as the conglomerate lost financial support from the state.
Until the 1980s, the shares of the companies belonging to the concern were circulated only in South Korea, while they were in rather low demand from investors. The reason is the traditionally Asian administration according to the principles of Confucianism: only representatives of the Li family were at the head of the board. The levers of influence on decision-making in the field of company management were completely absent from external investors. In addition, traditional management meant lifelong employment and career advancement based on years of service.
Marketing changes were introduced, a complete reworking of the company's mission and a change in its symbol. The first two company logos featured three red stars. But the management of Samsung, considering the former logo inappropriate for the image of an international corporation, decided to replace it. It was then that the modern emblem saw the light - a dynamically inclined blue ellipse with the name of the company written inside. Excellent design and a large-scale advertising campaign have done their job: the logo has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Advertising students at leading universities are now studying the Samsung logo change as an example of an exceptionally successful rebrand.
When developing a new emblem, it was not without oriental philosophy. According to the representatives of the company, "the elliptical shape of the logo symbolizes movement in the global space, expressing the idea of renewal and improvement." These changes continued until the 1990s. In 2015, only the name of the company, written in blue, was left.
Samsung Group financial report for 2006:
Group sales growth trends according to the company's annual reports:
General view of the profit distribution structure of the Samsung Group according to the report for 2006:
| Area of activity of the division | Subdivision name | Division sales, billion USD | % of total sales |
| Electronics industry | Samsung Electronics Samsung SDI Samsung Electro-Mechanics Samsung SDS Samsung Networks |
63,4 7,15 2,58 2,26 0,598 |
39,90 4,50 1,62 1,42 0,38 |
| Chemical industry | Samsung Total Petrochemicals Samsung Petrochemicals Samsung Fine Chemicals Samsung BP Chemicals |
3,5 1,5 0,802 0,292 |
2,20 0,94 0,50 0,18 |
| Finance and insurance | Samsung Life Insurance Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance Samsung Card Samsung Securities Samsung Investment Trust Management |
29,1 8,76 2,36 1,31 0,08 |
18,31 5,51 1,49 0,82 0,05 |
| heavy industry | Samsung Heavy Industries samsung techwin |
6,83 3,095 |
4,03 1,95 |
| other activities | Samsung Corporation Samsung Engineering Samsung Everland Samsung Cheil Industries Shilla Hotels & Resorts |
10,18 2,18 1,55 1,47 0,469 |
6,41 1,37 0,98 0,93 0,30 |
Companies belonging to the Samsung Group are engaged in electronics and microelectronics, chemical industry, construction, automotive, heavy industry, finance and credit, and insurance. The structure of the concern includes a full cycle of electronics production, from the extraction of resources, their processing and ending with finished products. Most of the divisions of the conglomerate perform subordinate functions in relation to companies directly involved in the manufacture of finished electronic products, and work exclusively for the concern or only within South Korea. This feature is clearly visible from the distribution of profits by divisions, thus, the main income of the concern comes from the electronics industry.
Electronics industry
More than 70% of the group's sales are in the electronics industry.
Companies in this division:
- Samsung Electronics
- Samsung SDI
- Samsung Electro-Mechanics
- Samsung SDS
- Samsung Networks
The electronics industry divisions of the company operate all over the world, most of the products are exported. The distribution of Samsung electronics industry business by region is as follows:
The divisions are engaged in the production of hard disks (HDD), random access memory, SRAM (including for the production of video card and processor chips), liquid crystal monitors, liquid crystal and plasma TVs, GSM, CDMA, 3G mobile phones with WiMAX support, equipment for IP -telephony, laptops, printers, MFPs, household appliances etc., the development of third and fourth generation wireless telecommunications networks, WiMAX.
Distribution of Samsung electronics industry business by technology areas:
It is worth noting the company's success in the US telecommunications market. In the third quarter of 2008, Samsung managed to take first place in sales of mobile phones, ahead of its main competitor, Motorola (Strategy Analytics), in the European market, the corporation also takes first place, displacing Nokia from it.
