AQUOS LCD TV Debuts
On January 1, Sharp introduced the AQUOS LCD color TV (LC-20C1/15C1/13C1*), the perfect TV for the household of the digital 21st century. With the industry's highest brightness of 450 cd/m2, the AQUOS was designed by world-renowned industrial designer Toshiyuki Kita to add elegance to a home's interior.
Sharp went on to offer consumers more ways to enhance their lifestyles with more AQUOS product introductions: a PC card slot-equipped AQUOS (LC-20B1/15B1/13B1) in August, a 30V-inch digital HDTV model (LC-30BV3) that can be a family's main TV in November, and the AQUOS Theater, a stylish entertainment system that's a combination of AQUOS and a DVD 1-bit digital theater system.
- * LC-13C1 released on February 1.
Announces Construction of Mihara Plant, a New Manufacturing Base in Hiroshima
Sharp announced that it would construct the Mihara Plant in Hiroshima Prefecture, a base for the manufacture of a wide range of electronic components.
In June 2001, construction began on the No. 1 Plant, the base for compound semiconductors such as laser diodes, key devices for CD and DVD products. The plant went on line in May 2002.
Sharp will continue to expand plant manufacturing in response to market needs.
S.I. Solutions, a Joint Company for Business Solutions, Opens its Doors
On April 1, S.I. Solutions, a joint venture with IBM Japan, started business. In addition to outsourcing Sharp information systems, the company offers business solutions in the form of ERP* (enterprise resource planning) -- a comprehensive information system giving support in operations areas like manufacturing and marketing, and SCM** (supply chain management) -- all-round expertise in order-taking and delivery, materials procurement, and inventory management.
- *ERP:A comprehensive information system that supports operations management -- the backbone of a company -- including order-taking and shipping, financial and management accounting, and personnel control.
- **SCM:A method for comprehensive control of things like order-taking, materials procurement, inventory control and shipping.
Consolidated Net Sales Exceed 2 Trillion Yen
Thanks partly to healthy results in communications/information products and electronic components, consolidated net sales for fiscal 2000 were 2.128 trillion yen (up 8.5% from the previous year), the first time Sharp had ever exceeded 2 trillion yen. Consolidated operating income was also a record 105.9 billion yen (up 42.2%), giving Sharp income and profit increases.
Muramasa -- World's Thinnest and Lightest Notebook PC
In June, Sharp introduced the stylish Muramasa (PC-MT1-H1/H1S), the world's thinnest and lightest (as of May 2001) 12.1-inch notebook PC. In addition to a thickness of just 16.6 mm and a weight of just 1.31 kg thanks to an enclosure-integrated display unit, the Muramasa's proprietary retractable keyboard, metallic casing and Rahmen structure make it portable, easy to use and rugged, giving users a new generation of mobile PC.
Comprehensive Call Center Opens
The industry's first Comprehensive Call Center for handling customer inquiries regarding consumer electronics and information/communication products opened in Makuhari and Osaka in June.
A computer telephony integration system directs customer calls to the appropriate Sharp telephone service agent, depending on whether the caller needs purchasing advice, product use advice or product repair. This saves customers from having their calls unnecessarily rerouted and raises customer satisfaction.
Fully Automatic Washing Machine Using Ultrasonic Vacuum Cleaning Gets Rid of Stubborn Dirt
In November, Sharp announced the world's first fully automatic washing machines (ES-U80C/U70C) to use an ultrasonic vacuum cleaning device.
Using an ultrasonic wave device to generate ultrasonic bubbles with approximately 100 times* the cleaning power of conventional fully automatic washing machines, these new models remove stubborn dirt in shirt collars and cuffs in no time at all.
These washing machines were also widely recognized for their advanced environmental friendliness, using recycled plastic for parts like the outer washing tub.
- * Spot cleaning effectiveness compared to fully automatic washing machine
Sharp Welcomes Visitors to the LCD Future at Inpaku Online Fair
Sharp had its own virtual pavilion at the government-sponsored Internet Fair 2001 Japan (Inpaku) from December 31, 2000 to December 31, 2001. Dubbed "Welcome to the LCD Future," Sharp's site was divided into three sections: a house introducing lifestyles of the future, an online community where visitors could register for members-only privileges, and an LCD museum showing LCD principles and applications. The online community was a big hit, with things like message boards, diaries, and a members-only currency system. It was also one of Inpaku's most popular sites, getting heavy viewer traffic and winning the Best Idea Prize for October and November.