NEC Corporation, previously named Nippon Electric Company, Limited, is a Japanese multinational IT company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The corporation provides information technology and network solutions to business enterprises, communication service providers and government.

On this day, July 17th, in 1899, a revised treaty between Japan and the United States went into effect with regards to the merging of two companies. What was then Nippon Electric Company, Limited, merged with the Western Electric Company to form the first Japanese joint venture with foreign capital. Kunihiko Iwadare was appointed to be the managing director.

Over the years, NEC began to branch out into new fields. The company grew large enough to start its radio communications business, develop photo-telegraphic equipment, carrier transmission equipment, and successfully test microwave multiplex communications.