Reflecting on three decades of innovation

Transforming “seeing” into “experiencing,” Mixed Reality (MR) technology merges the real world with virtual, computer-generated (CG) images in real time to create a new “mixed” reality. Canon’s MREAL System supports design and production processes in the manufacturing and construction industries.

PARTNER CONTENT FROM CANON IRELAND

As Canon Ireland turns 30, it remains at the forefront of technology and innovation, both in its consumer and business offerings, writes Head of Canon Ireland Philip Brady.

Passing a key milestone as a company isn’t just about tenure or longevity; it’s about the ability to continuously innovate and to consistently provide the newest and best services for customers. That is what Canon Ireland has been doing since it opened its doors here back in August 1987.

As we mark our 30^th anniversary in Ireland, it’s beneficial to reflect on how far we’ve come with the products and services we have provided, for both businesses and consumers alike. It’s also a time to examine how we can build on these successes as we continue to grow and gain market share in Ireland and globally.

Arriving in Ireland with innovation

By the time Canon opened its Irish offices, there was already a wealth of expertise and experience to build upon. Canon UK opened its doors ten years prior to Ireland, with a key focus on calculators, micrographic equipment and photocopiers for the business market. Canon Europe, Middle-East & Africa, the EMEA arm of Canon Inc, has been up and running since 1957 – and now employs 19,000 people across 120 markets throughout the region.

When Canon Ireland was established on 13 August 1987, the latest product launched was the world-renowned EOS System. This includes EOS-series interchangeable-lens cameras and a diverse range of system accessories, beginning with interchangeable EF lenses. With these innovations, Canon has grown to the number one DSLR brand by value in Western Europe.

In the world of the imaging, we have not stopped innovating. With our strong ongoing investment in research and development, Canon continues to be a creator of ground-breaking new technologies, such as a 250-megapixel CMOS sensor, the world’s highest pixel count for its size.

Growth in Ireland and beyond

In the 30 years since its launch, Canon Ireland has gone from strength to strength. We now have a team of 84 talented people providing sales, marketing and support services to both direct customers and our nationwide reseller network.

As our presence grew here in Ireland, Canon continued to evolve and enhance its broad offering to continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in the world of imaging. Technological advances include developments in broadcast, production print, photography and office solutions.

Today, Canon invests more than 8% of sales in R&D worldwide annually and has been in the top-five companies for patents registered in the US for 30 consecutive years.

Staying at the forefront of technology

There has been a definite constant for us during our 30 years in Ireland; we have remained at the forefront of utilising new technologies to benefit consumers as well as businesses. Some of our exciting innovations include:

Purchase to Pay (P2P):

Canon has developed and honed its P2P offering to become an industry leader, both globally and here in Ireland. According to The Future of Purchase to Pay: trends report 2016, 39% of businesses plan to adopt e-invoicing as a KPI in the next two years. Canon’s offerings in this area enable procurement and finance to work better together, on a single integrated platform that improves spend control and cash-flow management.

Digital services:

In 2014, Canon launched irista, our first cloud-based management platform for consumers passionate about photography. Through invaluable customer feedback, the multi-platform compatible service has continued to evolve since its launch, with additions such as an optimised user interface and simplified upload/sharing functions. In 2015, Canon acquired digital start-up Lifecake to accelerate growth in its digital services. Lifecake is a family based photo-sharing app which allows parents to store, organise, share, and relive key moments of their children’s lives.

Security networks:

Throughout our time in Ireland, Canon has shown strong growth in its range of network cameras, combining high-quality image processing technology with a strong heritage in lens design and an expertise in networking – winning accreditation from key security solution providers Mirasys and Nedap. Through strategic acquisitions of Milestone in 2014 and Axis in 2015 totalling €3bn, Canon has enhanced and evolved its capabilities in this market sector.

Medical:

Canon has developed a robust healthcare IT solutions offering throughout the last decade, with the aim of creating end-to-end solutions that provide a holistic proposition for healthcare IT. The 2012 acquisition of Dutch company DelftDI has allowed Canon to develop and innovate in the areas of medical imaging and healthcare IT solutions. To develop this offering further, Canon also acquired Toshiba Medical at the end of 2016. Toshiba Medical is one of the leading global companies in the medical equipment industry – in the field of medical X-ray computed tomography (CT) systems in particular, Toshiba Medical is the overwhelming market share leader in Japan and has been steadily increasing its global market share.

We have had a truly excellent three decades here in Ireland and we look forward to many more successful years of innovation.