Hon Hai is the biggest elec-tronic company in the world that you have never heard of! It ranks at No.60 in the latest Fortune Global 500.
To the Western world, the Company is known by its trade name, Foxconn. Foxconn is the world’s largest contract manufacturer for electronics. Amongst the prod-ucts it manufactures are the following:
* Computers, including tablets and iPads
* Cameras
* Consumer electronics
* Flat panel displays
* Communication products lik connectors, cable assemblies etc. Motherboards
* Servers
* Televisions
Over the years, the Company has also developed design engineering skills.
Chairman Terry Gou founded Hon Hai in 1974 and initially the Company made plastic switches for televisions. Today, the Company has over 800,000 employees worldwide and in 2010, reported a turnover of 95 billion dollars.
Foxconn has factories all over the world and in recent times has been in the limelight for taking over a number of Sony television factories. The Company has developed its own technologies in several fields, and has over 25,000 patents in its own name. It is also China’s largest exporter.
Foxconn’s clients include the following:
1. Apple (the iPod is made by Foxconn)
2. Sony (Cameras and televisions)
3. Acer
4. Asus
5. Intel
6. HP
7. Nokia
8. Microsoft
9. Sony Ericsson
10. Motorola
Foxconn has 13 factories in China, more than in any other country. Other factories are in Slovakia, Poland, Czech Republic, Mexico, Brazil and India. In India, Foxconn operates from the Special Economic Zone of Chennai.
H. S. Billimoria
Last month, Smart Photography carried a Tidbits Quiz to test our readers’ knowledge of the imaging industry. The first 5 entries were to receive a year’s free subscription to SP. Though we received quite a few entries, unfortunately, none were correct.
Here are the correct answers:
1. Name the first SLR camera in the 35mm format. Kine Exakta
2. Name the Company/Brand that first introduced the 42mm screw mount Praktica
3. Who introduced the first instant return mirror on a camera? Asahi Pentax, for Asahiflex IIB
4. This Company introduced the first TTL meter with match needle control in 1963. Topcon RE Super
5. The first focal plane shutter SLR with automatic exposure control in the shutter priority mode was introduced by this Company. Konica Autoreflex
6. This Company was the first to introduce a full featured SLR system in an ultra compact size in the early seventies. Olympus
7. This camera introduced for the first time programmed exposure control. Name the model. Canon A1
8. The first camera to offer three types of exposure metering: Centre weighted, Centre averaging and Spot. Canon F1
9. In 1987, this Company introduced the first camera with automatic exposure bracketing. Contax 167MT
10. This Company exited the camera business 5 years ago and sold its SLR line to Sony. Name the Company. Minolta
Better luck next time!
