Micro-Star International

Coordinates: 25°00′25″N 121°29′13″E / 25.006954°N 121.486846°E / 25.006954; 121.486846
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Micro-Star International Co., Ltd.
Native name
微星科技股份有限公司
Company typePublic
TWSE: 2377
ISINTW0002377009 Edit this on Wikidata
IndustryComputer hardware
Electronics
Founded4 August 1986; 37 years ago (1986-08-04)
FoundersJoseph Hsu
Jeans Huang
Frank Lin
Kenny Yu
Henry Lu
HeadquartersZhonghe, New Taipei, Taiwan
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Jeans Huang, President
Products
RevenueIncrease NT$180.4 billion (2022)[1]
Increase NT$10.69 billion (2022)[1]
Increase NT$9.96 billion (2022)[1]
Websitewww.msi.com
Secondary logo

Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. (commonly known as MSI; Chinese: 微星科技股份有限公司) is a Taiwanese multinational information technology corporation headquartered in New Taipei City, Taiwan. It designs, develops and provides computer hardware, related products and services, including laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphics cards, all-in-one PCs, servers, industrial computers, PC peripherals, car infotainment products, among other products.

The company has a primary listing on the Taiwan Stock Exchange[2] and was established on August 4, 1986[3] by 5 founders – Hsu Xiang (a.k.a. Joseph Hsu),[citation needed] Huang Jinqing (a.k.a. Jeans Huang),[4][5] Lin Wentong (a.k.a. Frank Lin),[6] Yu Xian'nengyu (a.k.a. Kenny Yu),[citation needed] and Lu Qilong (a.k.a. Henry Lu).[citation needed] First starting its business in New Taipei City, Taiwan, MSI later expanded into China, setting up its Bao'an plant in Shenzhen in 2000 and establishing research and development facilities in Kunshan in 2001. It also provides global warranty service in North America, Central/South America, Asia, Australia and Europe. For example in Iran Matrix works with them.[7]

The company has been a sponsor for a number of eSports teams[8] and is also the host of the international gaming event MSI Masters Gaming Arena (formerly known as MSI Beat IT).[9][10] The earliest Beat IT tournament can be traced back to 2010, featuring Evil Geniuses winning the championship.[11]

Operations[edit]

MSI's offices in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Taiwan, serve as the company's headquarters, and house a number of different divisions and services.[12]

Manufacturing initially took place at plants in Taiwan, but has been moved elsewhere. Many MSI graphics cards are manufactured at its plant in mainland China.

The company has branch offices in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Australia and South Africa. As of 2015, the company has a global presence in over 120 countries.

Products[edit]

MSI Bravo laptop
An MSI Store. The MSI dragon greets customers at the entrance.

The company first built its reputation on developing and manufacturing computer motherboards and graphics cards. It established its subsidiary FUNTORO in 2008 for the vehicle infotainment market. It provides many computer and tech oriented products including laptops, desktops, monitors, motherboards, graphics cards, power supply products, computer cases and liquid cooler for gamers and content creators, all-in-one PCs, mobile workstations, servers, IPCs, multimedia peripherals, vehicle infotainment, and an autonomous mobility robot.[13]

When established in 1986, MSI focused on the design and manufacturing of motherboards and add-on cards. Later that year, it introduced the first over-clockable 286 motherboard.

In 1989, MSI introduced its first 486 motherboard; in 1990, its first Socket 7 based motherboard; in 1993, its first 586 motherboard; and in 1995, its Dual Pentium Pro-based motherboard. In 1997, it introduced its Intel Pentium II-based motherboard with Intel MMX Technology, along with its first graphics card product and first barebone product. In 2002, it released its first PC2PC Bluetooth & WLAN motherboard.[citation needed]

In 2000, MSI introduced its first set-top box product (MS-5205);[14] in 2003, its first Pen Tablet PC product (PenNote3100);[15] and in 2004, its first Notebook product (M510C).[16] In 2009, MSI introduced its first Ultra Slim Notebook (X320),[17] and first all-in-one PC (AP1900).[18]

MSI released their first digital audio player in 2003, in a line called MEGA.[19]

In 2008, MSI sponsored Fnatic and dived into the PC gaming market. Its GAMING series features laptops, desktops, motherboards, graphic cards, all-in-one PCs and gaming peripherals designed for gamers and power users.

In 2015, MSI teamed up with eye-tracking tech firm Tobii for the creation of eye-tracking gaming laptops.[20][21]

In early 2016, MSI announced a collaboration with HTC and has revealed Vive-ready systems to offer Virtual Reality experiences.[22][23][24][25][26][27]

MSI expanded its scope of business into Content Creation in 2018 and demonstrated creator-centric laptops at IFA 2018.[28][29][30]

The MSI Optix MPG27CQ gaming monitor was the recipient of the 27th Taiwan Excellence Gold & Silver Awards.[31]

History[edit]

MSI's five founders Joseph Hsu, Jeans Huang, Frank Lin, Kenny Yu and Henry Lu all worked for Sony before establishing MSI. Sony's corporate downsizing in 1985 brought them together. With the engineering background working for Sony, they established Micro Star International together in August 1986.

