World's First CG-Silicon Technology Developed
Using the new CG-Silicon (continuous grain silicon) technology jointly developed with Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd. (Atsugi, Kanagawa Prefecture), Sharp made a splash with its prototype ultra high-definition 60-inch rear projector that uses three 2.6-inch CG-Silicon LCD panels.
The technology gained much attention for its ability to produce breathtaking ultra high-definition large-screen images and was regarded as pioneering a new age of digital audio-visual enjoyment. (Start of sales in December 1999, produced on order, 3.7 million yen.)
25 Years Since First Commercial LCD Product
This May marked 25 years of work on LCDs since the EL-805, the world's first LCD calculator, was announced in 1973. Prior to this, calculators used fluorescent tubes or light emitting diodes for the display, but switching to LCDs instantly reduced the power consumption to 1/100th. This miraculous advancement was a big step toward ultra thin compact calculators.
After overcoming many hurdles, the development of color and large-format LCDs led to the birth of many LCD-application products. A companywide 25th anniversary campaign was held to promote the use of LCDs in an even wider range of products.
Katsuhiko Machida Appointed as President, Start of New Management Structure
On June 26, corporate senior executive director Katsuhiko Machida was named as Sharp's fourth president, and the three corporate senior executive directors Mr. Aramoto, Mr. Washizuka and Mr. Misaka were named as corporate senior executive vice presidents and placed in charge of different areas of company operations. Corporate advisor Saeki was appointed as corporate senior advisor and President Tsuji was appointed as corporate advisor. As part of the new structure, Sharp made the "Crystal-Clear Company" declaration, in which the word "crystal" is associated with LCD, Sharp's key strength. The purpose of this declaration was to reaffirm to all employees Sharp's aim of becoming "a one-and-only company that shines brightly in the international community," with uniqueness in all aspects of operations.
Ultra-Thin Notebook PC Introduced
The PC-PJ1 ultra-thin notebook PC was announced at the Tokyo Business Show in May, and was well received for its small B5 size and high performance.
It is equipped with an 11.3-inch high-definition LCD, the largest in its class, and is half the thickness and half the weight of conventional notebook PCs (1.37 kg). It can be run for an amazingly long time (approximately 8.5 hours using the separately sold battery), and had revolutionary specifications for the time, such as a 3.2 GB hard drive. This new model established Sharp as a leading brand in notebook PCs.
Three New Companies Established to Promote New Businesses
In July, Sharp Document Systems Corporation (SDS) was established to strengthen Sharp's document business, such as copiers, and Sharp Amenity Systems Corporation (SAS) was established to strengthen the environmental systems business, such as solar power generation systems. In October, Sharp Electronics Marketing Corporation (SEMC) was established to market consumer electronics and information products. Creating specialized sales organizations and consolidating operations has enabled Sharp to strengthen its domestic sales.
Agreement Reached with World's Largest Semiconductor Design Company to Jointly Develop System LSIs
In December, Sharp formed an alliance with Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (California, USA), the world's largest LSI circuit design company, to jointly develop system LSIs for next-generation digital information appliances based on the data driven media processor (DDMP) developed by Sharp.