Editing AST Research (section)

==Foundation (1979–1986)==
AST Research was founded as AST Associates by [[Thomas Yuen|Thomas C. K. Yuen]], Albert C. Wong, and [[Safi Qureshey|Safi U. Qureshey]]. All three were immigrants to the United States—Yuen and Wong from [[Hong Kong]] and Qureshey from [[Pakistan]].<ref name=Armstrong1991>{{cite journal | last=Armstrong | first=Larry | date=May 6, 1991 | title=This 12-Year-Old Has Come of Age | journal=Business Week | publisher=Bloomberg Finance LP | issue=3212 | pages=122, 126}} {{ProQuest|236718444}}</ref>{{rp|122}} Yuen had met Qureshey while working for [[Computer Automation|Computer Automation Inc.]] in the 1970s, while Wong was a roommate of Yuen's while they both attended [[Orange Coast College]] in [[Costa Mesa, California]]. All had come to the United States to study engineering.<ref name=Olmos1989>{{cite journal | last=Olmos | first=David | date=May 28, 1989 | url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-28-fi-1357-story.html | title=AST Struggling Back Following Founders' Rift | journal=Los Angeles Times | page=1 | archiveurl=https://archive.today/20221126045717/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-28-fi-1357-story.html | archivedate=November 26, 2022 | url-status=live}} {{ProQuest|280751673}}</ref> Yuen was the principal founder of AST, proposing the creation of the company in 1979. Before breaking into the manufacture of hardware, Yuen envisioned the company as a computer consultancy firm for large businesses.<ref name=Armstrong1991 />{{rp|122}} The three incorporated AST Research with $2,000 of start-up capital in [[Irvine, California]], in July 1980.<ref name="LA Times - Wong resigns">{{cite news |last1=Olmos |first1=David |title=Albert Wong, a Founder of AST, to Resign |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-09-fi-64-story.html |access-date=December 31, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=November 9, 1988 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230102044733/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-09-fi-64-story.html |archive-date=January 2, 2023 |url-status=live |page=5 |id={{ProQuest|280576765}}}}</ref><ref name=idch1994>{{cite book | editor-last=Kepos | editor-first=Paula | editor2=Thomas Derdak | date=1994 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MX0RAQAAMAAJ | title=International Directory of Company Histories | publisher=St. James Press | volume=9 | isbn=9781558623248 | via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|41}} The company name is an initialism for the three founders' first names. Selecting their initial job titles by [[drawing straws]], Qureshey was named president, Yuen was named treasurer, and Wong was named secretary.<ref name=Armstrong1991 />{{rp|122}}

AST delivered its first products by the end of 1981. By then, the computer consultancy idea had been abandoned, the company was renamed to AST Research, and the trio were deep into researching and developing expansion cards for the original [[IBM Personal Computer]], which had been released in August 1981.<ref name=Rebello1991 /> The founders deemed the initial models of the IBM PC to have been equipped with an inadequate amount of [[Random-access memory|RAM]] and communications capability and so devised a range of expansion cards that provided these features.<ref name=Armstrong1991 />{{rp|122}} They are listed in the [[charter issue]] of ''[[PC Magazine]]'' as follows: a series of memory expansion cards, ranging from 64&nbsp;KB to 256&nbsp;KB of additional RAM (with [[RAM parity|parity]]); a [[modem]] card with a phone jack and an [[RS-232]] serial port; two [[asynchronous serial communication]] cards, one with a single RS-232 port and the other dual ports; and an advanced serial communication card, featuring two independently programmable RS-232 ports that could be programmed to support asynchronous, [[Binary Synchronous Communications|bisynchronous]], [[Synchronous Data Link Control|SDLC]], and [[High-Level Data Link Control|HDLC]] protocols.<ref name="pcmag198202">{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=February 1982 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=w_OhaFDePS4C&pg=RA1-PA126 | title=New on the Market | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=1 | issue=1 | pages=125–127 | via=Google Books}}</ref>

