The idea for the company that would eventually become ASUS began as a conversation in a coffee shop in Taipei, where a few ambitious engineers shared a dream of creating a “small and beautiful company.”

Within eight months, these engineers had created the Cache 386/33 and ISA 486/25 — two personal computer motherboards used in industry-leading products built by IBM and ALR. With the success of these early motherboards, Taiwan became known globally as a hub for high-quality IT products.

As the business quickly developed, ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih actively trained and mentored the company’s new engineers, focusing on advanced electronics theory and product development. He also spearheaded the design of new motherboards, maintaining a passionate focus on innovation.

Talent acquisition became a top priority for the company. Technical experts from all over Taiwan were brought in to design and develop new technologies for computer peripherals, multimedia devices, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). At this time, at least 2 percent of revenue and 10 percent of headcount were designated specifically to R&D. On a percentage basis, this significant investment in R&D was on par with the world’s leading IT companies.

Early in the new millennium, a new Lean Thinking initiative was set into motion, integrating key elements of the Six Sigma principles. This new initiative — the ASUS Way — placed an emphasis on encouraging employees to reach their potential while improving efficiency across the organization.

As the company expanded various product lines, it also developed a unique sub-brand called Republic of Gamers (ROG), a division dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming gear. A special committee was formed to oversee the ROG brand and to guide development of leading-edge products known for performance and quality.

During this period, ASUS also introduced the revolutionary Eee PC — a new form factor that captured the imagination of people around the world. Launching a new era of personal mobile computing, the Eee PC became a global top-seller and received scores of international awards. The momentum and recognition from the global success of the Eee PC launched ASUS to the forefront of the industry and transformed the company into a leading international consumer electronics brand.

With product lines rapidly developing, Chairman Jonney Shih led an initiative to split the company into three distinct businesses. This strategic decision helped to focus the brand by creating a clear separation between ASUS product lines and the component supply side of the business.

As these significant organizational shifts were taking place, ASUS continued to capture market share with its now world-renowned motherboards. By 2006, the company was shipping more than 55 million motherboards per year, and it had captured more than 33 percent of global market share — elevating ASUS to the undisputed No.1 motherboard brand in the world.

Moving into the second decade of the 21st century, ASUS management recognized that there was an opportunity to positively impact local and global communities through efforts related to sustainability.

As the ASUS Foundation expanded efforts to help close the digital divide, the GreenASUS group initiated product design and supply initiatives that transformed the business. These new, organization-wide sustainable practices were quickly recognized and praised by environmental groups and media outlets around the world.

By 2009, ASUS had created the first motherboards to pass Energy Star 5.0 certification, and CNN and Times magazine had recognized ASUS as a leading green technology company.

Building on 12 consecutive years ranked as a top-three international brand from Taiwan by Interbrand, in 2011 ASUS initiated a new brand promise that captured the spirit behind our never-ending question for perfection: In Search of Incredible.

By 2016, the company hit its stride — winning a record-setting 4,385 awards. That same year, Fortune magazine named ASUS among its World’s Most Admired Companies for the second consecutive year, ranking it fourth in the Computer Industry category.

Today, the “small, beautiful company” that began at a cafe in 1989 is a global technology leader with more than 15,000 employees.

Guided by the passionate leadership of Chairman Jonney Shih, the ASUS spirit of innovation is stronger than ever as the company continues its visionary journey into the era of smart technologies.

The company continues to lead through disruptive innovation as we move forward in our relentless quest for perfection.