Page 56 - Forbes - USA (February 2018)

SPECIAL ADVERTISTING SECTION

Canon has become a major player in healthcare with the acquisition of Toshiba Medical Systems.

explains. “I see a growing need in every mod- “That led us to acquire Axis, a Swedish firm and knew immediately that this was an ideal
ern society for a greater sense of personal that excels in network video technologies, match. This was not merely an opportunity
safety and peace of mind. Contributing to and the Danish company Milestone Systems, for Canon to become a major player in medi-
increased safety and security will be a huge a leader in image processing software, and cal equipment. It was also a good way to use
growth area. But how could Canon achieve welcome them into our Group. By adding our vast knowledge and experience to help
that?” Canon’s lenses, sensors and other imaging humankind.”
One key sector was network cameras. technology, we created one of the world’s In 2016, Canon formally acquired TMSC,
Conventional surveillance cameras have leading network camera companies. And one of the world leaders in large-scale medi-
been used in crime prevention for some this area is going to grow strongly for years cal equipment such as CT and MRI scanners,
time, but the concept of utilizing networks of to come.” as well as ultrasound imaging systems. The
high-resolution cameras backed by top-end union of Canon’s and TMSC’s technologies
image processing, facial recognition software Game-changing Growth has produced one of the world’s strongest
and other analytics is already taking hold in Mitarai is an active spokesman for the value of and most innovative firms in the field of
retail marketing (analyzing customer traffic, network cameras in multiple fields, and also medical equipment: Canon Medical Systems
for example) and in factories and warehouses, for the power of Canon Group companies to Corporation.
where the technology is used to critically contribute to society by developing this tech- “We need to grow by identifying and
examine workflows and operational bottle- nology. His other big concern for the future developing new business areas,” Mitarai says.
necks to improve efficiency. The number of is the healthcare business, which is another “And wherever possible, we want to do just
potential applications seem to be increasing significant area where the firm can grow by what we did with network cameras, medical
by the day. helping to improve lives. Canon was already equipment and other fields—develop busi-
“I knew Canon had a great deal to con- well known for making excellent diagnostic nesses that provide real value to society.”
tribute to this business—not just cameras, and imaging devices, such as portable X-ray In much the same way, the company also
lenses, sensors and digital image processing, detectors. However, it did not make the big- re-examined its printer business. Canon is
but also our manufacturing know-how and ticket items, such as CT scanners, that domi- well known for both home-use and office-
our global sales network. Even so, we were nate the sector. use printers. Yet those products were not
newcomers to this market,” Mitarai admits. Then, the perfect complement to its busi- growing as they had in the past, and incre-
“In order to enter the network camera market, ness appeared on the horizon, a develop- mental innovations would not return double-
Canon first built an appropriate internal orga- ment that Mitarai relates with obvious joy. digit growth.
nizational structure. Then we examined the “When we first learned that Toshiba Medical “We looked around to see what was grow-
global market and looked at the competing Systems Corporation (TMSC) might become ing in the printing sector,” Mitarai explains,
firms, and only then did we decide to partner available, we looked at the synergies with our “And the answer was commercial print-
with a few of the world’s top companies. existing Medical Equipment Business Group ing—catalogs, posters, including package

3 Japan