TheShoe Loc: Lacey, WA

If I had my way (fat chance of that), use of the term "OEM" would be banished from the language and the forum. It is a term that keeps changing meaning periodically and is ambiguous because of it. For example,a recent post used the phrase, "OEM Nikkor lens" apparently meaning "lens built by Nikon". That, however, is not in keeping with the current use of the term. It has changed drastically over the years. Back in the '60s, it was used as an acronym for "Other Equipment Manufacturer" meaning equipment, usually peripherals, not built by the maker of the mainframe to which they were attached (e.g., you had OEM equipment attached to your IBM m/f if you had Potter tape drives or EMC disk drives connected to it). Now it has an entirely different meaning. From Wikipedia "An Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) is a company that produces parts and equipment that may be marketed by another manufacturer. For example, if Acme Manufacturing Co. makes power cords that are used on IBM computers, Acme is an OEM." There have been other definitions attached to the acronym over the years. It has been adopted for use is several unrelated fields as well.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

In 50 years I've never known it to be anything other than "Original Equipment Manufacturer" (as opposed to third party), no matter who the sub-contractor may be. Get a car part from Buick, it's OEM, even though it may have been manufactured in Korea FOR Buick. Same with the IBM power cord - OEM from IBM.

brucewells Loc: Central Kentucky

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

I'm with you on this one, in the context of 'Original Equipment Manufacturer'. Some times it as simple as 'badge engineering', a different label and maybe a different color, sometimes built to specification, but it is equipment sold under another primary vendor's label. I used to work for Tektronix, and also Sun Microsystems, both of whom manufactured and sold their own equipment, but sometimes those products were included as part of another vendor's offering, such as ComputerVision: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computervision

Nikon does not make batteries so far as I understand. They sell batteries with a Nikon brand label. Those batteries will be manufactured by an OEM, a company other than Nikon.

graphic1 Loc: Carbondale illinois area

exactly right bruce. to take it a step further I have always taken OEM parts to be parts that meet or exceed the manufacturers specification for any given part. third party meant an outside company making parts to fit but not necessarily meet the original manufacturing spec..

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

What does OEM stand for? Thirty (ranked) definitions here with "Original Equipment Manufacturer" at number 14. "Original Harley Panhead" is number 27.

https://www.acronymfinder.com/OEM.html

Luckily, we all know what it currently stands for - just like "Full Frame" really means "double frame".

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

OEM and OHP aren't exactly the same acronym!

Hal81 Loc: Bucks County, Pa.

Wow! Im soon to be 88, I learn something new every day.

MichaelH Loc: NorCal via Lansing, MI

There are a few confusing items on that list that do not start with O, E and M. But it is on the internet so it must be correct.

My point was that we do not need to know what it used to stand for. That is for historians.

Bill_de Loc: US

I'd guess it is a small minority that find it ambiguous. Sorry for them.

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Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

It is sometimes very important, since it can reflect contractual obligations, not merely the curiosity of history.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

All the other posts aside - language, at least one still used (not a "dead" language like Latin,in most cases) change and grow just like a living thing. Sometimes we like the changes, sometimes we don't and often we don't care one way or another. But language changes, in particularly the meaning/uses of words. Sometimes the change starts as slang, sometimes in the jargon used in one profession or another and though I hate to say it as a retired teacher sometimes just from poor language skills on the part of a large segment of society.
And don't even get into adaptation of words from other languages.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

If you buy a Canon battery, it's OEM, Lenmar is not.

Now over time if the reference is continuously misused, it will become the norm.
Look at Gigs and Megs. YEARS ago we computer "nerds" never used the trailing "s".

mwsilvers Loc: Central New Jersey

The term has been defined as Original Equipment Manufacturer for half a century at least and it's pretty clear to most of us what it means without ambiguity. I'm not sure why the confusion. Whoever made the stuff is the OEM. The only possible confusion is in the word made. Since complex products consist of many components, some of which are outsourced, it's impossible to know exactly which pieces were made by the manufacturer, and which were not. As a result the term generally refers to the manufacturer or brand of the "finished" product. An OEM part or accessory is one made or marketed by the manufacturer of the finished product and is usually branded as such. A non OEM part or accessory is one created and or marketed by an unrelated third party, which may look similar and will presumably work seamlessly with that product.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Maybe its different in America, but in NZ, any document regarding 'contractual obligations' (a legal document) and containing acronyms , the acronyms must be explained within the document.