Technology

“Business in Iran has grown over the past year. Now we have stopped our activities for the time being,” “We’ve won two larger contracts in 2017. This is not overly important, but it’s not small either. This was also an opportunity in terms of margins that we’re now losing,” (8/11/18)

"Auto supplier Duerr stops Iran business due to sanctions"

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Durr AG lists two representatives for the Iranian market on its company website.

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A division of Durr AG, Durr Somac, lists a sales office in Iran. (Company Website)

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Additionally, a subsidiary of Durr AG, Carl Schenck AG, also lists an office in Iran. (Company Website)

"As one of the companies having the most patent applications worldwide, NEC provides solutions in key areas: computers, networks and electronic equipment" (Company website).

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NEC Semiconductors ranks among the top semiconductor sales leaders worldwide in 2009. iSuppli Corporation supplied rankings for 2009 

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NEC lists a Tehran branch on its website. (Company website)
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VAFA International Trading, an international trading company based in Tehran, features a variety of NEC products on its website, including LCD monitors, plasma displays, medical displays, and projectors. (Iranian company website)

According to Business Standard, “The Company has three manufacturing facilities globally. It has its own sales offices in UAE, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Hong Kong, India, UK, USA and Singapore…Simmtronics supplies to the leading computer manufacturers and has a base of over 20 OEMs which include the top names in the IT industry like HP, IBM, LG, Samsung, Acer, PCS, Zenith, etc“ (About Simmtronics, Business Standard). 

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The company website lists a sales office in Iran. (Company website)

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Simmtronics has a global agreement with IBM, another semiconductor company that does business in Iran. (“Simmtronics Semiconductors enters into Global Agreement with IBM Corp,” Corporate Announcement, Business Standard, January 18, 2010.)

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In June 2009, an article in India's Business Standard on Simmtronics detailed its involvement in Iran: “Simmtronics Semiconductors, one of the leading brands in memory module, motherboards and VGA cards business; ranked amidst Top 5 memory companies in the world and also ranked as No. 1 memory module company in Asia-Pacific besides a few other countries announced that it has recently conducted a mega channel activation program in Iran. Simmtronics has been successfully selling memory products in Iran for the past three years.

The channel activation program organized by Simmtronics in the capital city Tehran was well attended as over 200 channel partners from various cities of the country participated enthusiastically in it...

 “According to Mr. Indrajit Sabharwal, Managing Director, Simmtronics Semiconductors Limited, “This is in accordance with our strategy to expand and enhance our business presence globally. Iran is an important and promising market for us. We wish to increase our channel partner network in the country as there’s an immense potential for our products. Our strategy is to appoint channel partners in the unrepresented markets of Iran such that we leverage on the burgeoning demand that they have exhibited in the recent past. This initiative shall further boost our market share in the country.

Lately, as per the international trend, the demand for laptop memory has shown a decent traction in Iran in comparison to that for desktops. Simmtronics recognizes this as an important opportunity and is striving to tap the same through its dedicated channel network. Besides this, the replacement and upgrade market in Iran has also grown tremendously. Increase in adoption of heavier applications by businesses calls for higher memory which has fuelled replacement and upgrades to a new high. This business is as big as that of new purchase for Simmtronics in Iran.

Digital ME is Simmtronics’ Exclusive Partner in Iran for motherboards, VGA cards and memory modules. Simmtronics memory modules sales is Iran is being headed by Ms. Samira Keshmiri.  According to her, “This was for the very first time that a memory company in Iran conducted a channel activity. Therefore, the response was overwhelming. Channel partners in Iran look forward to such informative and business enhancing sessions. Simmtronics played the role of a responsible vendor who genuinely cares about its channel community and is not just another box-pusher with an eye on numbers only” (“Simmtronics headed to become No. 1 memory products company in Iran,” Corporate Announcement, Business Standard, July 8, 2009).

Danfoss A/S (“Danfoss”), was listed as a participant at the 16th International Exhibition of Transportation Urban Services & Related Industries (“ITUF”), which took place at the Tehran International Permanent Fairground from January 2-5, 2019.

