"OEM" redirects here. For other uses, see OEM (disambiguation)
Supply chain pyramid
An original equipment manufacturer (OEM) is generally perceived as a company that produces parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. The term is also used in several other ways, which causes ambiguity. It sometimes means the maker of a system that includes other companies' subsystems, an end-product producer, an automotive part that is manufactured by the same company that produced the original part used in the automobile's assembly, or a value-added reseller.[1][2]
Automotive parts
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When referring to auto parts, OEM typically refers to the manufacturer of the original equipment, that is, the parts which are then subsequently assembled and installed during the construction of a new vehicle. In contrast, aftermarket parts are those made by companies other than the OEM, which might be installed as replacements or enhancements after the car comes out of the factory. For example, if Ford used Autolite spark plugs, Exide batteries, Bosch fuel injectors, and Ford's own engine blocks and heads when building a car, then car restorers and collectors consider those to be the OEM parts.[citation needed]
Other-brand parts would be considered aftermarket, such as Champion spark plugs, DieHard batteries, Kinsler fuel injectors, and BMP engine blocks and heads. Many auto parts manufacturers sell parts through multiple channels, for example to car makers for installation during new-vehicle construction, to car makers for resale as automaker-branded replacement parts, and through general merchandising supply chains. Any given brand of part can be OEM on some vehicle models and aftermarket on others.[citation needed]
Computer software
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Microsoft is a popular example of a company that issues its Windows operating systems for use by OEM computer manufacturers via the bundling of Microsoft Windows. OEM product keys are priced lower than their retail counterparts, especially as they are purchased in bulk quantities, although they use the same software as retail versions of Windows. They are primarily for PC manufacturer OEMs and system builders, and as such are typically sold in volume licensing deals to a variety of manufacturers (Dell, HP, ASUS, Acer, Lenovo, Wistron, Inventec, Supermicro, Compal Electronics, Quanta Computer, Foxconn, Pegatron, Jabil, Flex, etc.).
These OEMs commonly use a procedure known as System Locked Pre-installation, which pre-activates Windows on PCs that are to be sold via mass distribution. These OEMs also commonly bundle software that is not installed on stock Windows on the images of Windows that will be deployed with their PCs (appropriate hardware drivers, anti-malware and maintenance software, various apps, etc.).
Individuals may also purchase OEM "system-builder" licenses for personal use (to include virtual hardware), or for sale/resale on PCs which they build. Per Microsoft's EULA regarding PC manufacturers and system-builder OEM licenses, the product key is tied to the PC motherboard which it is initially installed on, and there is typically no transferring the key between PCs afterward. This is in contrast to retail keys, which may be transferred, provided they are only activated on one PC at a time. A significant hardware change will trigger a reactivation notice, just as with retail.[3]
Direct OEMs are officially held liable for things such as installation/recovery media, and as such were commonly provided until the late-2000s. These were phased out in favor of recovery partitions located on the primary storage drive of the PC (and available for order from the manufacturer upon request) for the user to repair or restore their systems to the factory state. This not only cut down on costs, but was also a consequence of the gradual obsolescence and phasing out of optical media from 2010 onward. System builders also have a different requirement regarding installation media from Direct OEMs.[4][5]
While a clean retail media of Windows can be installed and activated on these devices with OEM keys (most commonly using the SLP key that's embedded in to the system firmware already), actual OEM recovery media that was created by the PC manufacturer (not system-builder, nor retail Windows versions) typically only works on the PC model line that was designed for it. For example, a recovery disc/USB for a Toshiba Satellite P50-B will only work on that model, and not a Satellite S55T.
Economies of scale
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OEMs rely on their ability to drive down the cost of production through economies of scale. Using an OEM also allows the purchasing company to obtain needed components or products without owning and operating a factory.
See also
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References
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A company that resells products or parts of a product of another company under its own branding
Written by
CFI TeamAn Original Equipment Manufacturer or OEM is a company that manufactures and sells products or parts of a product that their buyer, another company, sells to its own customers while putting the products under its own branding. OEMs commonly operate in the auto and computer industries.
An OEM is often the direct client of a retail company that sells directly to consumers. For instance, a Lenovo laptop computer’s parts aren’t all manufactured by Lenovo. Some parts, such as its processor or memory module, may be the products of an OEM.
Essentially, Value-Added Resellers or VARs sell products from an OEM but incorporate certain added features before doing so. The two share a mutually beneficial relationship, as VARs help OEMs sell their products and OEMs entrust their products to VARs, allowing them to sell them with more features that will enhance the operation of the products.
While an Original Equipment Manufacturer produces original equipment, an aftermarket manufacturer, on the other hand, makes products that are made to look like and work interchangeably with those of the OEM.
In simpler terms, the parts are not original products because they’ve been manufactured by companies, locally-based or foreign-based, without approval from the OEMs to produce such products. Though usually cheaper, the products are not guaranteed to function as well as the OEM product.
To better illustrate how OEMs work, let’s consider an example. Say Company A is into manufacturing memory cards. They will not produce only one type of the product but several versions of it, which are then, in turn, sold to various computer manufacturers/retailers. Those companies are value-added resellers who market directly to the public.
OEMs typically sell product licenses to use their parts to the value-added resellers they market to.
Hardware can be easily bought off the internet, whether from a retail product manufacturer or through an OEM. However, OEM hardware is usually shipped incomplete of parts such as cables and adapters that are necessary for the installation and operation of the hardware.
OEM software, like the hardware, usually doesn’t come with a lot of stuff, except for the basic software and its license key.
Here are some benefits one gets from buying OEMs:
And why not? After all, an OEM product is the same product manufactured by the original manufacturer. Though there are cheaper versions, the price of the OEM product reflects its quality.
Such products are usually not only of good quality but are also durable. For example, when buying a spare tire, an OEM tire is typically better than getting an aftermarket tire because one can be sure of the materials used in making it.
OEM parts often have a longer lifespan than aftermarket parts.
Thank you for reading CFI’s guide to Original Equipment Manufacturer. To keep learning and advancing your career, the following CFI resources will be helpful:
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