Since its inception, Epson has passed down and expanded on its traditional strengths as a manufacturing company. Refining the company's super-microprocessing and precision processing technologies in the development of its watches and then expanding those technologies into other fields led to rapid progress. The breakthrough came with the launch of the EP-101 (Electronic Printer), a popular and groundbreaking product that opened up new markets. It was in the hope of sending future "sons" of this EP out into the world that the Epson brand was founded in 1975. Ever since then, high quality, high-value-added "sons" have been introduced to the market to wide acclaim.