WHO IS …….CANON INC ?

[Anonymous]

http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE4AO0C420081125?virtualBrandChannel=10339
Key facts about Japan’s Canon Inc
Following are some key facts about Japan’s Canon Inc
—
Canon’s predecessor, Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory, was
founded in 1933. In 1934 the company produced a prototype of the
Kwanon, Japan’s first 35mm focal-plane shutter camera and named after
the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. In 1935 it filed to register the Canon
trademark.

— In 1947 Japan’s government designated Canon
cameras priority exports as the country resumed exports after World War
Two. Its shares were listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1949.

—
In 1952 Canon introduced the world’s first speed-light synchronized
35mm flash-and-shutter camera. The company opened an office in New York
in 1955 and established a distributor in Europe in 1957.

— In
the 1960s Canon introduced the world’s first 10-key electronic
calculator and entered the copying machine market. The ratio of exports
to net sales surpassed 50 percent in 1967.

— In 1970 Canon
established its first manufacturing facility outside Japan. It entered
the office computer market in 1971 and developed a laser beam printer
in 1975. Overseas sales exceed 100 billion yen for the first time in
1979.

— Canon formed an alliance with Hewlett-Packard (HPQ.N:
Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) in 1985. The relationship, under
which Canon supplies HP with laser printer engines and other key parts,
has blossomed into one of Canon’s main profit drivers.

— Canon
introduced its first digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera in 1995.
In the same year, Fujio Mitarai was appointed president. Mitarai
oversaw the company’s withdrawal from the computer market and other
reforms that help set the stage for eight straight years of profit
growth through 2007.

— In 2006 Canon appointed Tsuneji Uchida, then executive vice president, to replace Mitarai as president.

* PRODUCT GROUPS:

Canon
is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of copiers, printers,
cameras, and equipment used to make semiconductors and liquid crystal
displays (LCD). Its has three major divisions: business machines,
cameras, and optical and other products.

— The business
machines segment, which includes office and personal copiers, laser
printers, ink-jet printers and scanners, accounted for 65 percent (2.9
trillion yen) of consolidated revenues in 2007.

— The cameras
segment, which includes compact cameras, SLR cameras, interchangeable
lenses, and handheld video cameras, generated 26 percent (1.15 trillion
yen) of revenues.

— The optical and other products segment,
which handles lithography equipment used to make semiconductors and LCD
panels, radiography systems, large-format printers and broadcasting
equipment, accounted for 9 percent (393 billion yen) of sales.

* 2007 SNAPSHOT:

Revenue – 4.48 trillion yen

Operating Profit – 756.7 billion yen

Total Assets – 4.51 trillion yen

Cash & Equivalents – 944.5 billion yen

Employees – 131,352

* MARKET SHARE/COMPETITORS:

CAMERAS
— Canon was the world’s largest digital camera maker in 2007, holding
a 17.3 percent share in the compact digital camera market in unit
terms, compared with second-ranked Sony at 16.5 percent, according to
research firm IDC. In SLR models, Canon controlled 42.7 percent of the
global market, while Nikon held 40 percent.

COPIERS — Canon was
the world’s second-largest maker of copiers in 2007 with 20.5 percent
of the market in value terms, according to research firm Gartner. The
top maker was Ricoh Co with a market share of 20.8 percent. Xerox anked
third at 19.2 percent. Other competitors include Konica Minolta
Holdings Inc and Sharp Corp.

PAGE PRINTERS (mainly laser
printers) – Hewlett-Packard was the top brand in 2007 with a market
share of 42.6 percent in value terms, though that figure includes OEM
supplies from Canon. Xerox ranked second with 16.5 percent of the
market, followed by Lexmark International at 5.6 percent and Canon with
its own brand at 4.7 percent, according to Gartner.

INK-JET
PRINTERS – Hewlett-Packard ranked No. 1 with a market share of 49.3
percent in 2007. Canon was second-biggest at 17.3 percent, followed by
Seiko Epson Corp at 16.5 percent, Lexmark at 7 percent and Brother
Industries Ltd at 5.0 percent, according to Gartner.

SEMICONDUCTOR
EQUIPMENT – Dutch chip equipment maker ASML led the market for
semiconductor steppers in 2007, accounting for 61.5 percent of
worldwide sales in value terms, according to VLSI Research. Nikon was
the second ranked manufacturer with 24.6 percent and Canon ranked third
with a market share of 10 percent.

[Author]

December 12, 2008 at 11:02 AM