Tag: Canon

Canon touts compact imaging

Posted on April 8, 2013 by - News

Canon logoCanon is helping its partners make the most of the increasing demand for compact imaging products.

It has launched two new compact black-and-white multifunctional devices (MFDs) as part of its  ImageRunner Advance range, which it claims will create new revenue opportunities in the desktop capture and output market.

According to the company’s recent Office Insights report, value and cost of MFDs were found to be the most important factors in the purchasing process for 34 percent of decision makers, followed closely by reliability – 20 percent and output quality – 18 percent.

Canon said its new devices helped bridge this gap and also added to its partner’s portfolio.

The new ImageRunner Advance 400i and 500i A4 devices have output and capture capabilities in a compact design claimed to provide users with smarter ways of working.

End-users can print from any Google Cloud Print enabled web-connected device, or scan to and print from the iPad, iPhone and Android mobile devices. The Uniflow platform is said to offer configurable document workflows to larger organisations or more demanding environments.

Uniflow also provides a secure platform for users to print from any device to any networked MFD.

The ImageRunner Advance 400i and 500i devices will be available across the UK & Ireland from 1 May 2013.

Canon snaps up IrisLink

Posted on February 7, 2013 by - News

Canon logoPrinting powerhouse Canon is bidding to take over all shares of scanning and document managing company I.R.I.S. Group SA, which runs irisLink.

There has been talk for some time over a potential takeover,but it has today officially entered a public takeover bid for all shares, warrants and stock options. The acceptance period runs from 6 February and ends 20 March 2013.

Offer price per share is EUR 44.50. Canon bought a 17 percent stake in the company in July 2009. According to an official statement, the deal will allow the two to “cooperate more closely” in developing technology – so it seems that IrisLink will still exist as it is but with Canon cracking the whip.

Iris president Pierre de Muelenaere said in a statement that Iris’ portfolio should complement Canon’s strategy nicely. The board of directors and management are unanimously supporting the bid so it looks like a sure thing. Sitting here in Louvain, Belgium, In a lengthy keynote, Muelenaere is highlighting the cloud and managed services, the latter which made the company become “more international” over 2012.

“Our customer doesn’t need a product anymore, they need a solution,” Muelenaere said.
Denis Hermesse, CFO, said that over the last year there has been a very difficult business background. He quoted a recent IMF release that revised the world economic outlook down again, particularly in the countries that do business with Iris. Customers need to “identify expense reduction” and that is the background over 2012.

Despite that, Hermesse pointed out that the company’s gross margin at EUR 61.4 million – revenue was EUR 100 million, and otherwise the company was stable over 2012. There has been a 12 percent increase with VARs and BPO, with Hermesse pointing out this is repeated growth. In the Canon segment, Iris increased the business by 15 percent. “We still have some cash,” Hermesse said, while Muelenaere added that over 2013 the company will be investing in growth initiatives, that 2012’s results were satisfactory, but he hopes 2013 will be better.

 

Canon launches idiot proof small biz scanner

Posted on February 4, 2013 by - News, Products

beanteddyCanon has launched a compact and versatile desktop scanner, which it claims will appeal to small offices and corporate departments seeking a cost-effective scanning product.

The Canon imageFORMULA DR-C120 is claimed to be easy to use and comes with a range of features that are said to help businesses scan and convert documents into existing workflows and to the cloud.

It has double sided colour scanning of up to 40ipm and a 50-sheet automatic document feeder, using the folio mode feature users are also said to be able to scan up to A3-sized documents, while there is also an option to add Canon’s A4 Flatbed 101 Scanner Unit accessory in case there is a need to scan books or other bound material.

According to the company, the device is simple to use. Customers simply need to press a button on the scanner or through the company’s CaptureOnTouch software.

The scanner driver software also incorporates a full auto mode function that automatically applies the optimum scan settings so that users don’t need to worry about configuring settings for different document types. It features plugins for cloud-based connectivity with Microsoft SharePoint, Evernote and Google Docs.

The imageFORMULA DR-C120 is more energy efficient when scanning, using less than half the power compared to its competitors. It also ships with
software, including CapturePerfect, eCopy PDF Pro, BizCard, OmniPage, and PaperPort.

It will be available through all Canon sales offices and selected disties across Europe this month.