The History of Canon
1988-1995
The First Global Corporation Plan

Canon announces its second inauguration with the launch of the First Global Corporation Plan, which introduces the corporate philosophy of kyosei.

[Enterprise] Canon Research Centre Europe Ltd. is established in the U.K.

[Enterprise] Canon Opto (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. is established.

[Enterprise] Canon Business Machines de Mexico, S.A. de C.V. is established.

[Enterprise] Nagahama Canon Inc. is established in Japan.

[Enterprise] Canon becomes the first Japanese company to qualify for an in-house certification system using the CSA mark (Canadian electrical safety standard).

[Enterprise] PC series personal-use copying machine production reaches 2 million units.

[Products] The Color Bubble Jet Copier A1 is introduced.

[Products] Sales of Canon’s optical disk system commence.

[Products] Sales commence for the FAX 705, with Canon’s GENESIS digital image-processing technology.

[Products] The RC-760 still video camera incorporating a 600,000 pixel CCD, the world's largest, is introduced.

[Products] The Q-PIC floppy disk camera is introduced.

[Enterprise] Keizo Yamaji is appointed president of Canon Inc.

[Enterprise] Canon acquires equity in NeXT Inc. of the U.S., in exchange for sales rights for the Far East.

[Enterprise] Canon Dalian Business Machines, Inc., is established in the PRC.

[Enterprise] NP copying machine production reaches 5 million units.

[Products] The CLC-500 color laser copying machine is introduced.

[Products] The Ai Note IN-3000, a PDA with handwritten input capability, is introduced.

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

[Products] The A1 (A1Hi in other regions), an 8 mm video camcorder with high-end specifications, is introduced.

[Enterprise] Canon forms the Environment Assurance Promotion Committee.

[Enterprise] Canon launches its toner cartridge recycling system.

[Enterprise] Canon Information Systems Research Australia Pty. Ltd. is established.

[Enterprise] Canon Information Systems R&D Europe Ltd. (today, Canon Research Centre France S.A.S.) is established.

[Enterprise] Canon Zhuhai, Inc. is established in the PRC.

[Enterprise] Canon Hi-Tech (Thailand) Ltd. is established.

[Enterprise] Niigata Canotech Co., Inc. (today, Canon Imaging Systems Inc.) is established.

[Products] The NP9800, the world's first high-speed copying machine to incorporate fuzzy logic, is introduced.

[Products] The BJ-10v notebook-size inkjet printer is introduced.

[Products] The Canofile 250, an electronic filing system using magneto-optical disks, is introduced.

[Products] The FPA-2000i1, an i-line stepper, is introduced.

[Enterprise] Canon wins the first Chairman's Award from the National Geographic Society for commencing the collection and recycling of toner cartridges.

[Products] Canon succeeds in developing the world's first display based on ferroelectric liquid crystal display (FLCD) technology.

[Products] The L1 (EX1Hi in other regions), an 8 mm video camcorder with interchangeable lenses conforming to the VL-mount standard, is introduced.

[Enterprise] Canon Seiko Co., Ltd. and Canon Chemical Co., Inc. merge to form Canon Chemicals Inc.

[Enterprise] Canon Electronic Business Machines (H.K.) Co., Ltd. begins operations.

[Enterprise] Laser printer production reaches 10 million units.

[Enterprise] Toner cartridge production reaches 100 million units.

[Products] Canon develops world's first 1-chip LSI featuring complete conformance with the JBIG (Joint Bilevel Image Group) advanced digital image compression scheme.

[Products] Canon and the NHK Engineering Service Foundation jointly develop a high-speed camera conforming to the Hi-Vision format.

[Products] The CLC550, the world's first copying machine with anti-forgery technology, is introduced.

[Products] The GP55, a digital copying machine combining superior image quality with computer compatibility, is introduced.

[Products] Sales begin for the NP6030 copying machine, with an ecological design.

[Products] Canon’s first full-color inkjet printer, BJC-820, is introduced.

[Products] The EOS 5, the world's first eye-controlled AF SLR camera, is introduced.

[Products] The T10G-RF, a video camcorder lens with image stabilizer using Canon’s Vari-Angle Prism, is introduced.

[Enterprise] Hajime Mitarai is appointed president of Canon Inc.

[Enterprise] The Second Global Corporation Plan is initiated.

[Enterprise] Canon Group Environmental Charter is established.

[Enterprise] Copying machine production reaches 10 million units.

[Products] Canon and IBM Japan, Ltd. jointly develop the world's first notebook-size personal computer with a built-in printer.

[Products] The Pixel Jet S, a full-color inkjet copying machine, is introduced.

[Products] The EOS REBEL XS (EOS 500 in other regions), a lightweight, compact SLR camera with built-in flash, is introduced.

[Enterprise] Canon and IBM Corp. of the U.S. form tie-ups for the development and production of small computers using the PowerPC range of chips.

[Enterprise] The 5,000th mask aligner is produced.

[Enterprise] Inkjet printer production reaches 10 million units.

[Products] The Japan Institute of Invention and Innovation rewards Canon with the Imperial Award for Innovations for its Bubble Jet printing system.

[Products] The world's first automatic-duplexing color laser copying machine, the CLC800, is introduced.

[Products] The Movie Boy E1 video camcorder with eye-controlled focusing and optical image stabilizer is introduced.

[Enterprise] Fujio Mitarai is appointed president of Canon Inc.

[Enterprise] Canon forms the CS (customer satisfaction) Promotion Committee.

[Enterprise] Canon, in a first for a Japanese company, earns certification under the BS7750 international environmental standard for its Ami and Ueno plants.

[Enterprise] Custom Integrated Technology, Inc., a remanufacturing site for copying machines, is established in Virginia, U.S.A.

[Enterprise] Toner cartridge collection reaches 10 million units.

[Products] After a 34-year hiatus, Canon reenters the binocular market with its 12 x 36 IS model, which compensates for hand-shake by incorporating Canon’s Vari-Angle Prism.

[Products] Canon’s first digital SLR camera, EOS DCS 3, is introduced.

[Products] The world's first FLCD is commercialized.

[Products] The EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world's first camera lens with image stabilizer, is introduced.

[Products] The CLC1000, a high-speed, full-color copying machine with four photosensitive drums, is introduced.

[Products] The SURE SHOT DEL SOL (PRIMA SOL in other regions), the world's first fully solar-powered camera, is introduced.