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Amstrad PLC Company Profile |
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A Brief History |
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1968 |
Amstrad founded by the present Chairman
Alan Sugar, trading in electrical goods. |
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1970 |
First manufacturing venture
embarked upon. Lower prices were achieved by injection moulding plastic
hi-fi turntable covers, severely undercutting competitors who used
the vacuum forming process. Manufacturing capacity is expanded to the
production of audio amplifiers and tuners. |
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1980 |
Amstrad lists
on the London Stock Exchange.
Amstrad doubles in size each year during the early 1980s. |
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1984 |
Amstrad launches
the first mass market Home Computer package (CPC range), designed by
Amstrad engineers in the UK. This product captures the market from
the existing players Commodore and Sinclair. |
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1985 |
Amstrad launches
the first mass market dedicated Word processor (PCW 8256). This product
opens up a previously untapped market. |
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1986 |
Amstrad launches
the first mass market IBM compatible PC (PC 1512). At £399 this unit
is less than a quarter of the price of established market leaders.
Within 6 months of its launch, Amstrad captures 25% of the European
Personal Computer market.
The introduction of the PC1512 alters the face of the computer market
throughout Europe and brings Amstrad international recognition as
a major force in the home and business computer sectors. |
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1989 |
Amstrad launches
the first mass market Satellite Receiver/Dish package for Sky TV and
becomes the European Number One supplier of Satellite receivers.
Amstrad launches the first combined Fax, Telephone and Answering machine,
acquiring 52% of the personal fax market. |
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1990 |
Amstrad launches the first integrated
Satellite Receiver/Decoder for Sky TV. |
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1992 |
Amstrad purchases 29.9% stake of
Betacom PLC from Canon Street Investments PLC. A rights issue and subscription
increases Amstrad's shareholding in Betacom to 71.3%. Betacom, a UK
based domestic telephone supplier provides Amstrad with a foothold
in the developing telecommunications market. |
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1993 |
Amstrad acquires Dancall Telecom
(for c£8m) a Danish dedicated telecommunications manufacturer specialising
in cordless phone technologies: CT0, CT1, GSM, PCN and NMT450. The
acquisition enhances UK CT2 research resources and facilitates access
to the Scandinavian market.
Amstrad launches the world's first Personal Digital assistant (PDA600).
Repayment and cancellation of share capital involving a scheme of arrangement,
as a result of which Amstrad's shareholding in Betacom reduces to 66.2% |
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1994 |
Amstrad acquires
Viglen computers, the UK's leading supplier of computers direct to
end users.
Amstrad Direct launches in the UK, supplying computers and faxes direct
to the public. |
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1995 |
Amstrad acquires Dataflex design
communications, a specialist in modems. |
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1996 |
Amstrad launches
Dancall GSM mobile phones.
Amstrad grants Betacom a licence to use the Amstrad brand on consumer
electronics products. |
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1997 |
Alan Sugar appointed
Chairman of the Board at Betacom.
Amstrad launches Dancall dual band mobile phone (World phone).
Amstrad sells Dancall Telecom to German telecoms manufacturer Bosch
Telecom for c£96m.
Amstrad launches Cable Receiver/Decoder STB for Foxtel in Australia.
Amstrad awarded a contract to supply advanced Interactive Digital
Set top boxes to British Sky Broadcasting PLC.
Amstrad's consumer electronics and satellite business is sold to Betacom.
Amstrad PLC is de-listed from the stock exchange and each shareholder
receives loan notes, shares in Viglen Technology PLC (a newly listed
company), shares in Betacom PLC and a letter of entitlement to the
potential net proceeds arising from two court cases.
Betacom PLC changes its name to Amstrad PLC (Nov.) |
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1998 |
Amstrad announces
an agreement with Cable & Wireless Communications to sell Cable
& Wireless branded telecom products into the retail market.
Amstrad commences supply of multiple products to BSkyB to facilitate
digital interactive services. |
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1999 |
Amstrad DRX100
(Digital Satellite Receiver) awarded 'What Satellite TV' award for
'Best Sky Receiver'
Amstrad sells Betacom, Answercall and Cable & Wireless branded
telecommunications business to Alba PLC for £4M in cash. |
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2000 |
Amstrad launch
the e-m@iler, a personal communication centre incorporating fully
featured telephone with full email capabilities.
Amserve, a subsidiary of Amstrad, is established to manage the retail
sales and distribution of the em@iler, deliver advertising into consumers'
homes and generate email revenue from the em@iler.
Amstrad announces Britannia Music and Direct Line Financial Services
as the first companies to sign-up and participate in direct advertising
programmes on the em@iler.
Amstrad announces that Dixons Group plc has taken a 20% stake in its
wholly owned subsidiary, Amserve Ltd, in a £15 million deal.
Amstrad announces it is the first company to have received full type
approval from BSkyB for its new DRX200 Digital Set Top Box incorporating
the new ST5512 chipset. |
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2001 |
Jack Straw and Sir Alan Sugar launch
e-m@iler watch, a revolutionary new scheme which allows Neighbourhood
Watch co-ordinators to communicate with the Police in near virtual
time by means of Amstrad e-m@iler communication centres installed within
their homes.
Amstrad releases its next generation Digital Set Top Box, the DRX300.
Amstrad add HSBC, Jungle.com and Blue Square to its ever increasing
list of advertisers on the e-m@iler. |
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2002 |
Amstrad launch the e-m@ilerplus,
the next generation e-m@iler, which now offers internet access and
allows you to download and play Sinclair ZX Spectrum games |
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2003 |
Amstrad signs two separate new manufacture
and supply agreements with BSkyB, the first for Sky+ set top boxes
and the second for a new Sky branded combined keyboard and remote control
unit. |
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2004 |
Amstrad commences shipment of Sky+
set top boxes to BSkyB.
Amstrad announces an order to supply digital satellite set top boxes
to the Italian broadcaster, Sky Italia. First shipments commence ahead
of schedule.
Amstrad launches E3 - the 3rd generation of emailer superphone. The
E3 Videophone allows Britons to 'look who's talking' by making video
calls to other E3 phones. |
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2005 |
Amstrad announces an agreement with
BSkyB to develop and supply a new PVR box. |
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2006 |
Amstrad plc announces new product
launch, the DRX700i digital satellite high definition (HD) set top
box, produced for Sky Italia. |
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2007 |
On 31 July 2007 Amstrad announced
that it had agreed terms for a recommended cash offer to be made for
Amstrad by BSkyB. On 5th September 2007 it was announced that this
offer was unconditional in all respects. On 8 October 2007, Amstrad
was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange. |
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