Akitio 被 OWC 併購，未來 Thunderbolt 儲存裝置市場會有變化。
美國時間 1 月 3 日，OWC 宣布併購 Akitio，但相關交易金額與細節並沒有在新聞稿中揭露。
雖然新聞稿在美國時間 1 月 3 日公布，但在 Akitio 官網上則是顯示公司在 2019 年 1 月 1 日就被 OWC 併購。
OWC 與 Akitio 的角色和定位有些相似，近年專注在 Thunderbolt 3 相關設備上，而這次併購相信會強化 OWC 在市場上的領導地位與角色；全名為 Other World Computing 的 OWC 成立於 1988 年，總部位在美國伊利諾州的 Woodstock，而 Akitio 總部則是位在美國加州 Orange County。
就現階段來說，OWC 與 Akitio 雙品牌會持續在市場上出現。
WOODSTOCK, IL – January 3, 2019 – OWC®, a leading zero emissions Mac and PC technology company, today announced it has acquired Akitio, a maker of premium external computer storage products and accessories with an emphasis on ThunderboltTM 3 technology. The acquisition brings together two of the leading innovators in Mac and PC storage, expansion and performance kits in the world. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
“This acquisition gives us the opportunity to strengthen our core prosumer lineup and market reach with photography, video and music pros with some really exceptional new offerings,” said Larry O’Connor, OWC Founder & CEO. “Our product lines and brands are quite complementary, with Akitio bringing a strong reputation in the Windows space and segments like performance gaming, AR/VR, high-end creative strengths to our base. I see tremendous opportunities ahead for our team and our customers.”
OWC’s Woodstock facility will serve as worldwide headquarters for all OWC brands including Akitio, and the Akitio California and international teams will remain and continue onboard at their current locations. Management was quick to announce that customer support will remain first class for all existing lines including the award-winning support now behind Akitio brand products. All warranties will be honored as provided in the original purchase.
“The new combined organization brings unique market strengths, excellent geographic coverage, an outstanding engineering team, and exceptional design and product development capabilities,” said Tommy Chen, CEO of Akitio. “OWC has developed an incredible reputation in the market for delivering products that are lightning fast, high-performance and reliable, and our entire team is proud to join OWC and take that reputation even higher.”
About Akitio
Established in 1992, Akitio specializes in the design, development and manufacture of premium, high-quality external computer storage products and accessories with an emphasis on Thunderbolt technology. Akitio products are PC, Mac, and Linux compatible. Akitio also develops its own product-testing software, as well as software for simultaneous data duplication, screen shots, and security checks to streamline DIT workflow. Akitio US Headquarters are located in Orange County, California. The complete line of Akitio products can be found at www.akitio.com.About OWC
Since 1988, OWC has been about possibilities. We’re dedicated to helping tech enthusiasts and industry professionals do more and reach higher. Our trusted storage, connectivity, software and expansion solutions enable creative professionals, producers, educators and government entities to get the most out of their technology investments, protect valuable digital assets and expand their hardware’s capabilities to keep up with the demands and evolution of their work. OWC features an award-winning technical support team that is on hand 24/7 as well as an unparalleled library of step-by-step installation and support videos. In everything we do at OWC, we believe in making a better world where technology inspires imagination and everything is possible.