Canon U.S.A. Showcases Its Image Capture Technologies at Bai Retail Delivery Show
Boston, November 3rd, 2009 – Demonstrating its ability to improve efficiency, control and security for financial institutions and their customers through the use of its check transports and scanning hardware, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in advanced digital imaging technologies and supplier of check capture devices, will showcase the versatility and benefits of its check transports and digital document scanners, including the top-of-the-line imageFORMULA CR-180II and CR-55 Check Transports, at the Bank Administration Institute (BAI) Retail Delivery Show, beginning today in Boston, Booth # 438.
"Today's financial marketplace is at a critical crossroad of finding ways to streamline business practices while keeping overhead costs down and still improving the payment and transaction process," said Jim Rosetta, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "As a recognized provider of advanced image capture and scanning solutions, we will demonstrate how our document scanners and check transports offer customers and financial institutions a practical solution to meet the real-world needs of the financial marketplace at BAI's show."
"Canon continues to provide ophthalmologists with the latest digital imaging technology, allowing eyecare professionals to continue to provide comprehensive, high-end care to their patients," said Tsuneo Imai, senior director and general manager, Medical Systems Division, Canon U.S.A." At AAO, ophthalmologists will witness how the CX-1 Mydriatic/Non-Mydriatic Hybrid Digital Retinal Camera can play a significant role in helping them to efficiently operate their practices."
Canon solutions on display during this year's show include:
Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 Printer, Lucia Pigment Inks, and Canon Media Receive High Print Permanence Ratings From Wilhelm Imaging Research
Lake Success, N.Y., October 21, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in advanced digital imaging and office solutions, today announced that the imagePROGRAF iPF6100 large format printer, high-stability LUCIA pigment inks, and Canon media have undergone extensive print permanence testing by Wilhelm Imaging Research (WIR), a leading independent permanence testing laboratory. Results show that the iPF6100 printer and Canon media achieved a very high level of overall WIR Print Permanence Ratings for large format printers.
The Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 printer with LUCIA pigment inks (also used in the iPF9100/8100/6200/5100 printers) and a range of Canon media achieved a "Displayed Prints Framed Under Glass" average permanence rating of greater than 100 years for color output, and greater than 200 years for black-and-white output. The Canon prints were also very resistant to damage from high-humidity environments, resistant to ozone exposure, and resistant to water damage, according to WIR tests. "Whether printed in color or made in black-and-white, the prints are beautiful - and will remain beautiful - for a very long period of time," said Henry Wilhelm, president, Wilhelm Imaging Research.
The full WIR report for the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF6100 printer, which features California landscape photographer William Niell making prints with the iPF6100, can be found on the WIR Web site at http://www.wilhelm-research.com/canon/ipf6100.html
Canon U.S.A. Announces Availability of the COPYblue Meap Kiosk Version 2.1 Solution
Lake Success, N.Y., October 20, 2009 – Providing storefront and hospitality businesses with an opportunity to generate additional revenue from copying, scanning and faxing, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in advanced digital imaging and software solutions, and GBCblue, a recognized leader in guest computing technology and support services, today announced the availability of the new COPYblue MEAP Version 2.1 solution for select Canon imageRUNNER multifunctional products (MFPs).
The new COPYblue MEAP application transforms a Canon imageRUNNER MFP into a self-service kiosk for walk-up copy, fax and scanning by acting as an interface to access a back-end transaction server managed by GBCblue. MEAP (Multifunctional Embedded Application Platform) is Canon's proprietary embedded platform that allows for the creation of custom applications that simplify the interaction between users and Canon products.
"By developing this MEAP application to be used in conjunction with our imageRUNNER MFPs, we are able to further expand the usability and functionality of our devices while also helping to provide a valuable service to all types of public environments," said Sam Yoshida, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "Canon has always been committed to simplifying and improving the end-user experience while helping to streamline business practices and this new MEAP application developed with GBCblue is a testament to that dedication."
Developed for public environments such as convention centers, libraries, hotels and airports, among others, the COPYblue system provides business center services to clients without the need for a dedicated on-site staff. An easy-to-use application, the user is prompted through the imageRUNNER touch screen panel with simple, step-by-step instructions to complete their desired functionality. Accepting all major credit cards as well as prepaid cards, users can simply walk up and swipe their card to make copies and send faxes or e-mails. Receipt printing is also available at the end of the session, providing the customer with a detailed breakdown of their transaction(s).
Canon Serves Up Big News At Its 2009 Integrated Solutions Showcase
Scott Cullen, Contributing Writer
It might be premature to call it now with three months still left in the year, but Canon may very well lay claim to the most important product announcement of the year with the introduction of its new imageRUNNER ADVANCE series models. The announcement was made at Canon’s Integrated Solutions Showcase in Las Vegas on Sept. 21-23.
