Canon is the world's leading integrated group of companies producing imaging and information products. Since its founding in 1937, and after years of tireless efforts, Canon has globalized and expanded its business into a variety of fields. Currently, Canon's product lineup*** is spread across three main areas: personal products, office equipment and industrial equipment, with major products including cameras and lenses, digital cameras, printers, copiers, facsimile machines, scanners, broadcasting equipment, medical devices and semiconductor production equipment. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, and with four regional sales headquarters in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Japan, Canon has 203 subsidiaries around the world and employs approximately 93,000 people.
Canon was ranked 190th on the 2001 Fortune 500 list in terms of turnover and sixth in the computer and office equipment industry category, and in 2002, Canon achieved net sales of US$24.501 billion and net income of US$1.589 billion, both of which were new all-time highs.
Canon was founded in 1937 with the goal of producing world-class cameras based on optical technology. Since then, Canon has continued to research and develop new technologies and developed Japan's first plain paper photocopier in the early 1870's. In the early 1980's, Canon successfully developed the first successful bubble inkjet printing technology and marketed its products worldwide. The emphasis and investment in technological research and development has enabled Canon to continue to grow and develop over the decades and become a leader in its industry. Last year, Canon was ranked second in the number of U.S. patent registrations in 2002 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, making it the tenth consecutive year Canon has been in the top three in this ranking.