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History of Fujitsu 1980-1991
A Decade of Personalization (1980-1991)
Nowadays, when we think of computers, the first thing that comes to most people's minds is the personal computer. When people originally talked about computers, they usually meant mainframes and other large computers designed for business use. Fujitsu's original focus was also on these large business computers. Things changed, however, with the advent of Microsoft's Windows operating system.
1980
Historical Events
Fujitsu Milestones
- Becomes largest computer company in Japan
- Opens Iwate Plant (merges memory chip mass production line from Aizu Plant)
- Fujitsu Laboratories succeeds in development of High Electron Mobility Transistor (HEMT)
- Introduces Japanese word processor, OASYS100
OASYS 100
Thumb Shift Keyboard
HEMT
1981
Historical Events
- Number of telephone subscribers exceeds 40 million in Japan
Fujitsu Milestones
- Opens San Diego Plant in California, U.S.A., and begins local production of semiconductors
- Lists stock on London Stock Exchange
- Receives orders from Singapore for world's first fully digital electronic switching system, the FETEX-150
- Delivers Fujitsu's first optical submarine repeater to Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation
- Introduces Fujitsu's first personal computer, FM-8
- Introduces Fujitsu's first business-use personal computer, FACOM9450
Digital Switching System FETEX-150
FACOM M-380 Model Group
FM-8
FACOM 9450
1982
Historical Events
Fujitsu Milestones
- MCI project (135 Mbps fiber optical system) is opened to traffic
D70-type Digital Electronic Switching System
My OASYS
1983
Historical Events
Fujitsu Milestones
- Lists stock on the Zurich, Basel, and Geneva stock exchanges (merged now as the SWX Swiss Exchange)
- Introduces world's first CMOS 256 KB EPROM
FACOM9450-II
1984
Historical Events
- Deregulation of Japanese telecommunication market
- U.S. based AT&T is split up
Fujitsu Milestones
- Opens Dallas Plant in U.S.
- Opens Mie Plant for prototype development and mass production of large-density memories and large-scale gate arrays
- Opens Wakamatsu Plant for prototype development and mass production of customized LSI products
- Introduces Corporate Information Network System (COINS)
- Starts car phone production
- FACOM K series leads small business computer market in Japan
Car Phone
1985
Historical Events
- Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Public Corporation privatized
- Science World Expo, Tsukuba '85 in Japan
- Japan longitudinal fiber-optic system completed
Fujitsu Milestones
- Exhibits at Science World Expo, Tsukuba"FUJITSU Pavilion"
- Delivers 405M optical transmission system for New York-to-Washington MAFOS project
- Launches FENICS Value Added Network (VAN) service
Tsukuba "FUJITSU Pavilion"
810M Optical Transmission System
FACOM M-780 Model Group
1M-bit DRAM
1988
Historical Events
- Seoul Olympics
Fujitsu Milestones
- Launches world's first commercial ISDN service, running on Fujitsu FETEX-150 digital switching system in Singapore
1989
Historical Events
- Berlin Wall falls in Germany
Fujitsu Milestones
- Adopts new corporate logo
- Unveils FM TOWNS 32-bit"hyper-media" personal computer
New Synchronous Optical Transmission System
FM TOWNS
1990
Historical Events
- Iraqi troops invade Kuwait
- German reunification
Fujitsu Milestones
- Takes 80% stake in UK-based International Computers Limited (ICL)
- Releases M-1800, the world's fastest ultra-large general-purpose computer
FUJITSU M-1800 Model Group
1991
Historical Events
- Outbreak of the Gulf War
Fujitsu Milestones
- Launches DS/90 7000 Series UNIX computer
FLM150ADM Optical Ring Transmission System
Related Topics
Product milestones
Fujitsu has inspired many of the enabling breakthroughs in information and communication technologies over the last century or so. Here you can find out more about the major product and development milestones that shaped company history.
