VIDEOTON Holding Ltd. (currently)

Currently: Fittings and components for contract manufacturing, automotive, household, cosmetic devices, and general industrial activities.

A multi-technology supplier in the field of manufacturing complete products, modules and components

A complex service provider in the field of site operation, with its own industrial parks

Electronic and mechanical design

Before 1990 (basically telecommunications and computer science are the main profiles), so

Radio receivers 1955-1990

Speakers, sound boxes 1955-1990 Television sets 1959-199

Military electronics 1955-1990

Optical devices in 1986 still work today!

Computer Science 1969-1990

Initially until 1952: Military pyrotechnic devices (munitions)

Major news, radio, and TV productions

The first radio was the R545 ("Jubilate"), later several other radios, such as the Lacsirta radios

Most successful TV brands: TC 1620 Mini-Vidi, Color Star, Munkácsy, Thomson

Memorable stereo radios, the Orpheus and the Prometheus

Largest production of car radios for the Zhiguli car

Various speakers and loudspeakers

Major military products

radio transceivers (R108 to R125)

Within the framework of the Warsaw Pact: PHOJBOSZ, ARBALET and SZAHARA projects

Major optical media

compact disc reader

magneto-optical data carrier

OPU optical pick-up

Major computer products

1010B, R-10, R-12,R-10M (VT60), R-11, R11R, R-15, CM-52, R11Y

displays: VT340, VDT 52100, VDX, VDN (see Videoton computer products 1970-1990 (lecture by Mátyás Gerlai)

line printers: VT24000, 25000, 27000, 23000

dot matrix printer: 21xxx family

Personal computer: VT110, VT160

Minicomputers: VT20 family

Engineering Workstations: VT32, VT320

Predecessor: Hunting Cartridge, Fuse and Metalware Factory from 1938 (1700 employees)

From 1946: Hunting cartridge factory,

It was nationalized in 1948,

Broadcasting technology from 1952, serial production of radios from 1955, TV production from 1959, then the name was Videoton Radio and Television Factory

In 1968, the Electronic Precision Mechanics Research Institute (EFKI) was attached to the company, under the name VIDEOTON Development Institute (VIFI).

From 1971, the production of computers and electronic devices also began, later it was called Videoton Electronics Company, with factories in Ajka, Enying, Sárbogárd, Tab and Veszprém.

It was privatized in 1991, from then on it was characterized by the production of general industrial products and household products and its name was Videoton Holding Rt.

At the end of 1944, the German army removed the more valuable machines, so production started with difficulty after the war. From 1946, the company, under the name of the Hunting Cartridge Factory, produced all kinds of consumer goods from horseshoes to auxiliary engines.

After the nationalization in 1948, partly due to the Cold War that broke out after Churchill's Fulton speech, military and pyrotechnic tasks were brought back for a while, but they were soon disorganized to various parts of the country, so that this profile in the Székesfehérvár factory was practically reduced to zero.

In 1952, the decision was made to switch to broadcasting technology, and mass production of radios began in 1955.

The first radio, the R545, called "Jubilate", was produced in 100,000 units, but by 1958, 220,000 radios had been produced.

The first black-and-white television set left the factory in 1959, and by the end of the sixties, more than 200,000 TV sets were being produced annually, creating real competition between ORION and the company in domestic stores.

Based on the specialization within the CEEC, the company also produced complete components for export, which the "sister companies" compensated mainly with the supply of picture tubes. The production of military electronics products also started in 1959, radio transceivers were manufactured under Soviet license, and mobile news systems were also produced.

Their popular product was the portable TV set, the best known being the TC 1620 Mini-Vidi. The black and white sets were made with integrated circuits from 1978, the first color TV was the Color Star, made in Soviet cooperation, followed by the self-developed Munkácsy. 121,000 units of the T-5391 were sold.

The contract with the Zsiguli factory gave a great boost to the production of car radios, and in the seventies more than one million were exported. The first domestic hi-fi stereo radios, the Orpheus and the Prometheus, were made in Székesfehérvár.

Participating in the Unified Computing System (UCS), it copied IBM's then-state-of-the-art 360 series. The R-10 was not compatible with the IBM 360, but it became a member of the UCS.

The international obligations undertaken have necessitated the adoption of broad government measures, including:

– The Computer Science Coordination Institute (SZKI) was established to coordinate the fulfillment of international obligations.

– The domestic production base, VIDEOTON, was selected through several iterations. The company's technological level, organization, and financial strength guaranteed the successful implementation of the program.

– In order to expand VIDEOTON's development capacities, the Electronic Precision Mechanics Research Institute (EFKI) was attached to the company in 1968, under the name VIDEOTON Development Institute (VIFI).

– VIDEOTON was entrusted with the coordination of the Hungarian National Television Program, strengthening VIDEOTON's weight in the KMST cooperation. János Kázsmér was delegated to the Chief Designer's Council.

The smallest member of the KMST computer family, the R-10, was manufactured by Videoton from 1971. Its exports were significant, and from that time on the company was considered one of the strongholds of domestic computer industry development. In 1981, after the R-10s were discontinued, the R-10-M was launched, followed by the medium-performance R-11, R-15 and CM-52. From 1979, it produced video terminals compatible with the products of various major manufacturers.

Videoton was listed among the top ten largest Hungarian companies. As a result of significant investments, it was the largest and most modern telecommunications company in Central and Eastern Europe.

The development of optical systems started in the 1980s.

Key people from the beginning to 1990 at Videoton

Dr. László Ábrahám Technical Director, CEO

András Tóth, Chief Technology Development Engineer

Chief Engineer József Dörnyei

Károly Matók Production Director       

Key people at the Videoton Development Institute (VIFI) before 1990

Chief Engineer Gyula Turányi

Chief Engineer Nándor Csurgyók

Zoltán Ujvári, Chief Engineer

István Baráth, optical project manager

Key people at the Videoton Computer Factory before 1990

József Mohos, factory director

Antal Kudich, factory unit director

Ferenc Kiss, factory director

Antal Máté, factory unit director

László Hajma, factory unit director      

The company found itself in a difficult situation after the change of regime in 1990 – especially due to the lack of orders from Eastern Europe. In 1991, liquidation began, and it was finally purchased by a consortium of three private individuals, the Euroinvest company, and MHB. Later, MHB sold its share to the co-owners. The new company began its activities as a supplier under the name VIDEOTON Holding Rt.: it manufactured electronics, IT, automotive, household appliance, and telecommunications equipment and components. From 1994, new production halls were built, the company entered into cooperation with a number of multinational companies – such as IBM and Philips –, purchased new rural sites, and, leaving its previous contract work activity, became a contract product manufacturer. As a result of the increased production capacities, the number of employees of the group of companies increased to 17,500 by the end of 2000. The largest Hungarian privately owned industrial company with a complex production portfolio

Current senior managers include:

• Zoltán Horváth, Director, International Projects
• Simonné Dr. Erzsébet Vágó, Legal Director
• Gábor Káldi, Controlling Director
• Zsuzsa Lászlófalviné Gönczy, Managing Director VIDEOTON Automotive Electronics Ltd.
• András Gerber, Managing Director, VIDEOTON Elektro-PLAST Ltd.
• Csaba Klambauer, Managing Director, VIDEOTON EAS Ltd.

The total number of Videoton employees: