Editing Alps Alpine

{{Short description|Japanese multinational corporation}}
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{{Primary sources|date=August 2009}}
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{{Infobox company
|name           = Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
|image          = Head Office of Alpus Alpine Feb2024.jpg
|image_caption  = Headquarters in [[Ota, Tokyo]]
|former_name    = Kataoka Electric Co., Ltd. (1946-1964)<br>Alps Electric Co., Ltd. (1964-2019)
|native_name    = アルプスアルパイン株式会社
|romanized_name = Arupusu Arupain kabushiki-gaisha
|logo           = Alps Alpine logos.gif 
|type           = [[Public company|Public]] ([[Kabushiki gaisha|K.K]])
|traded_as      = {{TYO|6770}}<br>[[Nikkei 225|Nikkei 225 Component]]
|foundation     = {{start date and age|1948|11|01|df=yes}} (as Kataoka Electric Co., Ltd.)
|location       = 1-7 Yukigaya-otsuka-machi
|location_city  = [[Ota, Tokyo]]
|location_country = Japan
|key_people     = Toshihiro Kuriyama, ([[President (corporate title)|President]])<br>Masataka Kataoka, ([[Chairman#Public corporations|Chairman]])
|num_employees  = 36,199 (as of the end of March 2013)
|revenue    = {{US$|link=yes}}5.806 billion ([[Fiscal year|FY]] 2012)
                   ([[Japanese yen|¥]] 546.423 billion) (FY 2012)
|net_income = {{US$|link=yes}}75.18 million (FY 2012)
                   (¥ -7.075 billion) (FY 2012)
|industry       = [[Electronics]]
|products       = {{Unbulleted list|[[Electronic component]]s|[[In car entertainment|Automotive infotainment systems]]|[[Logistics|Logistic services]]}}
|subsid         = [[Alpine Electronics]]<br>[[Cirque Corporation]]<br>[http://www.alps-logistics.jp/eng/index.html Alps Logistics]<br>[http://www.alpsgd.com/eng/index.html Alps Green Devices]
|homepage       = {{URL|http://www.alpsalpine.com/j/}}
|footnotes  =  <ref name="Alps Electric Corporate Facts">{{cite web |url=http://www.alps.com/e/company/pro_data.html |title=Corporate Facts |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223011350/http://www.alps.com/e/company/pro_data.html |archive-date=December 23, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alps.com/pdf/ir/annual/annual2013_e.pdf |title=Annual Report 2013 |access-date=April 17, 2014}}</ref>
}}
[[File:Pioneer XD-J110 - volume control board - Alps ACX1053-A-8130.jpg|thumb|A [[Motorized potentiometer]] from Alps Electric used in a [[music center]]]]
[[File:Alps-Denki-Logo.svg|thumb|150px|Logo used from 1964 to 2020]]
{{Nihongo|'''Alps Alpine Co., Ltd'''|アルプスアルパイン株式会社|Arupusu Arupain kabushiki-gaisha|lead=yes}}, previously known as {{Nihongo|'''Alps Electric Co., Ltd.'''|アルプス電気株式会社|Arupusu Denki Kabushiki-gaisha|lead=yes}} is a Japanese [[multinational corporation]], headquartered in [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]], producing [[electronic device]]s, including [[switch]]es, [[potentiometer]]s, [[sensor]]s, encoders and [[touchpad]]s.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=6770:JP |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140417162334/http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?ticker=6770:JP |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 17, 2014 |title=Corporate Profile |publisher=[[Bloomberg Businessweek]] |access-date=April 17, 2014 }}</ref>

The company was established in 1948 as Kataoka Electric Co., Ltd. and changed its name to Alps Electric Co., Ltd. in December 1964. Since June 22, 2012, the President has been Toshihiro Kuriyama and Chairman is Masataka Kataoka.<ref name="Alps Electric Corporate Facts"/> Alps is also well known for the [[Alpine Electronics|Alpine]] brand of [[car audio]].

The Alps Electric Group has R&D, production and sales bases located in Japan and around the globe—in the Americas, Europe, Southeast Asia, Korea, and Greater China.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alps.com/e/company/networkmap.html |title=Alps Global Network |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414223216/http://www.alps.com/e/company/networkmap.html |archive-date=April 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Since its founding, Alps Electric has supplied around 40,000 types of electronic components to over 2,000 manufacturers of home appliances, mobile devices, automobiles and industrial equipment worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20140409005801/en/Alps-Electric-Bolsters-Infotainment-Systems-aptX%C2%AE-Integration#.U0_wjFdQiK8 |title=Alps Electric Bolsters Infotainment Systems with aptX® Integration |publisher=[[Businesswire]] |date=April 9, 2014 |access-date=April 17, 2014}}</ref>