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"Last year we opened an office in Teheran and was helped in our strategy by a business case study conducted by three students from Copenhagen Business School, Tenna Skov Thorsted, Ditte Sofie Nielsen and Tessa Zweidorff Jakobsen."  (June 15, 2017)

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Lists Local distributors in Iran.

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The Danfoss Group is a private, family-owned global company that manufactures products and solutions for Refrigeration and Air Conditioning, Heating, Water, and Motion Controls.

According to its website, “Danfoss is one of the largest industrial companies in Denmark. The global group is a leader within research, development and production, sales and service of mechanical and electronic components for several industries. Danfoss has a large ownership share in one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of mobile hydraulics, Sauer-Danfoss. Danfoss seeks to obtain its goals with a minimal consumption of raw materials and energy, the least possible impact on its surroundings and the most efficient use of resources. Danfoss has a long tradition for a social responsibility towards both employees and the surrounding environment” (Company website).

Danfoss produces “about 250,000 items per day at 93 factories in 25 countries,” and encompasses “140 sales companies and more than 450 agents and distributors all over the world” (Company website).

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Danfoss lists twelve contacts for Iran on its sales and services page, eleven of which are distributors with offices in Tehran. (Company Contact page).

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Techno Service Commercial Co., one of the companies listed in Danfoss’s website, describes itself as “the agent of Danfoss for Plate Heat Exchangers in Iran.” The Danfoss logo and products appear throughout the website. (Iranian Distributor website)
 

Emerson subsidiary, Rosemount, is featured on the website of the Iranian firm, DIBAGARAN FARAYAND (DIFACO).

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The Iranian firm, Raya Tosee Tajhiz Paya (“Raya Tosee”), claims to be an authorized agent of Emerson in Iran.  (Raya Tosee Website, “Home.”). 

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Iranian sales agent Fatehin Sanat claims to have existing business ties with Aventics and Emerson. 

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In response to an inquiry for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's Office of Global Security Risk regarding potential Iran business ties, Emerson Electric wrote:

"Emerson’s U.S. subsidiaries have been prohibited from conducting business with Iran, directly or indirectly, under the Company’s trade compliance requirements since the initial imposition of U.S. sanctions against Iran in 1995.

"After 1995 and before July, 2010, some of Emerson’s foreign subsidiaries, primarily in Europe, continued to transact a limited amount of lawful business with Iran.  This involved the sale of process equipment such as valves, transmitters and controllers; climate control equipment such as compressors; and, electric motors, drives, and uninterruptible power supply equipment.  That business was primarily conducted indirectly through OEMs, engineering companies and distributors.
 
"In July, 2010, after the passage of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act of 2010, Emerson’s foreign subsidiaries implemented a prohibition on all new business with Iran, direct or indirect, even if such sales would have been legal.  When there was a legal basis for doing so, Emerson’s foreign subsidiaries terminated contracts that were entered prior to this ban.  Contracts for which there was no legal basis for termination remained in place, with a view to winding them down as soon as possible.  During the second quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company completed its remaining contracts." (SEC Correspondence, 3/16/2012)

Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer, specializing in motherboards. “Our reputation as a pioneer in motherboard innovation has allowed us to diversify our product range to include graphics cards, notebooks, desktop PCs, PC components, cellular phones, server and datacenter solutions, and more” (Company website).

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Avajang, an Iranian IT distributor, features the Gigabyte logo on its homepage, and lists several news articles on Gigabyte motherboards throughout the page. (Avajang website)

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Gigabyte lists Avajang as one of its Middle East distributors. (Company website)

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ITP.net describes Gigabyte market activities in Iran and the Middle East: “Golden Systems acts as Gigabyte’s sole distributor for the UAE and Iran, while the vendor has multiple partnerships for other Middle East markets. Gigabyte enjoys high market share in Iran and is looking to replicate that success in both Saudi Arabia and Egypt” (ITP.net, "Gigabyte plans regional base", 10/19/04).