According to the statistics of research company DisplaySearch (Q1 2007), Samsung Electronics occupies a leading position among the leading TV brands in the global market, similarly, Samsung remains in first place in the markets of Western and Eastern Europe and the North American region separately:
One of the most important areas, as already noted, is the creation of LCD panels (monitors) and TV, this is evidenced by the ubiquity of production. Samsung Electronics monitor manufacturing plants are located in South Korea (Suwon) (), Hungary (), Malaysia (), Great Britain (1995), Mexico (), China (1998), Brazil (1998), Slovakia (2002), India (2001), Vietnam (2001), Thailand (2001), Spain (2001), Russia (2008).
The main production in the suburbs of Seoul became loaded with the manufacture of displays top quality(out of all produced by the concern), this enterprise introduced the 6 sigma control system. Here they develop new models, test, create the first series of products, and after successful implementation, they distribute the workload for the manufacture of a new product between factories around the world. This standard has been introduced at most of the concern's factories, for example, it is a corporate strategy for the operation of the Samsung SDI division.
In August 2015, Samsung launched Samsung Pay in South Korea. This tool will allow you to make payments using the brand's flagship smartphones that support data transfer via NFC.
Chemical industry
The structure of the chemical industry division includes five enterprises:
- Samsung Total Petrochemicals ( international company, joint venture with Total Group)
- Samsung Petrochemicals
- Samsung Fine Chemicals
- Samsung BP Chemicals (international company, joint venture with BP Chemicals)
The industry brings the concern about $ 5 billion a year. Samsung Total Petrochemicals is the group's largest chemical company and is a joint venture between the Samsung Group and Total Group's French energy and chemical company. The petrochemical complex consists of 15 factories located in Daesan (South Korea), which produce household chemicals, general chemicals, basic chemicals:
- paraxylene
- LPG, fuel
heavy industry
In the field of heavy industry, there are two divisions of the concern:
- Samsung Heavy Industries
- samsung techwin
The division brings about 10% of the concern's profit, as it works mainly for the domestic market of South Korea, in addition, part of the export goes to the USA and China. Among the main areas of activity of this division, it is worth noting work on security structures, the development of new types of weapons, as well as the construction oil and gas pipelines, tankers. Among the major projects are the development of the KTX2 multipurpose training aircraft, the K9 self-propelled howitzer, the creation of the world's largest liquefied gas tanker and the Xin LosAngeles container ship.
Construction
The construction is carried out by one company of the concern:
- Samsung Engineering
The industry brings the concern about $ 2 billion a year. The division is engaged in the construction of offices and factories for the Samsung Group around the world, the implementation of third-party orders is a rarity. Among the structures developed and designed by this company, it is worth noting the building of the Samsung Group head office in Seoul, the tallest building in the world - the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, the Petronas Towers in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur, Taipei 101 in Taiwan, Lakhta- center "in St. Petersburg.
Light industry
Samsung Cheil Industries, founded in 1954 as a textile manufactory, has been successfully transformed into a fashion industry leader in the South Korean market, as well as a manufacturer of chemical materials: synthetic resins (ABS, PS) and semiconductor display compounds. This company is engaged in the production of such fashionable Korean brands clothing like Bean Pole, Galaxy, Rogatis and LANSMERE.
Marketing and Advertising
Entertainment and Leisure Industry
The entertainment and leisure industry is represented in the conglomerate by two companies:
Everland Resort is located in Yongin, a suburb of Seoul. It is the largest entertainment complex in South Korea. The Shilla Hotels & Resorts is a five-star hotel chain operating in a strategic alliance with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces (India). According to various travel agencies Shilla is one of the ten best hotels in the world.
Payment system
In September 2015, Samsung launched its own payment system- Samsung Pay.
It allows you to make cashless payments using your smartphone. To realize this possibility, NFC technologies are simultaneously used (to make a payment, you need to bring your smartphone close to the terminal) and MST, which allows you to use your smartphone as a regular plastic card with a magnetic stripe. To do this, the device has an innovative induction technology capable of generating a magnetic field similar to bank card. The terminal recognizes the field as a regular card and executes the transaction.