In 2014, Alps Group comprised 84 [[subsidiary]] companies, 25 through Alps Electric, 32 through [[Alpine Electronics]] and 27 through [[Alps Logistics]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.alps.com/e/company/pro_group.html |title=Alps Group |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140414223226/http://www.alps.com/e/company/pro_group.html |archive-date=April 14, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The company is listed on the [[Tokyo Stock Exchange]] and a constituent of the [[Nikkei 225]] [[stock index]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indexes.nikkei.co.jp/en/nkave/index/component?idx=nk225#23 |title=Components:Nikkei Stock Average |publisher=[[Nikkei Inc.]] |access-date=April 17, 2014}}</ref>

After integrating its business with its previous subsidiary [[Alpine Electronics]] in January 2019, the company was renamed Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.alpsalpine.com/j/company/tougou.html|title=【会社概要】 経営統合について {{!}} アルプスアルパイン|website=www.alpsalpine.com|access-date=2020-02-05}}</ref> Alpine had originally been established as a joint venture with [[Motorola]] in 1967, but had been a wholly owned subsidiary of Alps since 1978.

==Business divisions==
'''Alps Automotive''' division focuses on provision of custom products and modules, including control panels and steering modules, for specific vehicle models, and components compatible with any vehicle.<ref name="Alps Business Areas">{{cite web |url=http://www.alps.com/e/company/business_area.html |title=Company Business Areas |access-date=April 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140419015032/http://www.alps.com/e/company/business_area.html |archive-date=April 19, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

'''Alps Home and Mobile''' divisions focuses on provision of switches, potentiometers, sensors, and other components through to multi-input devices like touch panels and GlidePoint™ to home, mobile and PC markets. Alps Electric focuses on human-machine and machine-machine interfaces for home appliances, mobile devices and PCs.<ref name="Alps Business Areas"/>

'''Alps Industry, Healthcare & Energy''' divisions focuses on provision of a wide variety of products, including sensors, power inductors, switches and communication modules, to industry, healthcare and energy markets.<ref name="Alps Business Areas"/>

Alps touchpad hardware is developed and manufactured by the [[Cirque Corporation]], which they acquired in 2003;<ref name="Cirque Corporation website">{{cite web |url=http://www.cirque.com/company/alpselectric.aspx |title=Cirque Corporation Website: Alps Electric Co. |access-date=April 17, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627211616/http://www.cirque.com/company/alpselectric.aspx |archive-date=June 27, 2014 }}</ref>  however, the parent company continues to write their own drivers. Their drivers are [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] certified. They are mostly found in [[Sony]], [[Toshiba]] and [[Dell]] [[laptop|notebooks]], as well as the [[OLPC XO-1]]. They also manufacture keyboards for Apple computers, including the original Macintosh and the first [[iMac]].

== Business integration and name change ==
On January 1, 2019, Alps Electric Co., Ltd. and Alpine Electronics, Inc. integrated the two businesses together under the new name of Alps Alpine Co., Ltd..<ref>{{Cite web|title=[Our Company] About the Business Integration – Alps Alpine|url=https://www.alpsalpine.com/e/company/tougou.html|access-date=2021-05-20|website=www.alpsalpine.com}}</ref>  Alpine Electronics, Inc. became a wholly owned subsidiary of Alps in 1978 when Alps acquired all shares of Alps Motorola Inc. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Form 20-F|url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/900278/000119312519191533/d663806d20f.htm#rom663806_9|access-date=2021-05-20|website=www.sec.gov}}</ref>

== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Apple IIc (ALPS taxi yellow) 8053557256 2edb8a7843 o.jpg|Alps Amber switch in an [[Apple IIc]] keyboard
Alps SKBM Grey -- top.jpg|Alps SKBM Grey switch
Alps SKBM Grey -- base.jpg|Alps SKBM Grey switch backside with old logo
Alps SKBM Grey -- upper shell.jpg|Alps SKBM Grey – upper shell with simplified mould numbering and more rounded, more heavily embossed Alps logo
Alps SKCM Orange -- fully disassembled.jpg|Alps SKCM Orange switch, completely disassembled
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Japan|Tokyo|Electronics|Companies}}
* [[List of mechanical keyboards]]
* [[Cherry (company)|Cherry AG]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web|url=http://www.nccjapan.net/shashiwiki/index.php?title=Arupusu_Denki|title=Company history books (Shashi)|publisher=Shashi Interest Group|date=April 2016}} Wiki collection of bibliographic works on Alps Electric

{{Electronics industry in Japan}}
{{Nikkei 225}}
{{Hard disk drive manufacturers}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Electronics companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Companies in the Nikkei 225]]
[[Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1948]]
[[Category:Japanese companies established in 1948]]
[[Category:2019 mergers and acquisitions]]
[[Category:Japanese brands]]
[[Category:Ōta, Tokyo]]