| Canon Inc. | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Type | Public (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 (FY 2006) |
| Employees | 127,338 Worldwide (as of June 30, 2007) |
| Slogan | make it possible with canon (Japan) Delighting You Always (Asia) you can Canon (Europe) imageANYWARE (USA) Advanced Simplicity (Oceania) |
| Website | www.canon.com |
Canon Inc. (キヤノン株式会社 Kyanon Kabushiki Gaisha?, TYO: 7751, NYSE: CAJ) is a Japanese multinational corporation 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. Its North American headquarters is located in Lake Success, New York, USA.
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History
The predecessor company was established in 1933 by Goro Yoshida and his brother-in-law Saburo Uchida. Named Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory (精機光学研究所 Seiki Kōgaku Kenkyūjo?), it was funded by Takeshi Mitarai, a close friend of Uchida. Its original purpose was to develop a 35 mm rangefinder camera.
In June 1934 they released their first camera, the Kwanon (see "Origins of company name" below). 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 new company was off to a good start. However, there was a problem: Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory had not developed a lens. Several alternatives were considered, but the decision was made to seek help from a corporation known as Nippon Kogaku Kogyo (Japan Optical Industries, Inc., the predecessor of Nikon) to use their Nikkor lens. So in February 1936, the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory was able to release the "Hansa Canon (Standard Model with the Nikkor 50 mm f/3.5 lens)", which became Kwanon's first commercially available camera. 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] Today, 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. [2] 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.[3] 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.[4] Canon has also announced it is developing OLED and rear-projection displays.[5]
Origins of company name
The company's original product, the "Kwanon" camera was named after the Buddhist Bodhisattva of Mercy. The company name "Canon" was chosen because it sounds similar to the name of their original product, and because the usual meaning of "canon" implies precision, a characteristic they wanted associated with their company. [6]
Environmental Report
According to a report by the New England-based environmental organization Clean Air-Cool Planet, Canon tops the list of 56 companies the survey conducted about climate-friendly companies.[7]
Football League sponsorship
Canon were the first sponsors of the English Football League, with the deal beginning in 1983 and finishing in 1986, when Canon's backing finished and new sponsors Today newspaper took over.
References
- ^ "About Canon: Canon Inc. Corporate Profile" (company overview), Canon Inc., May 23, 2006, Canon.
- ^ "Cross reference of HP printer to Canon Engine number
- ^ Canon Inc. (Jan 12, 2007). ""SED Inc. to become wholly owned subsidiary of Canon Inc."". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ Nano-Proprietary, Inc. (Jan 12, 2007). ""Nano-Proprietary, Inc. comments on Canon's press release regarding SED, Inc. ownership"". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ Canon, Inc.. Next-Generation Displays. Retrieved on 2007-01-23.
- ^ The name "Canon" was finally chosen. The word had a number of meanings, including "scriptures," and suited the image of precision processing, where accuracy was paramount..Applying for the "Canon" Trademark, canon.com corporate website. Article retrieved 2007-04-29.
- ^ Reuters report
External links
- Canon official site
- Canon's Online Camera Museum
- Canon historical stock chart by Gstock
- Latest Canon Press Releases by EFilmPro.com
