Hercules Computer Technology
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer peripherals, Graphics cards |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Van Suwannukul, Kevin Jenkins |
| Defunct | 1998 |
| Fate | Acquired by Guillemot Corporation |
| Successor | Hercules (brand under Guillemot Corporation) |
| Headquarters | Hercules, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Claude Guillemot (President of Guillemot Corporation) |
| Products | Graphics cards, computer peripherals (audio interfaces, speakers, webcams, networking devices) |
| Owner | Guillemot Corporation (since 1998) |
| Parent | Guillemot Corporation |
| Website | www |
Hercules Computer Technology, Inc. was established in 1982 by Van Suwannukul and Kevin Jenkins as a manufacturer of computer peripherals, with its headquarters located in Hercules, California. During the 1980s, the company emerged as a prominent producer of graphics cards, gaining recognition primarily for its Monochrome Display Adapter-compatible Hercules Graphics Card (HGC) and the enhanced HGC+ model. These products set a widely accepted graphics standard that persisted well into the 1990s.
The HGC incorporated a Centronics-compatible parallel printer interface, emulating IBM’s Monochrome Display and Printer Adapter functionality. Hercules also developed graphics cards compatible with the Color Graphics Adapter standard and made efforts to rival the Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA) through its less successful Hercules InColor Card. After InColor's underwhelming market performance, Hercules transitioned from creating proprietary graphics cores to utilizing chipsets supplied by external manufacturers.
Throughout the 1990s, Hercules experienced a decline in market share due to increasing competition from companies such as Tseng Labs, S3 Graphics, 3Dfx, nVidia, and ATI Technologies. Nevertheless, by 1998, Hercules still achieved approximately $20 million in graphics card sales. A planned takeover by German graphics card producer ELSA Technology did not materialize because of unresolved negotiations. Eventually, in 1998, Guillemot Corporation acquired Hercules.
Brand acquisition by Guillemot
The French-Canadian company Guillemot Corporation purchased the Hercules brand for $1.8 million. By 2000, Hercules was repurposed as the brand for Guillemot's 3D Prophet line of graphics cards, initially featuring nVIDIA chipsets before switching to ATI Technologies products in 2002.
In the same year, Guillemot introduced the Game Theater XP sound card under the Hercules name, establishing it as the company’s computer peripherals label. By 2004, Guillemot had discontinued manufacturing graphics cards. Within the organization, Hercules focuses on designing and marketing computer peripherals such as audio interfaces, speakers, webcams, and networking devices, while gaming peripherals are developed under the Thrustmaster brand.
By 2010, the Hercules product portfolio included computer speakers, DJ controllers, webcams, and wireless networking equipment. That year, Hercules reported revenues of €40.9 million (equivalent to US$56.5 million).
Organization
- Headquarters: France (President: Claude Guillemot)
- Research and Development: Canada, France, Hong Kong, Romania
- Sales Operations: Guillemot branches across Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, UK, USA
- Distribution: Through distributors supplying retail outlets
- Technical Support: Managed by Guillemot’s customer service team
Products
- Computer DJing: DJ Console series (controllers integrated with audio interfaces) and DJ Control series (controllers without built-in audio)
- Netbooks: eCafe models ec-800, 900, 1000W, and 1010W
- Speakers: XPS lineup (including Stereo, 2.1-channel, iPod-compatible models, and 5.1-channel systems)
- Webcams: DualPix series (Classic, Infinite, Exchange, Emotion variants)
- Networking: Wireless (WiFi) adapters and ePlug PowerLine adapters
Former products: Graphics cards
- Based on Hercules technology: Hercules Graphics Card (HGC), HGC+ featuring RAMFONT support, InColor Card, Network Card Plus, Color Card
- Using Tseng Labs chipsets: Dynamite Pro
- Utilizing Rendition technology: Thriller 3D
- ARK Logic chipset-based: Stingray 64
- Employing 3dfx technology: Stingray 128/3D
- S3 Graphics chipset-driven: Terminator Professional series
- Intel chipset-based: Terminator 2x/i (i740)
- nVidia chipset-based (pre-1999): Dynamite TNT series; post-2000 models included Maxi Gamer Phoenix & Xentor TNT variants along with the 3D Prophet series
- ATI chipset-based: 3D Prophet series ranging from 7000 to 9700 models
- PowerVR/ST Kyro chipset-based: 3D Prophet range from 4000 to 4500 series
Discontinued Products: Audio Cards
- DIGIFIRE 7.1
- Guillemot Maxi Sound Muse
- Hercules Gamesurround Muse Pocket USB
- Hercules Game Theater XP 6.1, 7.1
- Hercules Gamesurround Muse XL
- Hercules Gamesurround Muse LT
- Hercules Gamesurround Muse 5.1 DVD
- Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo II Digital Edition
- Hercules Gamesurround Fortissimo III 7.1
External links
- Articles with short description
- American companies founded in 1982
- American companies closed in 1998
- Companies headquartered in Fremont, California
- Computer companies founded in 1982
- Computer companies closed in 1998
- Defunct computer firms based in California
- Defunct U.S. computer companies
- Obsolete computer hardware manufacturers
- Former manufacturing companies in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Graphics hardware manufacturers
- Sound card manufacturers
- Technology firms located in the San Francisco Bay Area
- 1982 California establishments
- American companies established in 1982
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- Companies of the United States by year of establishment