In 1997, MSI inaugurated Plant I in Zhonghe, followed by the opening of Plant III in Zhonghe in 2000. In the same year, MSI Computer (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. was established, and in 2001, MSI Electronics (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. was founded. In 2002, MSI set up its European logistics center in the Netherlands. The company went public in 1998 with an IPO on the Taipei Stock Exchange (TAIEX).[citation needed]

In 2003, MSi released the "Mega PC", a shelf stereo computer hybrid with a front panel resembling the former and desktop computer connectors on the rear.[32]

In 2017, MSI signed a laptop distribution deal with Mustek.[33] In April of the same year, MSI names certified partners for the creation of an RGB ecosystem with MSI Mystic Light Sync which includes Corsair, SteelSeries, G.Skill, Cooler Master, InWin, Phanteks, and others.[34]

Also April 2017, MSI launched "Join the Dragon" team sponsorship program to discover talented eSports teams.[35] They have partnered with ESL for ESL One events in 2018[36] and became the official partner of ESL One Cologne 2018, one of the biggest events on the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive calendar.[37] MSI sponsored the Method eSports organization in August 2018.[38] MSI partnered with ESL to bring MGA 2018 grand finals to New York. Kazakhstan's AVANGAR won the Championship.[39][40]

MSI and Ubisoft jointly presented Ambient Link (synchronized game lighting) on Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Tom Clancy's The Division 2 in 2019.[41][42][43]

In September 2020, MSI unveiled a new line of business-oriented laptops under the "Modern", "Prestige", and "Summit" lines, and a new logo specific to these models.[44]

Over the years, MSI has earned awards and recognitions, including being ranked among the Top 20 Taiwan Global Brands in 2008[45] and named one of the Top 100 Taiwan Brands in 2011.[46] In 2015, Laptop magazine ranked MSI the fourth-best laptop brand of the year,[47][48] and according to Topology Research Institute, MSI was the largest gaming laptop supplier worldwide in 2016.[49][50] MSI had also been awarded the Taiwan Excellence award for 15 consecutive years in 2013.[51] In August 2018, MSI was rated the Best Gaming Laptop Brand of 2018 by Laptop Mag. New designs of its GS65 Stealth Thin and GE63 Raider RGB laptops earned the company an 84 out of 100 and put it on the top spot.[52]

On 7 October 2020, MSI released a public statement about their subsidiary Starlit scalping MSI-made Nvidia RTX 3080 and 3090 GPUs, and selling them for higher than MSRP on eBay.[53]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, MSI refused to withdraw from the Russian market. Research by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld of Yale University put MSI in the Yale CELI List of Companies category of "Digging In - Defying Demands for Exit or Reduction of Activities", the only Taiwanese company in the database.[54] MSI issued a statement on March 28, 2022, claiming that it abides by all international regulations in terms of its sales and operations in Russia.[55]

List of CEOs[edit]

Sponsorship[edit]

The company once partnered with eSports teams Fnatic[56][57] and Cloud 9.[58]

It has also been a sponsor for a number of eSports teams worldwide, including METHOD,[59] PENTA Sports,[60] Energy eSports,[61] HWA Gaming,[62] yoe Flash Wolves,[63] NXA-Ladies,[64] Vox Eminor,[65] DeToNator,[66] Team Infused,[67] Aperture Gaming,[68] Phoenix GaminG,[69] Karmine Corp, Aiolikos FC, etc.

