List of defunct hard disk manufacturers


At least 218 companies have manufactured hard disk drives since 1956. Most of that industry has vanished through bankruptcy or mergers and acquisitions. None of the first several entrants continue in the industry today. Only three manufacturers have survived—Seagate, Toshiba and Western Digital —all of which grew at least in part through mergers and acquisitions.

Manufacturers

The following is a partial list of defunct hard disk manufacturers. There are currently manufacturers in this incomplete list.
NameCountry of originYear of market entryYear of market exitFateNotesReferences
3MUnited States19811983HDD assets sold to Disc Tech One
Alps ElectricJapan2008HDD assets sold to TDK
AmcodyneUnited States19831986Acquired by Century Data Systems
AmpexUnited States1970
Anelex CorporationUnited States19641967Acquired by Mohawk Data Sciences
Areal TechnologyUnited States19871999Acquired by Tomen Electronics and Sanyo in 1993, dissolved in 1998Manufactured the first HDDs employing glass as the substrate for their platters
Atasi CorporationUnited States19821987Acquired by Tandon then Western Digital in 1987Considered a pioneer in the industry but had financial struggles throughout its lifetime
Aura AssociatesUnited States1992
Avatar SystemsUnited States19911998Bankruptcy
BASFGermany19701982HDD assets sold to Kennedy Company
Brand TechnologiesUnited States1986
Bryant Computer ProductsUnited States19591972DissolutionRenamed to XLO Computer Products in 1972
Bull PeripheralUnited States19841989Acquired by Seagate TechnologyAmerican subsidiary of CII-Honeywell-Bull
BurroughsUnited States1964
C. ItohJapan1985
Castlewood SystemsUnited States19992004Bankruptcy
Caelus MemoriesUnited States19671969Acquired by Electronic Memories & Magnetics
CalcompUnited States19721979HDD assets sold to Xerox
Calluna TechnologyScotland19922001Dissolution
Cardiff PeripheralsUnited States1987
Century Data SystemsUnited States19681972Acquired by CalComp in 1972; later sold to Xerox in 1979
CII-Honeywell-BullFrance19751989HDD business acquired by Seagate TechnologyResold drives through partnership with Magnetic Peripherals; CII-Honeywell-Bull was itself a joint venture between Compagnie Internationale d'Informatique, Honeywell, and Groupe Bull
Cogito SystemsUnited States19831985Dissolution
ComportUnited States19881991Dissolution
Computer Memories, Inc.United States19791986Exited the HDD business
Computer Memory DevicesUnited States19691971Dissolution
Conner PeripheralsUnited States19851996Acquired by Seagate Technology
CorniceUnited States20002007Dissolution
Data DiscUnited States19621977Acquired by Datapoint
Data GeneralUnited States19761989
DatapointUnited States19771984HDD assets sold to Xebec Corporation
DataproductsUnited States1962Exited the HDD business
Data Recording InstrumentUnited Kingdom19701988Acquired by FKIFirst company to manufacture HDDs in Europe
Data-Tech MemoriesUnited States19861989Dissolution
Diablo SystemsUnited States19691972Acquired by Xerox
Digital Equipment CorporationUnited States19691993Exited the HDD business
Disc Tech OneUnited States19831984Acquired by Life Tech Industries
DisctronUnited States19821983DissolutionSpin-off of Computer & Communications Technology
DMA SystemsUnited States19811985Dissolution
DZU ADBulgaria19681999DissolutionOriginally a state-owned entity, later converted to private company; HDD assets dispersed between 1997 and 1999
Ecol. 2United States19901993DissolutionNever produced any drives beyond prototypes
Electronic Memories & MagneticsUnited States19691985Acquired by Titan Systems
EmulexUnited States19791992HDD assets spun off as QLogic
EpsonJapan19851987Left the HDD business
EspertSouth Korea1990Dissolution
ExcelStor TechnologyChina20002008Dissolution
Fuji ElectricJapan19852011Exited the HDD business
FujitsuJapan19632009HDD assets sold to Toshiba
General ElectricUnited States19621970HDD assets sold to Honeywell
GS MagicstorChina2003Dissolution
Hewlett-PackardUnited States19791996Exited the HDD businessManufactured the first 1.3-inch HDDs
HGSTUnited States20032018Acquired by Western DigitalHitachi's HDD business after acquiring IBM's HDD assets
HitachiUnited States19672018HDD assets sold to Western Digital