Sponsorship and charitable activities
Sponsorship in sports
Samsung owns the Suwon Samsung Bluewings professional football team, the Samsung Lions baseball team, the Seoul Samsung Thunders basketball team, the Samsung Bichumi women's basketball team, the Samsung Bluefangs volleyball team, and the Samsung Khan pro-StarCraft team.
As part of its support for the sports movement, Samsung acts as an official sponsor of the Olympic Games, is a sponsor of the Russian Olympic team, is the title sponsor of the Chelsea football club, supports the Russian Youth Olympic Team, and also organizes the Running Festival (since 1995), the Cup of the President of Russia golf and many other sports projects.
Support for the Olympic Movement
Samsung's involvement with the Olympic Movement began in 1988 when the company became the National Sponsor of the Seoul Olympics. Since the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano in 1998, the company has joined the group of World Olympic Partners. The company is the official sponsor of:
- Summer Olympic Games in London in 2012;
- Winter Olympics 2014 in Sochi;
- 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Samsung and Chelsea Football Club
The decision to cooperate was made in order to strengthen the position of the company in the field of telecommunication technologies in the European market.
In July 2009, the company and the football club came to a new mutual agreement. The previous agreement was valid until 2010, but it was decided to prolong the contract for another three years. According to the official website of the club, the amount of the transaction was increased, but the exact figures are not known.
Sponsorship in art and literature
- Literary award "Yasnaya Polyana". Samsung acted as a co-founder of the Yasnaya Polyana award, founded in 2003. The winners of the award are the authors whose works awaken the ideals of morality and mercy in readers. The award is one of the most prestigious literary awards in Russia, designed to support writers, followers of the morality and ideals of L. Tolstoy, the ideals of humanistic prose and poetry, which express the centuries-old traditions of Russian culture.
- Big theater . Cooperation between the State Academic Bolshoi Theater and Samsung Electronics began in 1991. Thanks to this union, a large amount of modern equipment appeared within the walls of the Bolshoi Theater, the reconstruction and renovation of the halls and halls of the theater, the modernization of the technical base, and the improvement of scenery and costumes for performances became possible. From 2001 to 2001, more than $2 million was allocated for financial support by Samsung. Samsung fully finances individual projects of the Bolshoi Theater. For example, the staging of Verdi's opera Nabucco (2001), timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the great composer, or the revival of the ballet Carmen Suite (Season 230, 2005). For the latter, the famous choreographer Alberto Alonso was invited.
- Hermitage . Cooperation began in 1997 . Samsung provides logistical support to the State Hermitage.
- Center modern culture "Garage" . Samsung is a technical partner of CSK Garage.
Charity in Russia
To date, Samsung provides financial and logistical support to 32 orphanages and boarding schools in the Kaluga, Leningrad, Rostov, Samara, Omsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Sverdlovsk regions, Krasnodar and Krasnoyarsk regions.
Criticism
Financial scandals
In 2007, the former head of Samsung's attorneys, Kim Yong-chul, alleged that he was involved in bribery and perjury on behalf of corporation chairman Lee Kun-hee. Kim said that Samsung board members are training lawyers to be scapegoats in a "manufactured scenario" to protect Li, even though those board members were not involved in the case. Kim also told the media that Samsung "put him out of the game" after he refused to pay a $3.3 million bribe to a judge who heard a case in which two of the company's executives were found guilty. Kim testified that the company, under the names of almost 1,000 Samsung executives and under his own, illegally opened secret bank accounts, four accounts were opened to manage 5,000,000,000 won.
In February 2017, Samsung Group CEO Jay Lee was arrested on suspicion of involvement in a major corruption scandal. Lee is accused of bribing an official close to President Park Geun-hye to obtain a government order. Prosecutors are charging Lee with embezzlement, foreign transfer of assets, and perjury. Park Geun-hye's presidential powers were suspended as a result of an impeachment vote held on December 9, 2016 in the South Korean parliament.
