Canon fans talk about everything-from the sharp, saturated images a Canon camera can take to the clarity of the output produced by its inkjet printers. What I and many others rarely hear on the streets is how fast the Canon production printer can churn pages out in bulk or how a Canon document scanner gets the job done. It is only a relatively small portion of the pie that knows an entire division in the company is dedicated to helping increase the productivity and quality of work in your office.
Canon Business Imaging Solutions (BIS) is one of the three divisions in Canon Marketing Philippines-the first being Imaging Communication Products (ICP), which handles the camera business, and the second being Consumer System Products (CSP), which handles the inkjet printers (among which is the award-winning PIXMA line). BIS, in contrast to the two aforementioned sectors, focuses on office solutions for a corporate market.
“At first, we simply handled office printing solutions;’ said the Canon BIS Group Senior Manager for Emerging Products, Sales and Service Division, Arnold Endaya, with whom we had the chance to chat when we dropped by Canon’s showroom in McKinley Hill. “But now:’ he continued,”we also offer large-format printers, solutions for large, small and medium-sized enterprises, and products for home offices:’
The BIS product line is composed of the most essential and convenient devices that are primarily used in the enterprise setting. This does not only refer to scanners, copiers, fax machines, laser printers and multi-function devices that
perform combinations of these tasks. Among the roster of products are devices that perform document management functions-document scanners, for instance. The BIS sector also carries software solutions for digital archiving-a
common technique being adapted by a number of businesses today so as to ensure the safety of documents amidst the threat of physical forces and natural disasters that would, in effect, destroy even the thickest of papers and
most sophisticated ink. Other devices would include production printing systems, which are complimentary to commercial offset printers. This refers to those that are used to whip up materials in bulk. Large format printers are
also found in the BIS line-up. These printers play an essential role in the CAD (computeraided design), AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) and graphic industry as they are used by architects and professional
photographers to print out large-scale images. Endaya tells us that to ensure the quality of the products they release, Canon-just like any responsible company-runs a comprehensive study of their customers’ changing needs, but
the ties with the customer don’t end there. After the products have been purchased, they run a wide-ranging aftersales service, which means
that they provide warranties, extend them, and offer maintenance and repair services as well. This guarantees that customers will be able to use their purchased facilities to their maximum capacities.
“Among the technologies we wish to explore in the near future is the management document system (MDS);’ shared Endaya, discussing how
he envisions the future of Canon BIS sector. He shared a fairly general view of their strategy in 2013 and the years to come: to produce more products and solutions in the market, to make more efficient machines, and to adapt to the
shifting aftersales needs of their customers. Another development is in the form of a new product: the Canon lmageFormula P215 portable document scanner that, in contrast to the other BIS products, encroaches the retail market,
according to Endaya.
“The most important part of our plans in the future is to continue delighting our customers:’ Endaya concluded.
Words by Racine CAstro
First published in GAdgets Magazine February 2013