About Canon | First Brave Steps Towards a New Century (1997-2000)

About Canon > History of Canon > First Brave Steps Towards a New Century (1997-2000)


1997	Green Procurement Standards are compiled to ensure environmentally friendly parts and materials procurement. Canon (China) Co., Ltd. is estabished. Canon North-East Oy, responsible for marketing activites in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States, is established. (Finland) Cumulative camera production reaches 100 million units. A new building is opened in the Kosugi Office of Canon Inc. as a base for solutions business and information technology activities. Tianjin Canon Co., Ltd., a copying machine manufacturing site, is established in the PRC. Canon Semiconductor Equipment Taiwan Inc., a base for semiconductor equipment services, is established.	HYPERPHOTO SYSTEM, a value-added, high-speed, on-demand digital printing system, is released. Canon enters the digital video camcorder market with the OPTURA (MV1 in other regions), offering high-quality recording and playback of both video and still images.
1998	Copying machine remanufacturing starts in Japan, completing a three-point system encompassing Japan, Europe and the United States. Canon Middle East B.V., responsible for marketing activites in the Middle East, is established. (U.A.E.) Canon Software Development Center, is established in New Delhi, India, to develop software for business machines. Canon Inc. acquires equity in Tokyo Denshi Sekei Inc. Beijing PeCan Information System Co., Ltd., a joint venture with Peking University, is established to develop software. The industry's first video camcorder lens with shiftmethod optical image stabilization is developed.	The EOS-3, with a 45-point area AF, is released for professionals and semiprofessionals. Canon's XL1 digital video camcorder wins Japan's 1998 Good Design Award. The DIGI SUPER 25xs broadcasting lens for highdefinition television (HDTV) is introduced. Marketing begins for the CXDI-11 X-ray digital camera, with a large-area sensor.
1999	Canon develops key lens components for the SUBARU, the world's largest optical infrared telescope, which is located in Hawaii. Canon Inc. and nine other Japanese companies, including Hitachi, Ltd., and Fujitsu Ltd., announce the joint establishment of Digital Cast International (DCI) and their application for Japanese government approval to begin digital data transmission services via broadcast satellites. Oita Canon Materials Inc. is established as an integrated production site for chemical products for business machines. Canon Argentina, S.A., is established to strengthen sales and service operations in South America. The Canon Inc. Ayase Office is established with the goal of reinforcing the R&D structure for semiconductor-related devices.	The compact GT270 eyeglass display is released. The PowerShot S10, a CCD-installed digital camera with 2.1 million-pixel resolution, is unveiled. The CF-H30CL, a personal-use facsimile machine with color facsimile functions, is introduced. The EOS Rebel 2000 (EOS 300 in other regions), an SLR for beginners with a 7-point AF function, is introduced.
2000	Canon announces the development of a new method for fabricating DNA microarrays utilizing its Bubble Jet printing technology. Canon Inc.'s stocks rise to a record high value of 5,620 yen per share. Optics R&D Center is established. Canon develops lenses using the Multi-Layer Diffractive Optical Element, a world's first in camera lenses. Canon Expo 2000, Canon's global technologies and products exhibitions, are held in New York, Paris and Tokyo. Canon Inc. begins listing its American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Canon Inc. receives the Miles Supreme Award (Corporate) for Value Engineering (VE) from the Society of Japanese Value Engineering. Canon receives the prestigious Copier of the Future IEA-DSM Award of Excellence. Canon receives Director General Environment Protection and Industrial Location Bureau MITI Awards from Clean Japan Center.	The EOS-1V, a top-of-the-line autofocus SLR camera, is introduced. The IXY DIGITAL, an ultracompact digital camera, is released. The MEDIO iR series of network multifunctional peripherals is launched. The DIGI SUPER 86xs HDTV broadcasting lens, with 86x zoom and image stabilizer, is launched. The EOS D30 digital SLR camera is marketed, featuring a 3-megapixel-class CMOS sensor. The new-concept iR3250 new-generation networked MFP is released, providing document collation and distribution functions. The FPA-5000ES3 KrF excimer laser scanning stepper, with a high resolution of 0.13 micrometers and compatibility with 300 mm wafers, is introduced. The compact, lightweight and high-image-quality ELURA2 MC (MV3i MC in other regions) digital video camcorder is released. The inkjet printer lineup is enhanced with the introduction of eight products, including the S800 and S600, which realize ultrahigh image quality and output speeds.

