Canon (company)

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Canon Inc.
Canon logo
Type Public company
TYO: 7751 , NYSE: CAJ
Founded Tokyo, Japan (August 10, 1937)
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Key people Fujio Mitarai, Chairman & CEO Tsuneji Uchida, President & COO
Industry Imaging
Products Business machines, Cameras, Optical and other products
Revenue 4,156,759 million Yen (Fiscal year ended December 31, 2006)
Employees 118,499 Worldwide (as of December 31, 2006)
Slogan Delighting You Always.


Canon Inc. (キヤノン株式会社 Kyanon Kabushiki Gaisha?) (TYO: 7751 , NYSE: CAJ) is a Japanese company that specializes in imaging and optical products, including cameras, photocopiers and computer printers. The headquarters are in 30-2, Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo.

Contents

[edit] History

The predecessor company was established in 1933 by Goro Yoshida and his brother-in-law Saburo Uchida. Named Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory (Seiki Kōgaku Kenkyūjo?), it was funded by Takeshi Mitarai, a close friend of Uchida. Its original purpose was to develop a 35mm rangefinder camera.

1934 logo depicting the goddess Kuan Yin (Kwanon).
1934 logo depicting the goddess Kuan Yin (Kwanon).

In June 1934 they released their first camera, the Kwanon, named after the Buddhist Bodhisattva of Mercy. Three variations of this product were marketed, however none were actual products. Of the ten Kwanon cameras that were rumored to be produced, none were ever known to reach the market.

The following year the company name was changed to Canon to reflect a more modern image, and on 10 August 1937, the current corporation was founded.[1]

Despite the company's high profile in the consumer market for cameras and computer printers, most of the company revenue comes from the office products division, especially for analog and digital copiers, and its line of imageRUNNER digital multifunctional devices. Additionally, Canon is the supplier of print engines found in the hugely popular Hewlett-Packard LaserJet series of laser printers.[citation needed]

Canon has also entered the digital displays market by teaming up with Toshiba to develop and manufacture flat panel televisions based on SED, a new type of display technology. The joint venture company SED Inc. was established in October 2004. In January 2007, Canon announced that it would buy Toshiba's share of the joint venture.[2] This move was triggered by litigation from Nano-Proprietary, Inc., which claimed Canon breached a license agreement by sharing technology licensed to Canon with the joint venture company.[3]

Canon has also announced it is developing OLED and rear-projection displays.[4]

[edit] Canon Products

Canon USA's Silicon Valley offices
Canon USA's Silicon Valley offices

Canon Inc. no longer produces analogue photocopiers. Canon also produces a range of products for use in the medical field, for example mobile scanners for use in remote areas.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ "About Canon: Canon Inc. Corporate Profile" (company overview), Canon Inc., May 23, 2006, Canon.
  2. ^ Canon Inc. (Jan 12, 2007). "SED Inc. to become wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Inc.". Press release. Retrieved on Jan 23, 2007.
  3. ^ Nano-Proprietary, Inc. (Jan 12, 2007). "Nano-Proprietary, Inc. comments on Canon's press release regarding SED, Inc. ownership". Press release. Retrieved on Jan 23, 2007.
  4. ^ Canon, Inc.. Next-Generation Displays. Retrieved on January 23, 2007.

[edit] External links


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