Tecmar
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder | Martin Alpert, Carolyn Alpert |
| Fate | Acquired by Rexon (1986), later sold to Legacy Storage Systems (1995), purchased by TTI Holdings (1998), acquired by Overland Data (2000) |
| Headquarters | Solon, Ohio , United States |
| Products | Enhancement hardware for personal computers, data acquisition boards, tape drives, magnetic tape data storage products |
Number of employees | 600 (1985) |
| Parent | Overland Data (from 2000) |
Tecmar Inc. was a U.S.-based producer of enhancement hardware for personal computers, headquartered in Solon, Ohio. Established in 1974 by Martin Alpert, M.D., and Carolyn Alpert, the firm originally specialized in computerized medical devices before shifting focus to data acquisition boards designed for early microcomputer systems. Among its prominent offerings were the Scientific Solutions LabMaster series compatible with S-100 and Apple platforms.
Scientific Solutions
At the 1981 COMDEX event, Tecmar introduced a lineup of 20 expansion cards tailored for the newly launched IBM Personal Computer (IBM PC). Drawing on its expertise with Intel 8086 microprocessors, Tecmar swiftly developed a range of peripherals that garnered recognition from IBM. This product range featured the Scientific Solutions LabMaster and LabTender, along with IEEE-488, BaseBoard, TimeMaster, GraphicsMaster, memory expansion cards, external hard disk drives, and tape drive units.
In 1985, Tecmar created Scientific Solutions Inc. as a dedicated entity to design and market its data acquisition product line. The company’s early achievements were encapsulated by its slogan: Scientific Solutions First in PC Data Acquisition.
Since 1995, Scientific Solutions has operated as an independent entity and continues to be active .
Repositioning as a tape brand
By 1985, Tecmar had grown to employ approximately 600 staff members and was manufacturing around 100 peripherals for Apple and IBM computers. Its tape drive products were distributed via IBM Product Centers, offering a significant market edge. The following year, in 1986, technology holding firm Rexon acquired Tecmar. Founder Marty Alpert briefly stayed on the board before founding Cumulus Corporation, which focused on expansion cards for the IBM PS/2. While Scientific Solutions maintained its focus on scientific and multimedia devices, Tecmar concentrated on data storage solutions.
In 1991, Rexon broadened Tecmar’s portfolio by acquiring tape drive companies WangTek and WangDAT. Facing financial difficulties in 1995, Rexon sold Tecmar to Legacy Storage Systems, whereas Scientific Solutions continued independently with its data acquisition specialization.
Tecmar was purchased in 1998 by TTI Holdings based in Longmont, Colorado, repositioning the brand as a full-spectrum provider of magnetic tape data storage products. This direction was further solidified in 1999 when Tecmar acquired Iomega’s Ditto line. At that period, Tecmar offered various magnetic tape formats including DAT, QIC, Travan, and Ditto technologies. Recognizing the synergy with its product lineup, Overland Data acquired Tecmar in 2000 to expand its high-end tape storage offerings.
As of 2007, Tecmar exists as an inactive corporation under Overland’s ownership.