Verbatim (brand)
| Company type | Brand |
|---|---|
| Industry | Storage media, Flash memory devices |
| Predecessor | Information Terminals Corporation |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Founder | Reid Anderson |
| Fate | Acquired by CMC Magnetics Corporation in 2019 |
| Headquarters | Mountain View, California , United States |
| Products | Solid-state drives (SSDs), Floppy disks, Magnetic tapes, MultiMediaCards, SD cards, CompactFlash cards, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-RAM, BD-R, BD-RE, HD-DVD-R, M-Disc, USB flash drives, LED light bulbs, Gaming accessories (computer mouse and keyboards) |
| Owner | CMC Magnetics Corporation |
Verbatim is a brand specializing in storage media and flash memory devices, currently under the ownership of CMC Magnetics Corporation, a Taiwanese producer of optical discs. Previously a division of Mitsubishi Chemical, Verbatim's worldwide operations and assets were acquired by CMC Magnetics in 2019 for roughly $32 million USD.
Initially established as an American enterprise famous for floppy disk manufacturing during the 1970s and 1980s, Verbatim has since become well-known for its recordable optical media offerings.
History
Founded in 1969 in Mountain View, California as Information Terminals Corporation by Reid Anderson, the company quickly rose to prominence as a leading floppy disk producer by the late 1970s and was subsequently renamed Verbatim. In 1982, it entered into a joint venture with the Japanese Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation (now part of Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation) called Kasei Verbatim, focused on floppy disk production.
After encountering difficulties throughout the 1980s, Verbatim was purchased by Eastman Kodak in 1985 while continuing its collaboration with Mitsubishi Kasei. In March 1990, Mitsubishi Kasei completed the full acquisition of Verbatim following eight years of partnership. During the 1990s, under Japanese management, Verbatim introduced numerous new products and experienced considerable expansion. The merger of Mitsubishi Kasei and Mitsubishi Petrochemical in October 1994 formed Mitsubishi Chemical, which absorbed the original American company but preserved the Verbatim brand identity.
Mitsubishi Kagaku Media also distributed products under the Freecom label, a German-origin company acquired by Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings in September 2009.
Between 1994 and 2010, products were marketed under the Mitsubishi name in Japan before the Verbatim brand was reinstated as the primary identifier.
Key dates
- 1969: Information Terminals Corporation (ITC), the precursor to Verbatim, is established in Mountain View, California.
- 1976: ITC commences production of magnetic tape for cassette and floppy disk media.
- 1978: ITC undergoes rebranding to become Verbatim.
- 1979: Verbatim becomes publicly traded; sales reach $36 million.
- 1985: Eastman Kodak acquires Verbatim for $174 million.
- 1990: Mitsubishi Kasei Corporation completes acquisition of Verbatim.
- 1992: Carlisle Memory Products is acquired.
- 1994: Mitsubishi Kasei and Mitsubishi Petrochemical merge to create Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation; Verbatim becomes a subsidiary named Mitsubishi Kagaku Media (MKM). The brand is replaced by Mitsubishi within Japan.
- 1994: Establishment of a joint venture with Sanyo Laser Products.
- 1995: Acquisitions of Laser Technologies and Ecotone take place.
- 2005: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation merges with Mitsubishi Pharma to form Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation.
- 2007: SmartDisk is acquired.
- 2009: Freecom is acquired; after a 15-year hiatus, the Verbatim brand returns to Japan.
- 2010: Mitsubishi Kagaku Media unifies all recordable disc products under the Verbatim brand within Japan.
- 2019: Agreement finalized for acquisition by CMC.
- 2020: CMC completes purchase of Verbatim/Mitsubishi Kagaku Media.
Notable info about historical products
- Introduced the first digital-quality tape cassettes in 1969.
- Rolled out 8-inch floppy disks in 1974.
- Debuted the world’s inaugural 3.5-inch magneto-optical disk in 1991.
- Entered the optical disc sector with CD-R media in 1993.
- Released the pioneering CD-RW media worldwide in 1997.
- Unveiled the first DVD+R media globally in 2001.
- Launched 8.5 GB DVD+R DL discs in 2004, followed by DVD-R DL discs in 2005.
- Broadened its product portfolio to feature LED lighting solutions in 2010.
Current and former product lines
- Solid-state drives (SSDs)
- Floppy disks
- Magnetic tapes
- MultiMediaCards
- SD cards
- CompactFlash cards
- CD-R, Digital Vinyl CD-R, CD-RW
- DVD-R, DVD-RW, DVD-R DL, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD+R DL, DVD-RAM
- BD-R, BD-RE
- HD-DVD-R
- M-Disc
- USB flash drives
- SIPRELAY Operators
- LED light bulbs
- Gaming Accessories, including Computer mouse and Keyboards
Manufacturing and distribution
Beginning in 1979, Verbatim’s floppy disks were manufactured in Limerick, Ireland (initially under MC Infonics, later acquired by CMC Magnetics). By 2006, while under Mitsubishi ownership, production was divided between Verbatim and Mitsubishi facilities located in Singapore and Japan, complemented by licensed manufacturing agreements with companies based in Taiwan and India.
Additionally, Verbatim marketed rebranded products sourced from factories across Japan, Taiwan, China, Malaysia, and India. These products were supplied by notable manufacturers such as Taiyo Yuden, Ritek Corporation, CMC Magnetics, Prodisc, Moser Baer, and Daxon/BenQ.
Technological innovations
- Application of a Teflon coating on floppy disks
- Introduction of Advanced Azo Dye Technology (patented Azo-Color process) in 1994
- Development of SERL (Super Eutectic Recording Layer) technology for regeneration of rewritable media
- Use of TERL (Tellurium Alloy Recording Layer) technology tailored for audio CD-RWs
- Implementation of MABL technology for Blu-ray disc manufacturing