From the early days to becoming a global player

The 1980s marked the dawn of personal computers, and keyboard-based text input was the norm. In 1984, Wacom launched the world’s first pen tablet with cordless stylus input, the “WT Series,” and took the first step in developing and providing an intuitive interface using a digital pen. In 1987, Wacom commercialized the “SD Series” wireless pen tablet, using electromagnetic resonance (EMR®) technology, which forms the basis of Wacom’s digital pen technology today.

Wacom pen tablets have been used in the design process of a variety of products since 1988. While global sportswear brands and European car manufacturers were among the first to adopt this new technology in their design processes, they were soon followed by leading film and animation studios, bringing our favorite movies, television programs and video games to life. This paved the way for a wider adoption of Wacom pen tablets by artists and designers at every stage of their creative development.

During this period, Wacom also expanded its business worldwide, establishing a sales company for Europe in Neuss, Germany in 1988 and another in Vancouver, Washington, USA in 1991.

Wacom’s pen tablet business has grown over the years thanks to widespread support from designers and creators around the world. While it has continued to refine its technology with numerous digital pen patents, Wacom began providing digital pen components for personal computers on an OEM basis in the late 1990s. Today, Wacom provides digital pen solutions for the products of many IT manufacturers, including Samsung and Lenovo, as well as various stationery manufacturers.

Our commitment to “writing and drawing” through digital technology

In April 2018, Wacom positioned itself as a “technology leadership” company in the field of digital pens and digital ink and adopted the vision of “Life-long Ink” based on the idea and commitment of supporting people’s “writing and drawing” experiences throughout their lives. The act of “writing and drawing” can be seen throughout our daily lives, and there are many businesses, companies, and organizations that form ecosystems. Wacom continues to refine its digital pen and ink technologies, and together with its partners, make the experience of “writing and drawing ” more enjoyable, convenient, and meaningful in our lives through digital technology.

In the coming years, Wacom will also deliver new experiences based on digital pen and ink technologies around artificial intelligence (AI), extended reality (XR), and security applications. By continuing to collaborate with partners in respective fields, Wacom strives to offer attractive experiences with its product lines and services that support the creativity of designers and creators, as well as businesspeople and students, providing digital pen and ink experiences that fully integrate into people’s daily lives.