The OIympus sale is now complete and the imaging division is now officially called OM Digital Solutions Corp, and now belongs to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP).
The transfer of ownership was completed on 01 January, and a new company website has been launched. Former Olympus Imaging manager Shigemi Sugimoto is president of the new company.
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While no further official clarification has been made regarding the use of the Olympus brand name on products, it is notable that a number of the company's outlets – including Instagram accounts and holdover store pages – are referring to "Olympus PEN" cameras but only to "OM-D" cameras, the latter omitting the Olympus name.
Whether this is purely coincidence, or the start of a gentle transition away from the brand, remains to be seen.
"We will continue to launch innovative products in existing business areas such as cameras, audio recorders, and binoculars, while combining our inherited manufacturing capabilities with state-of-the-art digital technologies, and will provide new solutions that stretch beyond the boundaries of existing products on the market," said Sugimoto in a message on the new website.
"The launch of this new company brings together a more focused and flexible organizational structure. Moving forward, this will allow the freedom to explore new business opportunities, enabling us to contribute to society with more passion than ever."
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The official press text from Olympus regarding the completion of transfer is below.
Olympus Completes Transfer of Imaging Business
Tokyo, January 4, 2021 – Olympus Corporation (“Olympus”) concluded the transfer of its Imaging business to Japan Industrial Partners Inc. (“JIP”) on January 1, 2021. The final transfer was based on the definitive agreement both parties signed on September 30, 2020, which included details of the arrangement. With completion of the transfer, OM Digital Solutions Corporation takes over the Imaging business from Olympus.
Heads of sales and marketing and R&D for imaging products will be relocated to the headquarters of OM Digital Solutions Corporation. Production will continue at the facility in Dong Nai province, Vietnam, where imaging products have been manufactured since 2008. OM Digital Solutions Corporation will continue to provide customer support for the imaging products which have been manufactured and sold by Olympus.
”OM Digital Solutions Corporation will develop and introduce unique products to create new value while continuing to provide high-quality, highly reliable products, including the Zuiko and OM brands, which are grounded in optics and digital imaging technologies cultivated by Olympus over many years as well as IC recorder that combines advanced digital voice and sound recording technology with comfortable operability,” said Shigemi Sugimoto, Representative Director and President of OM Digital Solutions Corporation and former Imaging Division Head of Olympus..
“The Imaging business has been at the heart of Olympus since the launch of our first camera, the Semi-Olympus I in 1936, so I am delighted that it will continue to develop and thrive under OM Digital Solutions Corporation,” added Yasuo Takeuchi, President and CEO of Olympus Corporation. “Following the transfer of the Imaging business, Olympus will concentrate on Medical and Scientific Solutions, in our ongoing efforts to become a global medtech company which offers products and services to make people's lives healthier, safer and more fulfilling.”
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