1997

Green Procurement Standards are compiled to ensure environmentally friendly parts and materials procurement.

Canon (China) Co., Ltd. is estabished.

Canon North-East Oy, responsible for marketing activites in the Commonwealth of Independent States and the Baltic States, is established. (Finland)

Cumulative camera production reaches 100 million units.

A new building is opened in the Kosugi Office of Canon Inc. as a base for solutions business and information technology activities.

Tianjin Canon Co., Ltd., a copying machine manufacturing site, is established in the PRC.

Canon Semiconductor Equipment Taiwan Inc., a base for semiconductor equipment services, is established.

HYPERPHOTO SYSTEM, a value-added, high-speed, on-demand digital printing system, is released.

Canon enters the digital video camcorder market with the OPTURA (MV1 in other regions), offering high-quality recording and playback of both video and still images.

1998

Copying machine remanufacturing starts in Japan, completing a three-point system encompassing Japan, Europe and the United States.

Canon Middle East B.V., responsible for marketing activites in the Middle East, is established. (U.A.E.)

Canon Software Development Center, is established in New Delhi, India, to develop software for business machines.

Canon Inc. acquires equity in Tokyo Denshi Sekei Inc.

Beijing PeCan Information System Co., Ltd., a joint venture with Peking University, is established to develop software.

The industry's first video camcorder lens with shiftmethod optical image stabilization is developed.

The EOS-3, with a 45-point area AF, is released for professionals and semiprofessionals.

Canon's XL1 digital video camcorder wins Japan's 1998 Good Design Award.

The DIGI SUPER 25xs broadcasting lens for highdefinition television (HDTV) is introduced.

Marketing begins for the CXDI-11 X-ray digital camera, with a large-area sensor.

1999

Canon develops key lens components for the SUBARU, the world's largest optical infrared telescope, which is located in Hawaii.

Canon Inc. and nine other Japanese companies, including Hitachi, Ltd., and Fujitsu Ltd., announce the joint establishment of Digital Cast International (DCI) and their application for Japanese government approval to begin digital data transmission services via broadcast satellites.

Oita Canon Materials Inc. is established as an integrated production site for chemical products for business machines.

Canon Argentina, S.A., is established to strengthen sales and service operations in South America.

The Canon Inc. Ayase Office is established with the goal of reinforcing the R&D structure for semiconductor-related devices.

The compact GT270 eyeglass display is released.

The PowerShot S10, a CCD-installed digital camera with 2.1 million-pixel resolution, is unveiled.

The CF-H30CL, a personal-use facsimile machine with color facsimile functions, is introduced.

The EOS Rebel 2000 (EOS 300 in other regions), an SLR for beginners with a 7-point AF function, is introduced.

2000

Canon announces the development of a new method for fabricating DNA microarrays utilizing its Bubble Jet printing technology.

Canon Inc.'s stocks rise to a record high value of 5,620 yen per share.

Optics R&D Center is established.

Canon develops lenses using the Multi-Layer Diffractive Optical Element, a world's first in camera lenses.

Canon Expo 2000, Canon's global technologies and products exhibitions, are held in New York, Paris and Tokyo.

Canon Inc. begins listing its American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

Canon Inc. receives the Miles Supreme Award (Corporate) for Value Engineering (VE) from the Society of Japanese Value Engineering.

Canon receives the prestigious Copier of the Future IEA-DSM Award of Excellence.

Canon receives Director General Environment Protection and Industrial Location Bureau MITI Awards from Clean Japan Center.

The EOS-1V, a top-of-the-line autofocus SLR camera, is introduced.

The IXY DIGITAL, an ultracompact digital camera, is released.

The MEDIO iR series of network multifunctional peripherals is launched.

The DIGI SUPER 86xs HDTV broadcasting lens, with 86x zoom and image stabilizer, is launched.

The EOS D30 digital SLR camera is marketed, featuring a 3-megapixel-class CMOS sensor.

The new-concept iR3250 new-generation networked MFP is released, providing document collation and distribution functions.

The FPA-5000ES3 KrF excimer laser scanning stepper, with a high resolution of 0.13 micrometers and compatibility with 300 mm wafers, is introduced.

The compact, lightweight and high-image-quality ELURA2 MC (MV3i MC in other regions) digital video camcorder is released.

The inkjet printer lineup is enhanced with the introduction of eight products, including the S800 and S600, which realize ultrahigh image quality and output speeds.