History (1996): Not 3M Anymore, But Imation

Imation is the name of the new independent and publicly owned storage and image company that 3M is launching in July.

The company explained that the name Imation is based on the Latin words informare, meaning information, and imaginari, or imagination [in fact, they are verbs and translate more accurately as “to inform” and “to imagine.” Given that their English correspondents derive directly from the same Latin roots, 3M need not have looked so far in the past to come up with this name.

Let’s hope their technology is more innovative, since 3M’s extravagant explanations do little to hide the fact that the name is a dud].

“We took our core businesses – information and imaging – and combined them with our central values – innovation and imagination – and created Imation,” said Bill Mohanan, CEO of the spin-off to be based in Oakdale, MN.

Imation represents some $2.25 billion in WW sales, in activities that include storage, medical imaging and photo products, printing and publishing systems. Under the Imation logo, for at least the next 3 years to come, will be the slogan “Borne of 3M Innovation.”

This article is an abstract of news published on the former paper version of Computer Data Storage Newsletter on issue 100, published on May 1996.