Original equipment manufacturer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, manufactures products or components that are purchased by a company and retailed under that purchasing company's brand name.[1][2][3][4][5] OEM refers to the company that originally manufactured the product.
It is a type of contract manufacturing and a form of outsourcing.
When referring to automotive parts, OEM designates a replacement part made by the manufacturer of the original part.[6]
Contents |
[edit] Contradictory and confusing definitions
Confusingly, OEM may also refer to a company that purchases a component made by a second company for use in the purchasing company's products.[7][8][9] For instance if company 'A Inc' purchases optical drives from company 'B Ltd' that will be used in 'A Inc' computers, then 'company A' is the OEM.
An even more confusing, contradictory definition for OEM is a company that sells the product of the second company under its own brand name.[10][2]
Companies who follow the above practices are better termed VARs (value-added resellers) or resellers, respectively.
[edit] Economy of scale
The practice of utilizing OEMs relies on their ability to drive down the cost of production through economies of scale. It also allows the purchasing company to obtain the needed components or products without owning and operating a factory.
[edit] Automotive parts
An automobile part may carry the designation OEM if it is made by the same manufacturer and is the original part used when building and selling the product.[6] The term "aftermarket" is often used for non-OEM replacement parts.[6]
[edit] Origin of term
The term is defined by IBM to refer to "a manufacturer of equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer".[11]
The term OEM was used in the early 1960s by Digital Equipment Corporation and its vendors to refer to value-added resellers.[9]
[edit] See also
- Contract manufacturer
- Rebranding
- Golden sample
- Original design manufacturer
- Outsourcing
- Private label
- Value-added reseller
[edit] References
- ^ What is OEM? wisegeek.com
- ^ a b OEM searchitchannel.com's Definitions
- ^ Tracy Kidder ((C)1997). "The Soul of a New Machine - CHAPTER ONE- How to Make a Lot of Money- 16th paragrapgh, "companies known as original equipment manufacturers, or OEMs"". Random House Inc. ISBN 0-679-60261-5. Archived from the original on 2008-08-08. http://www.businessweek.com/chapter/kidder.htm#contents. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
- ^ Moving On The Economist, Jan 13th 2005
- ^ http://definitions.uslegal.com/o/original-equipment-manufacturer/
- ^ a b c Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and Aftermarket Parts thepartsbin.com
- ^ OEM Definition helpwithpcs.com
- ^ OEM Definition answers.com
- ^ a b Ken Olsen economicadventure.com
- ^ OEM webopedia.com
- ^ Dictionary of IBM and computing official IBM site