Who Owns Aten Technology?

ATEN International was established on July 6, 1979, as HOZN Automation Co., Ltd., with paid-in capital of NT$2,000,000. The company was founded by Kevin Chen, who had a passion for electronics R&D. The first products were introduced in 1981, starting with a central control series for home appliances that could monitor and operate security sensors, lighting, and power switches remotely.

In 1982, the company introduced its first DATA Switch BOX products, which laid the groundwork for its later KVM switch business. The company was renamed ATEN International Co., Ltd. in 1988 and began manufacturing power supplies for computers. The name ATEN was chosen to represent the company's focus on connectivity and automation technology.

A major milestone came in the late 1990s when ATEN launched the world's first USB KVM switch at the Comdex Fall exhibition in the United States. This product established ATEN as an innovator in the KVM switch market and opened the door to international expansion. The company moved its headquarters to its current location in Xizhi District (then Sijhih City), Taipei (now New Taipei City).

In 1999, ATEN established IOGEAR, a United States-based subsidiary focused on consumer electronics and IT accessories. IOGEAR brought ATEN's KVM technology to the consumer and small office market in North America, offering desktop KVM switches, USB hubs, and docking stations. IOGEAR is headquartered in Irvine, California.

ATEN went public on the Taiwan Stock Exchange in 2003, becoming the only listed pure-play KVM manufacturer in the world. The listing provided capital for R&D expansion and global growth. In 2006, ATEN expanded its R&D scale and established its R&D headquarters in Taiwan. A European Operations Center was inaugurated in Belgium in 2009.

The company launched its Professional AV product line in 2010, expanding beyond KVM switches into audiovisual switching and matrix solutions. This move positioned ATEN at the convergence of KVM and professional AV markets. In 2012, ATEN added a Green Energy product line, offering intelligent PDUs for data center energy management.

By 2015, ATEN achieved the highest KVM revenue in Europe and Asia among KVM switch manufacturers. The company had established 24 showrooms worldwide by 2018. ATEN now holds over 600 issued international patents and operates subsidiaries and regional offices in China, Japan, South Korea, Belgium, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Poland, India, Romania, South Africa, Indonesia, and Mexico.

ATEN's product portfolio has grown to over 1,000 integrated products across KVM, professional AV, USB, racks, and intelligent power categories. The company serves corporate, government, education, healthcare, manufacturing, broadcasting, media, and transportation environments. R&D centers in Taiwan, China, and Canada drive ongoing product development.

In 2023, ATEN faced headwinds from inflation, interest rate hikes, and cyclical factors that limited demand in terminal markets. Consolidated net sales revenue fell 5% to NT$5,156 million. However, the gross profit margin remained strong at 59.9%. The company has since focused on production capacity optimization, diverse channel strategies, and product diversity to drive recovery.