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Gigabyte has its own page through Iran ICT news, featuring news on its products and Gigabyte’s place in the Iranian market. (Gigabyte Iran ICT News website)

"US-based Nvidia continues to block Iranian Internet users from accessing parts of its website, according to one source in Tehran. Financial Tribune can confirm that the software download page of Nvidia.com does not allow Iranian IP addresses to access updated software. The site now says "403 – Forbidden. Nvidia has a representative in Iran through a company called Avajang ICT Group. Financial Tribune contacted the company to find what was going on." (August 28, 2017)

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According to its website, “NVIDIA awakened the world to the power of computer graphics when it invented the GPU in 1999. Since then, it has consistently set new standards in visual computing with breathtaking, interactive graphics available on devices ranging from tablets and portable media players to notebooks and workstations. NVIDIA's expertise in programmable GPUs has led to breakthroughs in parallel processing which make supercomputing inexpensive and widely accessible. The company holds more than 1,100 U.S. patents, including ones covering designs and insights which are fundamental to modern computing” (Company website)

“…NVIDIA was founded in 1993, by Jen-Hsun Huang, who had previously served at LSI Logic and AMD, and Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem, whocame from Sun Microsystems…It has some 5,700 employees in more than 20 countries.” (Company Website)

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Avajang ICT Group, an IT and semiconductor distributor in Tehran, features Nvidia in its list of products and in product news on its homepage. (Avajang Company website)

Avajang claims to be "one of the most prolific group of IT companies in the country...the distributor of personal computer components such as motherboards, graphic cards, memory, CPU’s and accessories in Tehran and other major cities. Avajang company is a respected member of the “IT Counsel” of Iran. They have over 250 direct channels throughout their covered region" (Avajang Company website).

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Nvidia is featured in several news articles on Shahrsakhtafzar.com ("City Hardware"), an Iranian hardware website. Nvidia is also discussed in the product reviews page that focuses on Iranian markets. (Iranian Hardware website)

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A graphic board product powered by NVIDIA® GeForce 8800GTS Graphics Processing Unit is listed on the mainpage of Tehran computer component distributor, Darya Computer. (Iranian distributor website)

Environmental Systems & Services (ES&S) is an "advanced technology company, specialising in solutions in environmental and allied fields such as meteorology, hydrology, seismology, oceanography, air quality, and geotechnical engineering" (Company Website). It describes itself as the "largest Australian company" to specialize in these fields, and is an instrument supplier to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology as well as several other government bureaus throughout South Asia and Oceania (Company Website).

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ES&S lists Iran as a country in which it has representatives, and lists three separate Iranian companies that act as distributors for its products to be sold in Iran (Company Website). 

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ES&S describes itself as possessing "extensive representation arrangements with manufacturers from USA" and maintains a San Diego office (Company Website). 

“Intel does not currently sell to parties in the following countries or territories: Iran [etc.]” (Company Website)

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In 2009, Intel was issued a "show cause notice" by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for trading with countries such as Iran, Syria, Cuba and Sudan.  The SEC's letter was marked confidential, and asked the company to provide "any and all business transaction records for the business conducted with the banned countries." 

The letter states: “We are aware of a May 2008<>   news report that PCs in Cuba contain your Celeron Processors.<>   Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria are identified by the State Department as state sponsors of terrorism, and are subject to U.S. economic sanctions and export controls. We note that your Form 10-K does not include disclosure regarding contacts with Cuba, Iran, Sudan, and Syria. Please describe to us the nature and extent of any past, current, and anticipated contacts with the referenced countries, whether through distributors, resellers, licensees, or other direct or indirect arrangements.”

Wincor Nixdorf, according to its website, is one of the world’s leading providers of IT solutions and services to retailers and retail banks.  Their IT solutions "help boost process efficiency in banking and retail industries High levels of availability and quality Solutions for cost-efficient operation of IT systems Banking."

The company has subsidiaries in over 41 countries and has an overall market presence in over 100 countries. (Company Website)

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Wincor Nixdorf is listed on the website of Iranian company Informatics Services Corporation (ICS) as a business partner (ICS Company Website).  Likewise, WN lists ICS as one of its banking partners on its own website.  (Company Website) 

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The company's policy on "Social Corporate Responsibiliy" is as follows:

“Success …depends on…achieving a balance between economic, environmental and social objectives – one that is indispensable if we wish to enjoy the confidence of the public over the long term.”  The policy also cites three key values: Caring for the environment, Focus on people, and Social responsibility.  (Company Website)