Briefs

Canon launches the PIXMA range

In keeping with its theme of “photo perfection for life”, digital imaging major, Canon Inc, launched its latest family of PIXMA printers consisting of eight PIXMA photo printers and five all-in-ones globally this fall.

Addressing the media during a tour of the Canon headquarters in Tokyo, Dr Takao Yamamoto, Deputy Senior General Manager, Inkjet Supply Material Development Centre, Canon said, “It is not merely digital cameras but also a host of devices such as mobile phones, PCs and audio visual printing that is driving the demand for better photo printing among consumers.”

The products are driven by innovations developed by the company’s R&D centre in Tokyo to enhance the photo quality of prints, promise a longer shelf life for photos (as much as 100 years), increase print speed and lower cost to consumers.

With many digital camera owners preferring to develop their photos in photo labs (due to the better quality of photo printers), Canon is targeting them in a big way. Comments Melvyn Ho, VP, Consumer and Information Division, South and Southeast Asia region, Canon, “In the next three years, we expect to double our current sales from India and this strategy will reap rich dividends since we have zeroed in on our target audience.”

It is interesting to note that Canon had achieved number one status in many Asian countries such as Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia but is still number two in India. “We hope to change that by focussing our activities on the Indian market, says Ho.”

Around 33 percent of Canon’s $31.5 billion revenue is derived from the printing segment.

He added that Canon is gunning for sales of $1.5 billion from South and Southeast Asia this year and $1.65 billion in 2008. Last year, the sales in the region closed at $1.3 billion.

Addressing pain points

Generally enterprises have the usual grouse that the cost of printing is on the higher side and quality of prints, inability to get photolab quality prints, durability, lack of good printing speeds etc. So, would these new products address all these issues?

Explains Eric Chan, Product Executive, Consumer Imaging and Information Division, “The gap between photo lab quality and printouts would be bridged with our Full Photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE) technology.” The FINE technology has borrowed some of the photolithography techniques from the world of semi-conductor manufacturing and applied it to the new print heads.” He continues. “Subsequently, there is an increase in the number of ultra-high precision nozzles on the print head (over 6,000) and also a record for the smallest ink droplet—one picoliter.”

Canon reckons that all this translates into better speed and quality of prints for the consumer.

Further Canon is addressing a concern that has caused heartburn to consumers. How do you prevent fading of photo prints due to factors such as humidity, temperature, UV light and gases?

The company addresses this problem with its new ink technology called ChromaLife100, formulated to deliver prints that can remain unchanged for a century.

Other add-on features to the new printer range include auto duplex printing that does away with the need to turn the page manually while printing on both sides of the paper; CD/DVD direct printing and two-way paper feed.

To simplify the process of photo printing the company plans to introduce the latest version of Easy PhotoPrint software, which allows consumers to print in three steps. “This would remove the user-unfriendly interface of previous photo software,” avers Ho.

According to IDC, the company managed to garner the number one position in the printer market in the first half of 2005 in South and Southeast Asia. Canon spent around eight percent of its revenues ($31.5 billion) on research and development.

Despite its sterling market performance in neighbouring South Asian countries, rivals such as HP have outdone Canon in the Indian market.

“This launch is in line with our India strategy and when we complement that with our latest distribution strategy (of bringing digital imaging solutions to consumers through retail stores), we can expect to double our current sales from India,” says Ho.

The new photo printing products are expected to be released in India in October this year. Canon is gunning for sales to the tune of $1.5 billion from South and Southeast Asia this year and $1.65 billion in 2008. Last year, the sales in the region closed at $1.3 billion.

—Venkatesh Ganesh / Tokyo