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Olivetti

Olivetti S.p.A. is an Italian technology company known for its typewriters, calculators, and later computers and office equipment. Founded in 1908 by Camillo Olivetti in Ivrea, Piedmont, it grew from a small workshop into a leading European producer of office machines. In the postwar era Olivetti expanded internationally and became a model of industrial design, combining engineering with contemporary aesthetics.

Notable products include the Lettera 22 portable typewriter, the first programmable desktop calculator Programma 101 (1964),

Design and culture: Olivetti fostered modern design through collaborations with designers and architects such as Marcello

Later decades: Facing financial challenges in the late 20th century, Olivetti reorganized its business from manufacturing

and
the
Elea
9003,
one
of
Europe’s
early
transistorized
computers
(1959).
The
Programma
101
is
regarded
by
many
as
a
precursor
of
the
personal
computer.
Olivetti
also
developed
the
Valentine
typewriter
(1969),
designed
by
Ettore
Sottsass,
which
helped
cement
the
company’s
reputation
for
design.
Nizzoli
and
Ettore
Sottsass.
The
company’s
products
became
symbols
of
Italian
modernism
and
were
featured
in
museums
around
the
world.
towards
IT
services
and
digital
office
solutions.
The
Olivetti
brand
persists,
with
operations
in
Europe
and
beyond,
and
the
Ivrea
campus
houses
the
Museo
Storico
Olivetti,
which
preserves
its
historical
products
and
design
archives.