Happy 40th Anniversary, Buffalo Technology!

May 13, 2015

A Rich History of Innovation

2015 is a special year for Buffalo Technology as this month marks the company’s 40th anniversary. Established in 1975 by Makoto Maki, MELCO (Maki Engineering Lab COmpany) was founded as an audio equipment manufacturer with its headquarters in Nagoya, Japan. The company has since grown into a leading global networking and storage solutions provider, crafting an innovative history of first-to-market technologies and critical acclaim in the process.

To celebrate this significant milestone, we pulled together highlights from the last 40 years that help tell the story of who we are and where we came from.

What’s in a Name?

The company launched the “PB-32″ EEPROM printer buffer in 1982. Since there is no native Japanese word for “Buffer,” the proper Japanese version of “Buffer” was used for naming purposes:

バッファー or “Buhh Fahh”

The word sounds like “Buffalo” when spoken. Overtime, Buffalo successfully launched many printer buffers that are still used today. As a result, just about everybody in the world has used Buffalo technology.

Innovative at an Early Age

[record player_b&w] Buffalo manufactured high-end audio equipment before it released printer buffers. In 1978, it launched a string driven record player that used a thin, silk-threaded string drive as opposed to the more traditional rubber belt. This resulted in a turntable system with quiet and consistent operation. The record player featured a heavy-duty 24 pole synchronous drive, aluminum siding, a brass pulley and base option made of cast iron or wood.

History of Firsts

In the early 1980s, Buffalo entered the PC peripheral market with the successful launch of its printer buffer. Since then, the company established a history of engineering prowess and was first-to-market for a variety of storage and networking products:

  • January 1999 – First Wireless Router
  • December 2002 – First Draft-11g Wi-Fi Products Shipped
  • November 2003 – First NAS Appliance
  • January 2005 – First RAID NAS Appliance
  • April 2006 – First Draft-11n Wi-Fi Products Shipped
  • November 2009 – First USB 3.0 Storage
  • January 2012 – First Draft-11ac Wi-Fi Solution Demonstrated at CES
  • May 2012 – First Draft-11ac Wi-Fi products shipped
  • June 2012 – First Thunderbolt + USB 3.0 Hybrid Device
  • May 2013 – First DDR Memory Buffer DAS Drive

 

 

So here’s to all the individuals that have contributed to Buffalo’s success over the decades. We look forward to another 40 years of designing cutting-edge solutions that make people’s lives better!

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