Monopoly
“You can even say that the chairman of Samsung is more powerful than the president of South Korea. The Korean people consider Samsung to be invincible and above the law,” said Woo Suk-hoon, host of the popular economic online radio in the article. Washington Post under the title "In South Korea, the Republic of Samsung", published on December 9, 2012. Critics have alleged that Samsung has beaten out small businesses by limiting choice to Korean consumers, and has sometimes conspired with other giants to set prices, intimidating those who tried to find out the truth. Lee Jung-hee, the South Korean presidential candidate, said in a debate, “The government is in the hands of Samsung. Samsung rules the legal world, the press, academics and bureaucracy."
Viral Marketing
Commission on fair trade Taiwan is investigating a case of false advertising by Samsung and its Taiwanese advertising agency. The case was started after the Commission received complaints alleging that advertising agency hired students to attack Samsung Electronics competitors on internet forums. Samsung made an announcement on its Facebook page, stating that it does not interfere with any expert reporting and is stopping online marketing campaigns, ad drafting, or internet forum responses.
Notes
- Traditions East-West (Russian). Retrieved December 1, 2008. Archived from the original on February 5, 2012.
- Official website Samsung Group_Philosophy company (Russian) (unavailable link). Retrieved November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008.
- Shin Hyun Hwak. South Korea: the hard road to prosperity. // Problems of the Far East. - . - No. 5 .
- The 100 TOP Brands(English) . Retrieved November 18, 2008. Archived from the original February 5, 2012.
- Official website Samsung Group_Symbol company (Russian). Retrieved November 18, 2008. Archived from the original February 5, 2012.
- Case: Samsung 1993 (indefinite) . Archived from the original on November 19, 2012.
- KRW/USD (exchange rate at time of reporting (January 2007): 955.18/$1; KRW/EUR: 1,199.31/€1
- Samsung Group annual 2006(English) (unavailable link). Retrieved November 18, 2008. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007.
- Alexander Prokhorov. Journey to the center Samsung // "ComputerPress". - 2006. - No. 12.
- News_Bureaucrats (Russian). 2008-11-07. Retrieved December 7, 2008. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012.
- Official site Samsung Electronics(Russian). Retrieved November 18, 2008. Archived from the original February 5, 2012.
- Alexey Maksimov. Samsung: bet on production // PCWEEK. - 2003. - No. 396(30) .
- Official site Samsung SDI(English) (unavailable link). Retrieved November 18, 2008.
10.03.2012 / 160
Interesting information about the Samsung brand. Reference data about the brand Samsung.
In the 1930s, entrepreneur Lee Byeong-chol opened his rice flour business in Korea. A small warehouse in the city of Daegu is the beginning of a great story for Samsung. At that time, Korea was a colony of Japan, and it was quite difficult to engage in private business in the country. However, already in 1938, Li managed to create the first independent export channel from Korea to China and Manchuria. The active development of the supply of food products such as rice, sugar and dried fish made it possible to officially register the Samsung Trading Company trademark. The foreign (for Korea) origin of the name was the result of the far-reaching, ambitious plans of the Korean entrepreneur: by the end of the 1950s, Lee Byung was going to establish trade with the countries of the American continent. And after the US troops landed on the Korean Peninsula, the products of the plant for the production of rice vodka and beer began to be sold to representatives of the allied forces. The Korean War put an end to this business. Warehouses were looted and burned in the same way as the main factories of the company.
There is a legend that on the ruins of a burned house, Lee Byung found a hidden box with money, which he invested in his new business. It was a textile factory, a sugar factory, and later an insurance business. Lee Byung quickly grew rich despite the fact that the average per capita income in Korea in the 1960s did not exceed $80. It is worth noting that at that time even in the capital, Seoul, there was no permanent electricity, electricity was supplied for several hours a day, and there was no centralized water supply. Not surprisingly, a quick military coup toppled Syngman Rhee, president and close friend of Lee Byung, who, as a wealthy businessman, was part of the inner circle of the disgraced ruler. Lee Byungchol himself was imprisoned for bribery and close acquaintance with the deposed president.
