Datalogic S.p.A. is an Italian company working in the automatic data capture and process automation markets.[1] The group specializes in the design and production of barcode readers, mobile computers, radio-frequency identification, sensors for detection, measurement and safety, vision and laser marking systems. Datalogic products are used in many supermarkets and points of sale, at airports,[2] at shipping and postal services, and in factories[3] and hospitals worldwide.[4][5][6]

Datalogic S.p.A.
Company typeHolding (joint-stock company)
BITDAL.MI
IndustryElectronics
Founded1972; 52 years ago (1972)
FounderRomano Volta
Headquarters,
ProductsBarcode readers and products for industrial automation
RevenueIncrease € 536.6 Million (FY 2023)
Number of employees
2900+ (FY 2023)
Websitedatalogic.com

In 2023 the company recorded sales of €536.6 million:[7] Datalogic S.p.A. is listed on the STAR segment of the Italian Stock Exchange as DAL.MI. since 2001.[8]

History

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Datalogic was founded in 1972 by an engineer Romano Volta in a room in the rectory of the parish in Quarto Inferiore, on the outskirts of Bologna, in Italy.[9] Initially, production was centred on electronic devices, but soon the direction changed towards the design and production of photoelectric sensors for textile, ceramic and packaging industries. Due to the need for expansion, the plant was soon moved to the current site of Lippo di Calderara di Reno (BO).[10][11]

The first scan of a barcode in a retail store took place on June 26, 1974. A pack of chewing gum was scanned in a store in Troy, Ohio with a "Magellan Model-A": the world's first fixed retail scanner was signed by Datalogic. Today, only two copies of the original scanner are still known to exist: one kept at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C. and the other is currently exhibited in the museum at the entrance to one of the Datalogic business locations in Eugene, Oregon.[12][13][14]

In 1984 a Datalogic barcode reader was used at Linate Airport to sort baggage, the first use of a barcode reader for this purpose[15] The first RFID application in the world with use in a post office dates back to 1999, while in 2000 the Shopevolution middleware was born, the first self-shopping solution involving the use of a small handheld computer with integrated barcode reader.[16][17][18]

On June 8, 2009, Romano Volta receives the "Premio Imprese per l'Innovazione” (Business Prize for Innovation) from the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano for the company's growth both in Italy and globally resulting from investing in innovative technologies and methods.[19]

Chairman and CEO

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On 1 January 2017, Valentina Volta became the CEO of Datalogic. Volta has a graduate degree in Business Economics from the University of Bologna with a master's degree in Management from the Harvard Business School of Boston, Massachusetts, US. Before her entry into Datalogic, Dr. Volta worked for over 10 years in the Ferrero Group, with managerial roles in sales and marketing.[20]

Eng. Romano Volta, founder of the company, holds the office of Executive President. In 1997, Romano Volta received the Cavaliere del Lavoro (awarded by the President of the Italian Republic). Eng. Volta is President of Aczon S.r.l. (pharmaceutical research and biotechnology) and Hydra S.p.A.[20]

Acquisitions

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Over the years, Datalogic has acquired many subsidiary companies. These include: PSC Inc. in 2005;[21] Datasensors in 2008;[22] Evolution Robotics Retail in 2010;[23] PPT Vision in 2011;[24] Accu-Sort Systems in 2012;[25] M.D. Micro Detectors in 2021;[26] and Pekat Vision in 2022.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "Global Retail Automation Market Will Reach USD 21 Billion By 2024: Zion Market Research" (Press release). Zion Market Research. 2018-07-09. Retrieved 2018-12-31 – via Globenewswire (West Digital Communications). Key players in the global retail automation market include ZIH Corp., Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions, Inc., Pricer, Outerwall Inc., NCR Corporation, Honeywell International Inc., Fujitsu Limited, First Data Corporation, Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated, and Datalogic S.P.A.
  2. ^ "Automatic Identification Systems for Baggage Handling - Datalogic". Airport Suppliers. RBS Global Media Limited. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  3. ^ "Research and Markets - Global Barcode Scanner Market 2017-2021 with Honeywell International, Zebra Technologies & Datalogic Dominating" (Press release). Research and Markets. June 5, 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-31 – via PRNewswire.
  4. ^ "Datalogic - Ultime notizie su Datalogic" [Datalogic - Latest news on Datalogic]. Il Sole 24 Ore (in Italian). Milan, Italy. January 13, 2017. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  5. ^ "Automation | Fabbriche Intelligenti | Smart Factories" [Automation | Intelligent Factory | Smart Factories (note there is an English translation available on the same page)]. Tecn'è Lab. Milan, Italy: Open Factory Edizioni s.r.l. January 6, 2018. Archived from the original on 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  6. ^ "Datalogic, parla italiano un codice a barre su tre" [Datalogic, speaks Italian a barcode on three] (in Italian). AGI. March 11, 2016. Retrieved 2018-12-31.
  7. ^ "Datalogic". Borsa Italiana.
  8. ^ "Azioni Datalogic - Quotazioni DAL e Titoli borsa | Il Sole 24 Ore". Il Sole 24 ORE. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  9. ^ Meregalli, Severino; Salviotti, Gianluca (2011-12-05). EGEA spa (ed.). Sistemi ERP e gestione della complessit: Casi di aziende italiane in crescita (in Italian). ISBN 9788823811973. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  10. ^ MarketScreener. "DATALOGIC SpA : The bar code celebrates 40 years of success, largely thanks to Datalogic, the Italian company that created the first bar code reader for supermarkets | MarketScreener". Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  11. ^ "I gemelli siamesi dell'Emilia Romagna". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  12. ^ HistoryPod (2017-06-25). "26th June 1974: World's first barcode scanned on a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum". Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  13. ^ "Datalogic: quarant'anni di autentica esperienza". www.pmagazine.it. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  14. ^ "Special | SCAN: The DATA CAPTURE Report - Reprint" (PDF).
  15. ^ "I primi 40 anni del codice a barre portano la firma Datalogic". Il Sole 24 ORE. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  16. ^ "Datalogic innovazione tecnologica da 700% di ritorno in 7 anni | Trading | Finanza & more". www.guadagnare-con-internet-trading.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2018-12-11. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  17. ^ FrancoAngeli, ed. (2012). Top employers Italia 2012 (in Italian). ISBN 9788856845396. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  18. ^ Datalogic (2014-10-09). "Shopevolution Middleware Simplifies Self-Shopping". Retrieved 2018-09-13.
  19. ^ "IX PREMIO IMPRESE PER L'INNOVAZIONE" (PDF).
  20. ^ a b "Hydra S.p.A. - CdA" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-12-10.
  21. ^ "Datalogic compra Informatics | 01net". 01net (in Italian). 2005-03-08. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  22. ^ "Datalogic acquires Datasensor". Automation.com. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  23. ^ "Datalogic Acquires Evolution Robotics Retail". RIS News. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  24. ^ "Datalogic to acquire PPT Vision". www.vision-systems.com. Retrieved 2018-09-14.
  25. ^ "Datalogic to acquire Accu-Sort Systems". Manufacturing AUTOMATION.
  26. ^ "Datalogic S.r.l.: acquisition of M.D. Micro Detectors S.p.A." www.datalogic.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
  27. ^ "Datalogic acquires Pekat Vision". www.datalogic.com. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
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