Hokushin Electric WorksJapan1980
HyosungSouth Korea
IBMUnited States19562003HDD assets sold to HitachiInventors of the HDD; HDD assets briefly spun off to AdStar between 1992 and 1995
Imprimis (CDC)United States19751989Acquired by Seagate TechnologyJoint venture between Control Data and CII-Honeywell-Bull; Internally known as Magnetic Peripherals, Inc
Information Storage SystemsUnited States19691973Acquired by Itel Corporation; later sold to Sperry Univac
Intégral PeripheralsUnited States19901998Acquired by H&Q Asia PacificManufactured the first 1.8-inch HDDs
International MemoriesUnited States19771984Merged with Onyx Systems to become Dorado Micro Systems, later Onyx-IMI; left the HDD business in 1984; HDD business sold to Fujhin Electronic Computer Co. in 1985
IomecUnited States19691975Acquired by Data 100
IomegaUnited States19952008Acquired by EMC Corporation
(Bulgaria19621991DissolutionState-owned entity
Josephine County TechnologyUnited States19841986Dissolution
JT StorageUnited States19941999Dissolution
JVCJapan1986
KalokUnited States19871994Acquired by JT Storage
KennedyUnited States19771988Dissolution
KyoceraJapan19841991Exited the HDD business
LaPine TechnologiesUnited States19841987Bankruptcy
LibrascopeUnited States19611968Acquired by Singer Corporation
Marshall LaboratoriesUnited States19681969Dissolution
MatsushitaJapan19892000 ca.Exited the HDD businessOriginally as a licensee of Quantum
MaxtorUnited States19822006Acquired by Seagate Technology
MemorexUnited States19681981Acquired by Burroughs Corporation; HDD assets later sold to ToshibaManufactured the first HDD subsystems that were plug-compatible with IBM's
Microcomputer MemoriesUnited States19831986Bankruptcy
MicropolisUnited States19861996HDD assets sold to Singapore Technology
Microscience InternationalUnited States19821993Bankruptcy
MiniScribeUnited States19801990Acquired by Maxtor
MiniStor PeripheralsUnited States19911995BankruptcyManufactured the first PC Card HDDs
MitsubishiJapan19682002HDD assets sold to Showa Denko
Mitsumi ElectricJapan
NCRUnited States1964
NECJapan19652002Exited the HDD business
Newbury DataUnited Kingdom19841988Acquired by FKI
Nippon Electric IndustryJapan1983
Nippon PeripheralsJapan19711986Dissolution
NomaïFrance19921998Acquired by Iomega
Ohio ScientificUnited States19801980Acquired by M/A-COM
OkidataJapan19731980HDD business acquired by Ohio Scientific
Olivetti OPEItaly1981Left the HDD business
Orca TechnologyUnited States19901992Bankruptcy; HDD assets sold to Samsung Electronics in 1995
OtariJapan1985Exited the HDD business
Pertec ComputerUnited States19711987Acquired by Triumph-Adler
PhilipsNetherlands
Plus DevelopmentUnited States19831993DissolutionInventors of the hardcard
Potter InstrumentUnited States19681975Bankruptcy
PrairieTekUnited States19851991BankruptcyManufactured the first 2.5-inch HDDs
PriamUnited States19781991HDD assets sold to Prima International
Peripheral TechnologyUnited States19851990Dissolution
QuantumUnited States19802000HDD assets sold to Maxtor
RicohJapan1985Exited the HDD business
RodimeScotland19791991Exited the HDD businessManufactured the first 3.5-inch HDDs
Rotating Memory SystemsUnited States19811982Acquired by Computer & Communications Technology
SAGEMFranceExited the HDD business
Samsung ElectronicsSouth Korea19882011HDD assets sold to Seagate Technology
SequelUnited States19891991BankruptcySpin-off of Memorex's HDD business after the latter was acquired by Unisys
Shugart AssociatesUnited States19791985Acquired by Xerox in 1977; assets liquidated in 1985
SiemensGermany
Storage Technology CorporationUnited States19692005Acquired by Sun Microsystems
SyQuest TechnologyUnited States19821999HDD assets sold to Iomega
TandonUnited States19811988HDD assets sold to Western Digital
TEACJapan
Texas InstrumentsUnited States1981Exited the HDD businessFirst company to second-source Seagate's ST-506, the first 5.25-inch HDD
TokicoJapan
TulinUnited States19821991Dissolution
Vertex PeripheralsUnited States19821985Acquired by Priam Corporation
XebecUnited States1974Originally named Microcomputer Systems Corporation; 1410 SCSI controller formed the basis of IBM PC's hard disk controller
YE-DataJapan1995Exited the HDD business