The new president of South Korea, General Park Chung-hee, began industrial and economic reforms. A program for the development of the industrial sector of the economy was developed, an increased focus on exports was supported by close relations with the United States, it was supposed to take foreign loans, purchase raw materials and modern technologies, and re-use the profits to purchase raw materials and equipment. The Korean reformers concluded that a stable economy should be based on large concerns, but they needed to be created in the shortest possible time, so government loans and loans were provided to the most prominent businessmen in Korea. They were secured by government orders, while certain legal and tax breaks made it possible for small enterprises to grow into vast conglomerates. Among the successful entrepreneurs was Lee Byeongchul.
Thus, 30 large companies were created (chaebols - "cash families"). Among them, in addition to Samsung, were Daewoo, Hyundai, Goldstar (LG), etc. Each "money family" had its own direction: Daewoo - car production, Goldstar - household appliances, Samsung - electronics, Hyundai - construction, etc. d.
The economy of South Korea developed at a rapid pace from 6 to 14% per year. The increase in exports during this period amounted to 30%. So in 1969, when Samsung, after merging with Sanyo, began producing black-and-white TVs, only 2% of the population in Korea had them.
The merger of Sanyo and Samsung marked the beginning of one of the largest sectors of the Samsung Group - Samsung Electronics. The company managed, albeit with heavy losses, to survive the economic crisis of the 1980s. The price of the crisis is several non-core divisions, a sharp reduction in the number of subsidiaries. With the advent of Li Gong Hee, a whole range of reforms was proposed, which included not only a complete restructuring of the company, but also a change in the very foundations of management: the company had to fully comply with the conditions of the free trade law. The proposals to change the policy towards external investors were supposed to increase the company's attractiveness for subsidies, as the conglomerate lost financial support from the state.
Until the 1980s, the shares of the companies belonging to the concern were circulated only in South Korea, while they were in rather low demand from investors. The reason is the traditionally Asian administration according to the principles of Confucianism: only representatives of the Li family were at the head of the board. The levers of influence on decision-making in the field of company management were completely absent from external investors. In addition, traditional management meant lifelong employment and career advancement for years of service.
Marketing changes were introduced, a complete reworking of the company's mission and a change in its symbol. The first two company logos featured three red stars. But the management of Samsung, considering the former logo inappropriate for the image of an international corporation, decided to replace it. It was then that the modern emblem saw the light of day - a dynamically inclined blue ellipse with the name of the company written inside. Excellent design and a large-scale advertising campaign have done their job: the logo has become one of the most recognizable in the world. Advertising students at top universities are now studying the Samsung logo change as an example of an exceptionally successful rebrand.
When developing a new emblem, it was not without oriental philosophy. According to the representatives of the company, "the elliptical shape of the logo symbolizes movement in the global space, expressing the idea of renewal and improvement." These changes continued until the 1990s.
In 1983, the production of personal computers was opened.
In 1991-1992, the development of the first production of personal mobile devices and mobile telephony was completed.
Finally, in 1999, the Forbes Global Consumer Electronics Award went to Samsung Electronics.
One of the most important areas is the creation of LCD panels (monitors) and TV, this is evidenced by the ubiquity of production. Samsung Electronics monitor manufacturing plants are located in South Korea (Suwon) (1981), Hungary (1990), Malaysia (1995), Great Britain (1995), Mexico (1998), China (1998), Brazil (1998), Slovakia ( 2002), India (2001), Vietnam (2001), Thailand (2001), Spain (2001).
In 2008, a TV production plant was opened in Russia (Kaluga region), the company assembles LCD and plasma TVs. The plant has a workshop for the production of plastic parts of the body of the product, but the line is not fully loaded and the main part of the devices is assembled from imported parts (mainly made in China) (November 2008).