Sales of this initial lineup of products doubled every month within the first year of availability. Needing to keep up with the increasing demand from the customer base, the company vied for venture capital but were turned down by multiple banks. Instead, the founders all took out second mortgages on their residences in 1982 and were able to pool an additional $50,000 to invest into the company. Fortunately for the founders, AST's sales reached $13&nbsp;million in 1983. This sudden increase in sales finally attracted venture capitalists, who invested $2.4&nbsp;million in the company. In 1984, the company filed its [[initial public offering]], bearing two million shares to the public<ref name=Armstrong1991 />{{rp|122}} and making the founders millionaires.{{r|miller19950917}} Qureshey said in 1983 that AST "will become a $200-million company ... and also manufacture our own computers".{{r|Vieth1987}}

[[File:AST Computer Chip (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|AST-designed [[Application-specific integrated circuit|ASIC]] with [[Screen printing|screen printed]] logo]]
In late 1983, the company introduced the SixPakPlus, a popular multifunction expansion card for the IBM PC that led to another sharp increase in sales.<ref name=Rebello1991 /> Shortly afterwards AST signed an agreement offered by [[IBM]], allowing the latter company to resell AST's expansion cards at its [[IBM Product Center]]s and other reseller channels.<ref name=Howitt1985>{{cite journal | last=Howitt | first=Doran | date=June 17, 1985 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FS8EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA16 | title=Board Makers See Micro-Mainframe Boom | journal=InfoWorld | publisher=CW Communications | volume=7 | issue=24 | pages=15–16 | via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|16}}<ref>{{cite journal | last=McKibbin | first=Wendy Lea | date=March 19, 1985 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mI2TxlvjaksC&pg=PA139 | title=Taking Out a Contract on Your PC | journal=PC Magazine | publisher=Ziff-Davis | volume=4 | issue=6 | pages=136–141 | via=Google Books}}</ref>{{rp|139}} Spurred by these developments, in March 1985 AST's executives opened AST Far East, Ltd., in [[Hong Kong]]. This was its first international subsidiary, serving as a crucial additional production line for the manufacture of the company's increasingly diverse products. AST's lineup of products by this point counted graphics cards for multiple computing platforms, a [[hard disk drive]] unit for the original [[compact Macintosh]]es,  a multi-function serial/parallel/clock expansion board for the [[Apple II Family|Apple II]] and a [[local area network]] board for the IBM PC.<ref name=idch1994 />{{rp|41}}

From 1984 to 1985, AST's income rose from $5.7&nbsp;million to $19&nbsp;million,<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=August 2, 1985 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/397956353/ | title=AST Research to Post Threefold Jump in Net For Its 4th Quarter | journal=The Wall Street Journal | publisher=Dow Jones & Company | page=1 | via=ProQuest}}</ref> and from 1985 to 1986, AST's revenues doubled, reaching $138.6&nbsp;million,<ref name=Rebello1991 />{{r|miller19950917}} In March 1986, the company purchased the French computer wholesaler National System Company, in order to establish a second international subsidiary, AST France.<ref name=idch1994 />{{rp|41}} Shortly after, AST company acquired Camintonn, a computer memory maker.<ref name=wsj19860225>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=February 25, 1986 | title=AST Research Buys Camintonn | journal=The Wall Street Journal | publisher=Dow Jones & Company | page=1}} {{ProQuest|397943704}}</ref> By the end of 1986, AST had established overseas divisions in Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The combined revenue from international subsidiaries contributed to one quarter of the company's revenue.<ref name=idch1994 />{{rp|41}} With this success, AST reincorporated in [[Delaware]] to take advantage of its [[Delaware General Corporation Law|corporate laws]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Agreement and Plan of Merger |date=July 1, 1987 |publisher=[[Secretary of State of California|Office of Secretary of State of the State of California]] |url=https://bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov/api/report/GetImageByNum/224136010207122189107228205161177046030176175079 |id=Control ID {{abbr|No.|Number}} LBA6493054 (Legacy No. D0243329) |format=PDF}}</ref>