MSI announced a partnership with Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP in February 2022 to support the team with PC hardware throughout the MotoGP season.[70]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Micro-Star International Co., Ltd Annual Report". Micro-Star International Co., Ltd. Retrieved 4 Dec 2023.
  2. ^ "Micro-Star International Co (2377:Taiwan Stock Exchange)". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Micro-Star International Co Ltd". Bloomberg.
  4. ^ "Jin Qing Huang, Senior Vice President of Research and Development Headquarter and Director, Micro-Star International Co., Ltd". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  5. ^ "The Distro Interview: MSI Senior Vice President and co-founder, Jeans Huang". Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  6. ^ "Wen Tong Lin, Senior Vice President of Materials and Director, Micro-Star International Co., Ltd". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  7. ^ "GLOBAL WARRANTY SERVICE LOCATIONS". Archived from the original on 28 December 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  8. ^ "MSI Gaming teams". Archived from the original on 12 January 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  9. ^ "Coverage: MSI Beat IT Global 2014". Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  10. ^ "MSI Beat IT 2014: Global Gaming Competition a Spectacular Festival That Leaves All Longing For More". Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  11. ^ "Evil Geniuses win MSI BEAT IT 2010". Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  12. ^ "headquarters". Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  13. ^ "MSI unveils AMR for robot market". 14 October 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  14. ^ "Micro-Star International Announces MS-5205 Set-Top Box". Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  15. ^ "MSI PenNote 3100 Tablet PC". YouTube. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  16. ^ "MSI MEGABOOK M510C". Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  17. ^ "MSI X320 Ultra Slim Notebook". Archived from the original on 24 June 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  18. ^ "MSI AP1900 All-in-One PC". Archived from the original on 16 July 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  19. ^ "MSI Global - the Leading Brand in High-end Gaming & Professional Creation".
  20. ^ "MSI builds concept notebook with Tobii eye-tracking tech built in, seeks other OEMs". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  21. ^ "MSI Teams up with Tobii for Eye-Tracking GT72 Gaming Laptop". Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  22. ^ "MSI TEAMS WITH HTC, LAUNCHES 'MAC PRO' BOX FOR VR GAMING". 12 January 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  23. ^ "MSI, HP and Alienware reveal Vive-Ready VR PCs". 7 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  24. ^ "ALIENWARE AND MSI OFFER POWERFUL VIVE OPTIMIZED SYSTEMS". 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  25. ^ "HP, Alienware and MSI Partner with HTC to Offer Vive-Ready PCs". Archived from the original on 21 October 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  26. ^ "MSI Vortex and HTC Vive Partnership: Ultimate VR Experience?". Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2016.
  27. ^ "VIVE Ready". Archived from the original on 24 February 2016. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  28. ^ "IFA 2018: msi Unveils 'P65 Creator' For Artists & Animators". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  29. ^ "MSI announces P65 Creator – a new premium notebook for content creators". Windows Experience Blog. 31 August 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  30. ^ "IFA 2018: MSI expand Prestige range with new PS65 Creator". Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  31. ^ "Optix MPG27 series Curved Gaming Monitor". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  32. ^ "MSI Mega PC Review".
  33. ^ "Mustek and MSI sign laptop distribution deal". Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  34. ^ "MSI Mystic Light Sync Website Launched and Lists Certified Brand Partners". Vortez. Retrieved 2018-10-31.
  35. ^ "MSI Launches Gaming Team Sponsorship Program". Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  36. ^ "ESL partners with MSI for upcoming ESL One events!". Archived from the original on October 12, 2019. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
  37. ^ "ESL ONE Cologne 2018: MSI offizieller Partner des CS:GO Events". Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  38. ^ "Enter the Dragon: Method Joins Forces with MSI". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  39. ^ "MSI Partners with ESL One to Bring MGA 2018 to New York, Barclay Center". 18 July 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  40. ^ "AVANGAR WIN MSI MGA FINALS". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  41. ^ "MSI & UbiSoft team up for synchronized RGB Game Lighting". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  42. ^ "MSI and Ubisoft Presents Next-Gen Synchronized Game Lighting on The Division 2". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  43. ^ "INFORMATION ABOUT MSI MYSTIC LIGHT". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  44. ^ Hagedoorn, Hilbert. "MSI Outs Business Laptops and New MSI Logo". Guru3D.com. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  45. ^ "2008 Top Taiwan Global Brands". Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  46. ^ "MSI was named one of the Top 100 Taiwan Brands in the "Top 100 Taiwan Brands" activity, 29 August 2011". Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  47. ^ "MSI: Best and Worst Laptop Brands 2015". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  48. ^ "Best & Worst Laptop Brands 2015". Retrieved 28 April 2015.
  49. ^ "MSI is now the largest supplier of gaming notebooks worldwide". 30 July 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  50. ^ "MSI Now the Largest Gaming Notebook Player in the World, Research Claims". 9 August 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  51. ^ "MSI Taiwan Excellence Award Winner: 15 years of affirmation, 18 January 2013". 18 January 2013. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
  52. ^ "Best & Worst Gaming Laptop Brands 2018". 14 August 2018. Retrieved August 29, 2018.
  53. ^ Kan, Michale (7 October 2020). "MSI Subsidiary Caught Scalping RTX 3080, 3090 Cards on eBay". pcmag.com. Retrieved 2021-07-25.
  54. ^ "Over 750 Companies Have Curtailed Operations in Russia—But Some Remain". Yale School of Management. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
  55. ^ "MSI says it abides by international rules on sales to Russia". OCACNEWS. Retrieved 16 November 2022.
  56. ^ "Meet Fnatic LoL and MSI at PAX, 2014". Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  57. ^ "TEAM FNATIC MSI TAKES DREAMHACK, 20 June 2011". Retrieved 18 March 2015.
  58. ^ "Cloud 9 official website". Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  59. ^ "Method eSports". Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  60. ^ "PENTA Sports official website". Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  61. ^ "Energy eSports official website". Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  62. ^ "HWA Gaming". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  63. ^ "yoe Flash Wolves". Archived from the original on 18 June 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  64. ^ "NXA-Ladies". Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  65. ^ "Vox Eminor". Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  66. ^ "DeToNator". Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  67. ^ "Team Infused". Archived from the original on 13 January 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  68. ^ "Aperture Gaming". Facebook. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  69. ^ "Phoenix GaminG". Archived from the original on 21 January 2016. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  70. ^ LUMHOD, MAYNARD (17 September 2021). "MSI and Yamaha form partnership to support its eSport riders". themoderncreatures.com/. Retrieved 2022-03-08.

External links[edit]

25°00′25″N 121°29′13″E / 25.006954°N 121.486846°E / 25.006954; 121.486846