About Canon > History of Canon > Successful Diversification and Business Expansion (1976-1981)
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| 1976 |  The first Premier Company Plan is launched. Canon (U.K.) Ltd. is established. Canon enters the facsimile machine field. Annual net sales surpass 100 billion yen. |  The AE-1 microcomputer-embedded camera is unveiled, sparking a boom for AE SLR cameras. The CR-45NM, the world's first nonmydriatic retinal camera, is released. |
| 1977 |  | Canon receives an Academy Award for its K-35 series of 35mm movie camera lenses. |
| 1978 |  A product-specific business division structure is introduced. Canon commences color copying services. | The NP-8500, the world's first retention-type copying machine, is unveiled. Canon begins selling video camera lenses. The PLA-500FA, a mask aligner with a laser-based automatic alignment system, is introduced. |
| 1979 | Annual export sales reach 100 billion yen, accounting for over 70% of net sales. Canon Singapore Pte. Ltd. is established. Canon Hongkong Co., Ltd. is established. Copyer becomes an affiliated company. | Canon launches the LBP-10 laser beam printer.  The AF35M (Autoboy) fully automatic auto-focus compact camera is launched. A mini floppy disk drive is introduced. |
| 1980 | The Canoword 55 Japanese-language word processor, featuring Roman alphabet input functions, is marketed. Canon unveils its Telefax B-601, Japan's first G2 facsimile machine. The Auto Ref R-1, an automatic refractometer, is introduced. |
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| 1981 |  Canon develops Bubble Jet printing technologies. The Component Development Center is established. | Canon introduces the NP-8500 SUPER, an ultrahighspeed copying machine capable of producing 135 copies per minute. The New F-1, a professional-use system SLR, is introduced. A CVC video system is introduced. |