The imageRUNNER Advance announcement wasn’t the only news from Canon coming out of Las Vegas that week. Also of note was the company’s expanded partnership with HP and Canon’s Managed Document Services program, a global initiative aimed at bringing consistency to the company’s managed print services offerings. More on the latter in a future issue of iTchat.
Unlike other dealer events where executives outline the company’s agenda and initiatives to their dealer audience, the Canon event presented this information to a group of 38 or so press and analysts. Dealers were not in attendance during this portion of the showcase having been briefed the previous day. In addition to the press and analyst contingent, the event drew about 560 dealers representing 250+ dealerships along with more than 350 Canon customers and prospects.
Status Report
Like so many other imaging equipment manufacturers, it’s been a difficult year for Canon with hardware sales down although Jim Yoshida, vice president and general manager, marketing and field sales, reports that they were only down 11 percent during this time period, not as bad as some of Canon’s more erstwhile competitors.
That news in itself was somewhat surprising considering the hits the company has taken to its distribution after the Danka and IKON acquisitions. One might say that Canon has taken a licking but back out ticking. Asked why things aren’t as bad with Canon as they are with others in the industry, Dennis Amorosano, senior director, solutions marketing, reports the success of the company’s legacy dealers along with the addition of new dealers have helped stem the bleeding.
It hasn’t hurt either that in a market where hardware sales are down, the software and solutions side of Canon’s and its dealers business is up. Yoshida reports software and solutions sales were up 25 percent through Canon’s independent dealer channel and 27 percent through Canon Business Solutions, the company’s direct channel.
Digital Production Presses Face Off Against Offset Printing at Print ‘09
By Marc Bussanich, Assistant Editor, October 16, 2009
McCormick Place in Chicago is the largest convention space in the country, which made it a fitting site to accommodate the heavy and sophisticated hardware displayed at the Print ’09 show. The production and graphic print industry’s seminal event ran from September 11 to September 16, and numerous print manufacturers and software developers that create print production workflows displayed their wares on 369,000 square feet of exhibition space.
Most of the office imaging equipment manufacturers were at the event, including Canon, HP, Konica Minolta, Océ, Ricoh and Xerox. While the product managers discussed how their respective company’s production products matched up against the competition, they also stressed that advances in digital print technology are “nipping at the heels of the offset world” for short-run, variable data printing. In turn, product managers from offset press heavyweights such as Heidelberg, KBA, KOMORI and Muller Martini, along with some commercial printers, boasted that advances in offset technology are reducing the pre-press time to print shorter runs. Clearly emerging from the show was that commercial printers need to rely on both forms of technology because of their customers’ varied print requests.
But some buyers at the show were in the market solely for digital print solutions. Representatives from major outsourcing companies that process customer transactions for the financial services industry included First Data (www.firstdata.com), DST Systems (www.dstsystems.com), Fiserv (www.fiserv.com) and CSG Systems (www.csgsystems.com), which serves the cable and communications industries. To attract those buyers, each of the office imaging manufacturers’ production divisions displayed unique hardware and software solutions.
Canon U.S.A. Demonstrates Its Image Capture Technologies At ARMA Annual Conference
Orlando, Fla. October 15, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leading provider of advanced digital office systems and solutions, will showcase its high-speed scanning devices at the 54th ARMA International Conference and Expo in Orlando. Also at this year's show, Canon will offer a sneak preview of its newest imageFORMULA models - the imageFORMULA P-150 Personal Scanner and imageFORMULA DR-2020U Universal Workgroup Scanner.
"As a recognized leader in scanning and image capture technologies, Canon is committed to providing advanced solutions to meet the needs of customers in all working environments," said Jim Rosetta, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "Maintaining precise, accurate and organized records is an essential business practice that all companies must implement, and throughout this show, Canon will show how its leading technologies can help streamline the record-management process."
Helping to address the ever-evolving and growing needs of managing information, files and records in the workplace, Canon will exhibit how its leading and award-winning image capture devices will assist organizations in developing and implementing a more streamlined, efficient method for records management. Products on display at the show include:
Companion Solutions Bring Versatility To imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series
By Jamie Bsales, Associate Editor, October 9, 2009
At the Canon Integrated Solutions Showcase held last month in Las Vegas, attendees got a sneak peek at the first imageRUNNER ADVANCE models—products Canon executives characterized as the company’s most important introductions since the original imageRUNNER line debuted 10 years ago. True to the “Integrated Solutions” phrase in the name of the event, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE series is about more than improved hardware: The line brings with it a spate of new or enhanced software offerings that put the machines at the center of a company’s workflow.