The main production in the suburbs of Seoul became loaded with the manufacture of the highest quality displays (of all those produced by the concern), a 6 sigma control system was introduced at this enterprise. Here they develop new models, test, create the first series of products, and after successful implementation, they distribute the workload for the manufacture of a new product between factories around the world. This standard has been introduced at most of the concern's factories, for example, it is a corporate strategy for the operation of the Samsung SDI division.
Most users are interested in which country Samsung is made in. The main highlight of the method, which will be described in detail below, is that any user will be able to check the country of origin of any Android smartphone, not just a Samsung Android smartphone.
Samsung started its first production in India by opening its first factory in Noida, Uttar Pradesh near New Delhi in 1997. This state-of-the-art complex is today the home base of the electronics giant. Here are produced Cell phones, refrigerators and LED TVs. The Noida site is considered the leader among all Samsung subsidiaries in terms of maximizing productivity.
To help produce its products better and faster in the southern part of the country, Samsung opened a second manufacturing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu in November 2007. Today, the Sriperumbudur facility manufactures LED TVs, washing machines, refrigerators and split air conditioners.
IMEI display on screen
To determine the manufacturer, we first need to figure out how to display the IMEI number of your smartphone. This is a unique identifier for any gadget that cannot be spoofed or faked.
To display these numbers on the screen, dial *#06#. Next, you will see one or two IMEI numbers, depending on how many SIM card slots are installed in the smartphone. In addition, the unique serial number of the Samsung smartphone will also be displayed.
You can also view the IMEI number and serial number if your phone model is equipped with a removable battery. To do this, the device must be turned off, the battery removed, and there will be a sticker with these Samsung data in its compartment.
Which country is the manufacturer of this or that smartphone? This question worries a large number of users. And no wonder. After all, many may not know at all that the country manufacturer Samsung may differ. So, it was previously believed that all smartphones of this brand are assembled in China, but this is not true.
What do IMEI symbols mean
After you have displayed the IMEI information on the screen, you need to figure out what it means. On the smartphone screen, the information will look something like this: Samsung ww70k62108wd ua. The country of origin is not displayed in open form.
By the way, Samsung management claims that the quality of their products is consistently high, regardless of which country produces it.
Returning to the decoding of IMEI, the user will be interested in his 7th and 8th character. It is they that contain information about the country of origin of this particular Galaxy smartphone.
Breakdown by country
Below are all the available codes that explain in which country a particular gadget was made:
- The numbers 05 or 50 indicate that the Galaxy smartphone is made in Brazil or the United States.
- The number 08 or 80 means your Galaxy was made in Germany.
- The numbers 00 indicate that it is made in the country where it was purchased.
- The numbers 01 or 10 mean the Galaxy is made in Finland.
- Numbers 02 or 20 show that it is assembled in the UAE or India.
- The numbers 03 or 30 means your phone is made in China.
- The numbers 04 or 40 also indicate that the gadget was assembled in China.
- The numbers 06 or 60 indicate that the Galaxy smartphone was manufactured in Hong Kong, China or Mexico.
- The number 13 shows that it was produced in Azerbaijan.
Again, the country of manufacture of Samsung does not affect the quality of a particular device. Rather, it is the personal preference of users. But, according to numerous surveys, it becomes obvious that users still prefer to look for smartphones made in India.
If the IMEI line in place of the 6th and 7th characters contains numbers not from the list above, then the smartphone was manufactured in Vietnam at a partner factory. Unfortunately, this is not the best the best choice, since the device may use some components of the partner factory, and not from Samsung.
Alternative Method
If you do not want to find out the country of manufacture of Samsung by the IMEI code, then this can be done using a third-party software. For example, you can install Phone Info Samsung on your smartphone. It will display information about which country is the manufacturer of Samsung on the main screen.
The named application has a very simple interface. It simply displays all the information it can extract from the device. This includes how to find out the country of manufacture of the Samsung phone. At the top of this list there is a section " general information" containing information about the country of origin of the device, the date of manufacture, as well as the state of the Knox counter.
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