Eastman Kodak Company, referred to as Kodak Company, is the world's largest manufacturer and supplier of imaging products and related services. It is headquartered in Rochester, New York, USA. It is a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. The listed companies have operations in more than 150 countries and regions, with approximately 80,000 employees worldwide. For years, Eastman Kodak Company has been a world leader in image capture, sharing, output and display, helping countless people preserve beautiful memories, communicate important information and enjoy entertainment for more than 100 years. However, with the rise of digital technology, Kodak filed for bankruptcy protection on January 19, 2012.
The predecessor of Kodak Company was the "Eastman Dry Plate Company" established in 1881 by inventor George Eastman and businessman Henry Strong. As the developer of roll film, film and the first cameras for non-professional use, such as the Brownie and the Instamatic, the company remains one of the world's largest suppliers of film to both the amateur and professional markets. It has also entered other imaging-related areas (such as medical imaging) and continues to work to gain a stronger foothold in the growing digital photography and digital imaging industries. The company was formerly known as "Eastman Company", but later changed its name because the first point-and-shoot film camera it produced was named "Kodak". George Eastman, when asked about this, replied: "Linguistically speaking, the word 'Kodak' is as meaningless as a baby's first 'goo'—succinct, abrupt. , even a little rude, literally truncated at both ends by unyielding consonants, and sounding as crisp as the shutter of a camera in front of you. "Isn't that the best name ever for this camera?" Kodak said. (Kodak)" was thus added to the company's name. On January 9, 1986, Kodak lost its patent lawsuit with Polaroid and therefore exited the instant camera industry. On January 13, 2004, Kodak announced that it would stop producing traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada, and Western Europe. By the end of 2004, Kodak will stop manufacturing cameras using the Advanced Photo System and 35mm film. Film production will continue. These changes reflect Kodak's shift of attention to emerging digital markets. Since the completion of the acquisition of Creo in June 2005, the Kodak Graphics and Imaging Group has officially entered a new era of digital graphics and imaging. At present, Kodak Graphics and Imaging Group has become the only large-scale multinational company in the world that can provide a full range of graphic and imaging products and services. Customers in the graphic arts industry can get the most extensive and integrated industry solutions and services in the world of Kodak Graphics and Imaging. Services include a series of products and services ranging from intelligent input, design, and output of graphics, text, and images to process management, remote management, storage management, and consulting management of graphics, text, and images. The success of the merger marks the successful transformation of Kodak Graphics and Imaging Group to digitalization, basically realizing the transition from the traditional imaging industry to the digital graphics and imaging industry, and initially completing the strategic deployment of Kodak Graphics and Imaging Group in the digital field.
Since the establishment of Eastman Kodak Company in 1880, Kodak has maintained a leading position in the global imaging industry, with a diversified business covering all aspects of traditional silver halide technology and digital imaging technology. Currently, Kodak is principally engaged in the development, production and sales of traditional and digital imaging products, services and solutions to general consumers, professional photographers, medical service institutions, the entertainment industry and other commercial customers. The company has four business departments: Photography Division, Medical Imaging Division, Commercial Imaging Division and Components Division. Leveraging its technological advantages, market scale and numerous industry partnerships, Kodak is committed to providing customers with innovative products and services that meet their needs for the rich information contained in images. Kodak's more than 120 years of history is a microcosm of the development of the world's imaging industry.
In 1880, George Eastman, who was still a bank clerk at the time, began to mass-produce photographic dry plates using the patented technology he invented. This was the predecessor of the Eastman Kodak Company. Eastman was so successful in the dry-plate business that he partnered with businessman Strong the following year to form the Eastman Dry-plate Company. In late 1881, Eastman resigned from the Rochester Savings Bank to devote all his energy to running his new company while continuing to research ways to simplify photography. In 1883, Eastman invented film, which revolutionized the photography industry. With the introduction of the Kodak camera in 1888, Eastman laid the foundation for popularizing photography. After several changes, Eastman's company was renamed Eastman Kodak Company in 1892.
In 1880, George Eastman, who was still a bank clerk at the time, began to mass-produce photographic dry plates using the patented technology he invented. This was the predecessor of the Eastman Kodak Company. Eastman was so successful in the dry-plate business that he partnered with businessman Strong the following year to form the Eastman Dry-plate Company.
At the end of 1881, Eastman resigned from the Rochester Savings Bank and devoted all his energy to running his new company while continuing to research ways to simplify photography.
In 1883, Eastman invented film, which revolutionized the photography industry.
In 1888, the Kodak camera was launched, and Eastman laid the foundation for the popularization of photography.
In 1889, Eastman Photographic Materials Co., Ltd. was established in London.
In 1891, Eastman built a photosensitive materials factory in Harrow, near London.
In 1896, Kodak became the main sponsor of the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece.
In 1900, Kodak's sales network had spread across France, Germany, Italy and other European countries.
In 1921, Kodak entered China and established a photography school. The Shenbao reported the incident. The "Declaration" on December 23, 1921 contained the article "Kodak Photography Company Establishes Photography School": Kodak Photography Company recently established a photography school at No. 64 Jiangxi Road. Graduation takes three weeks. Tuition and materials and equipment fees are waived. , the company has recently sent letters to various agencies and photo studios, asking to send people to study cloud. [2]
In 1976, Kodak developed digital camera technology and used digital imaging technology in the aerospace field.
On January 9, 1986, Kodak lost its patent lawsuit with Polaroid and therefore withdrew from the instant camera industry.
In 1991, Kodak had a 1.3-megapixel digital camera.
In 2000, Kodak's digital products sold only $3 billion, accounting for only 22% of its total revenue.
In 2002, Kodak's product digitization rate was only about 25, while its competitor Fuji had reached 60. This is in sharp contrast to the speed at which Eastman decisively abandoned glass dry plates and turned to film technology 100 years ago.
On September 26, 2003, Kodak announced a major strategic change: abandoning the traditional film business and shifting its focus to emerging digital products.
In January 2004, Kodak announced that it would lay off 20 of its existing employees, that is, 12,000 to 15,000 people in the production and administrative departments of the then 70,000 employees.
On January 13, 2004, Kodak announced that it would stop producing traditional film cameras in the United States, Canada and Western Europe.
At the end of 2004, Kodak will stop manufacturing cameras using the Advanced Photo System and 35mm film. Film production will continue.
In January 2005, Kodak appointed a new CTO: William Lloyd, a technical expert who has worked at HP for 31 years and is dubbed the "Digital CTO" by the outside world.
In the early morning of October 1, 2011, local time in the United States on Friday, Eastman Kodak Company (EK), a 131-year-old camera manufacturer, may file for bankruptcy protection. Affected by this news, Kodak's stock price plunged 68% during the US stock market, setting the company's largest single-day decline since 1974.
On January 3, 2012, Kodak announced that it had received a warning from the New York Stock Exchange because its average closing price had fallen below $1 for 30 consecutive days. If the stock price does not improve within the next six months, Kodak will face delisting.
On January 19, 2012, the American Eastman Kodak Company announced that it had filed for bankruptcy protection in New York in an effort to survive the liquidity crisis and ensure continued business operations.
On April 20, 2012, the American Eastman Kodak Company officially declared bankruptcy and is conducting asset evaluation and auction!