NEC Corporation (日本電気株式会社, Nippon Denki Kabushiki Gaisha^?), a Japanese multinational provider of information technology (IT) services and products, its headquarters in Minato, Tokyo, Japan.NEC, part of the Sumitomo Group, provides information technology (IT) and network solutions to business enterprises, communications services providers and government. The company used the name Nippon Electric Company, Limited, before re-branding in 1983. As a chip maker, before its merger with Renesas Technology, NEC Semiconductors was among the worldwide top 20 semiconductor sales leaders.

Kunihiko Iwadare and Takeshiro Maeda established Nippon Electric Limited Partnership on August 31, 1898 by using facilities that they had bought from Miyoshi Electrical Manufacturing Company. Iwadare was the representative partner. Maeda handled company sales. Western Electric, who had an interest in the Japanese phone market, was represented by Walter Tenney Carleton. Carleton was also responsible for the renovation of the Miyoshi facilities. It was agreed that the partnership would be reorganized as a joint-stock company when treaty would allow it. On July 17, 1899 the revised treaty between Japan and the United States went into effect. Nippon Electric Company, Limited was organized the same day with Western Electric Company to become the first Japanese joint venture with foreign capital. Iwadare was named managing director. Ernest Clement and Carleton were named as directors. Maeda and Mototeru Fujii were assigned to be auditors. The overall management was handled by Iwadare, Maeda and Carleton.