Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics Inc., most commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics corporation.

Philips is one of the largest electronics companies in the world. In 2009, its sales were €23.18 billion. The company employs 123,800 people in more than 60 countries. Philips is organized in a number of sectors: Philips Consumer Lifestyle, formerly Philips Consumer Electronics and Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care, Philips Lighting and Philips Healthcare, formerly Philips Medical Systems.

History
The company was founded in 1891 by Gerard Philips, a maternal cousin of Karl Marx, in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Its first products were light bulbs and other electro-technical equipment. Its first factory survives as a museum devoted to light sculpture. In the 1920s, the company started to manufacture other products, such as vacuum tubes. In 1927 they acquired the British electronic valve manufacturers Mullard and in 1932 the German tube manufacturer Valvo, both of which became subsidiaries. In 1939 they introduced their electric razor, the Philishave marketed in the USA using the Norelco brand name.

On 11 March 1927 Philips went on the air with a station called PCJ, now known as Radio Netherlands Worldwide. It was broadcast to the Dutch East Indies. The host of the first broadcast was Eddy Startz and from 1927 until he retired in 1969, Startz hosted a show called Happy Station, reportedly the world's longest-running shortwave radio programme, cancelled in 1995. The only time the station went off the air was when Nazi Germany invaded the Netherlands.[citation needed] Following the end of the war PCJ changed its name to Radio Netherlands and has continued broadcasting to this day.
Sports, sponsorships and naming rights
Traditionally Philips has a vested interest in sports, originally as a means to provide a healthy form of recreation for its employees. In 1913, in celebration of the Centenary of Dutch independence from France, Philips founded a sports club called Philips Sport Vereniging (Philips Sports Club), or PSV, as it is now known. The sports club encompasses all kinds of sports, but is currently most famous for its Premier League football team and its swimming team. Philips owns the naming rights to Philips Stadion, located in Eindhoven, which is home to Dutch football team PSV Eindhoven.

Abroad, Philips sponsors and has sponsored numerous sport clubs, sport facilities, and events. In 2008 Philips extended its very successful F1 partnership with AT&T Williams to include many more product groups.

Furthermore, Philips owns the naming rights to the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia and to the Philips Championship, the premier basketball league in Australia, traditionally known as the National Basketball League. Between 1988 and 1993 Philips were also the major sponsors of The Balmain Tigers, an Australian rugby league team.

Outside of sports Philips sponsors the Philips Monsters of Rock festival, held in many countries all over the world.

(Source:Wikipedia)

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