Saitek is a designer and manufacturer of consumer electronics founded in 1979 by Swiss technologist Eric Winkler. They are best known for their PC gaming controllers, mice, keyboards, and their numerous analogue flight controllers such as joysticks, throttles, and rudder pedals.
Most Saitek products have been rebranded as Logitech G products since their acquisition by the company.
History
SciSys Chess Companion II (1983)In 1987, Saitek developed the Pocket Plus in collaboration with Garry Kasparov.
Saitek (originally called SciSys until 1987) was founded in 1979 by Swiss technologist Eric Winkler as a manufacturer of electronic chess games. By the 1990s the company had distribution and design offices in the United States, Germany, France and the United Kingdom. It had also built a factory in China and had started to provide outsourced manufacturing services to Western brands. In 1994, Saitek acquired Hegner & Glaser's successful Mephisto line of chess computers. Saitek diversified into PC peripherals, focusing on game controllers for flight simulation, driving and first-person gaming. Saitek has also expanded into PC peripherals, with an emphasis on input, connectivity and multimedia. In 2005, Saitek launched a high fidelityaudio product line for PC & iPod.
On November 14, 2007, Mad Catz announced that they had purchased Saitek for $30 million. However, the company’s manufacturing operations remained independent and were renamed Ryder Industries. Ryder Industries continued as an electronics manufacturing services (EMS) provider focused on high-mix, low-volume manufacturing for original equipment manufacturers.
On September 15, 2016, Logitech announced that they had purchased the Saitek brand and assets from Mad Catz for $13 million in cash.
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