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

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).

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.

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 54^th 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:

TRUMBULL, CONN. October 6, 2009 – Océ, an international leader in digital document management, announced today that Better Buys for Business has awarded their Editor's Choice award to the Océ VarioLink 5522c/6522c devices.

The award, which is one of the most coveted distinctions in the office equipment industry, was presented by Better Buys for Business' team of office equipment researchers and editors to the m

ost exceptional models of ten different types of office equipment, including copiers, printers, faxes and scanners.
"These impressive high-speed color copiers offer great speed, excellent paper handling, and excellent features over all. These machines are well suited to a busy office or a central reproduction department that needs sharp color and high performance," said Stephen Hannaford, Editor-in-Chief of Better Buys for Business.

"Océ is honored to receive the Better Buys for Business Editor's Choice Award for the Océ VarioLink 5522c/6522c," said Thomas O'Neill, Director Product Operations; Quality & Technology Center, Océ North America, Document Printing Systems. "This prestigious award represents our strong commitment to offering impressive color devices at affordable prices and shows our customers that they can count on Océ for all of their color needs."

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:

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.

Las Vegas, September 22, 2009 – To make it easier to share and manage documents using the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging and office solutions, today introduced imageWARE Document Server, a document management application designed to expand upon the sophisticated collaborative capabilities of the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series.

imageWARE Document Server represents the server component of a comprehensive collaboration and document management solution. The newly announced imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series of multifunction devices incorporates an abundant collection of features designed to facilitate collaboration and sharing of documents. To fully take advantage of this technology and to extend the interaction of the powerful MFP to desktop users, Canon also introduced imageRUNNER ADVANCE Desktop utility software on the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series. Users can utilize imageRUNNER ADVANCE Desktop for desktop publishing, remote device monitoring and personal document storage/management activities. When using the software for personal document management activities, the addition of imageWARE Document Server will enable the same users to share documents with other personnel in workgroups or departments within their organization.

imageWARE Document Server is a server application that simply connects the imageRUNNER ADVANCE Desktop utility and enables workers to collaborate and share information in a networked environment. imageWARE Document Server incorporates a variety of popular document management functions, such as Check In/Check Out, Version Control, Full Text Search, Audit Trail and User Index Search. imageWARE Document Server was developed using Windows SharePoint Services, Microsoft's popular and reliable collaboration platform, helping to make the system easy to deploy and enable IT administrators to easily manage and configure the system from any personal computer using a Web browser.