More Than MEAP
As expected, all of the announced and upcoming models in the imageRUNNER ADVANCE series support MEAP, Canon’s platform for running a host of embedded applications directly from the control panel of a compatible device. Less expected was the announcement of particular SKUs, called Solution Models, that include a trio of productivity-enhancing workflow software called Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE Essentials (customers can still order base model SKUs that don’t include the software). That suite is made up of imageRUNNER ADVANCE Desktop, a PC-resident application for accessing and working with files stored on the device's hard drive from a networked desktop PC; an updated version of Canon’s Workflow Composer, which lets administrators create custom workflows and push them out to the devices as one-touch control-panel buttons; and imageRUNNER ADVANCE Tracker, a tool that lets users track device use by user or by function.
“With imageRUNNER ADVANCE, Canon is making knowledge workers more productive in the day-to-day work they have to get done,” said Dennis Amorosano, senior director, Solutions Marketing and Business Support. “People are the most important element of an organization, and these tools allow them to focus on more strategic tasks for the business, rather than on trying to get the technology to work.”
Canon Unveils All-New imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series Hardware
By Jamie Bsales, Associate Editor, October 1, 2009
The first wave of MFPs in the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE series was introduced at the Canon Integrated Solutions Showcase 2009 in Las Vegas recently. The more than 1,500 dealers, customers and partners who gathered for the two-day event got to see eight of these models in action on the show floor, along with new or updated companion software and services offerings from Canon, eCopy, Adobe and others.
“This is the most important product launch for us since the introduction of the original imageRUNNER 10 years ago,” said Sam Yoshida, vice president and general manager of the Imaging Systems Group at Canon U.S.A. “The imageRUNNER ADVANCE series has been completely redesigned from the ground up.” The company is touting the new series as an integrated document platform that seamlessly blends hardware, software and services to advance today’s business environments.
New Design Inside And Out
Hiro Imamura, senior director of product marketing at Canon U.S.A., echoed that sentiment, calling the imageRUNNER ADVANCE family a “clean-sheet design” with a new look on the outside and a new architecture within. The company has rounded the edges of the chassis and used a warmer beige tone to make the new MFPs look less industrial. More importantly, the new MFPs feature larger touch screens than previous Canon devices—8.4 inches or 10.4 inches, depending on the model—and those screens are more user-friendly SVGA full-color panels. Canon also took the opportunity to redesign the touch screen’s user interface, delivering a customizable UI with larger buttons to help define and simplify specific workflows. The new panel also features a Main Menu key to easily access primary functions, plus a customizable Quick Menu key that can bring one-touch workflows and frequently used jobs or functions to the surface.
Canon U.S.A. Enters A New Era of Digital Imaging Excellence With The Introduction Of Its New imageRUNNER Advance Series
Las Vegas, September 22, 2009 – Opening the door to a new era of advanced image quality, workflow simplicity and efficiency in the workplace, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital document imaging, today launched the imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series, a new document service platform that blends hardware, software and services to help advance modern business environments.
Building upon the Company's long heritage of its award-winning imageRUNNER product line, the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series will help seamlessly bridge the distance between user and multifunction printer (MFP) to transform and advance one's business and digital communications. Incorporating sophisticated workflows and innovative technologies, the Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series is designed to address the ever-growing needs of users, administrators and business decision makers to better manage and customize workflows, while accomplishing more tasks in less time and achieving higher levels of quality.
The new Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series will include:
"Over the years, Canon has developed and delivered several monumental technology innovations and solutions to respond to customers' needs and change the marketplace, including the transition to digital with its GP product line in the early 1990s and the introduction of the current imageRUNNER product line in 1999," said Sam Yoshida, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A.
Canon U.S.A. Extends Its Corporate Commitment to Environmental Responsibility To Its New imageRUNNER Advance Family
Las Vegas, September 22, 2009 – Further advancing its corporate commitment to environmental responsibility throughout the entire product life cycle, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital document imaging and corporate social responsibility, is taking another step towards helping to ensure the sustainability of our environment with the introduction of its new imageRUNNER ADVANCE family.
The imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series, a new document services platform that seamlessly blends hardware, software and service to advance modern business environments, is the first solution from Canon developed using the Company's Life Cycle Assessment product design system. From production, usage, and end-of-life, Canon's Life Cycle Assessment system is designed to assess a product's CO2 emissions and explore avenues to reduce those emissions and minimize environmental impacts at various stages of a product's life, helping end-users to maximize cost and resource efficiency.
"Committed to the corporate philosophy of Kyosei, Canon strives to achieve harmony between people, our products and the environment, and our latest line of imageRUNNER ADVANCE products takes this commitment to the next level," said Sam Yoshida, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "Canon views superior product development and environmental responsibility as working hand-in-hand, and a natural obligation as we work to fulfill the expectations of our stakeholders, beginning with our customers, our employees and the local communities in which we operate.
