Canon launches range of printers, scanners

NEW DELHI: With the view to establish itself as an IT company, Canon India

has announced the launch of a range of IT imaging products for the Indian

market. In all Canon launched six bubble jet printers, four flat bed scanners

and two laser printers. The company has also repositioned its marketing strategy

by appointing three national distributors.

Targeted at business executives, travelers, small offices, SMEs and large

enterprises, the mobile and S-series of bubble jet printers are available in

S600, S800 and S400SP, S300, S4500 and BJC55 models. These are priced at Rs

17,995, Rs 22,995, Rs 7,995, Rs 8,995, Rs 23,995 and Rs 19,995 respectively.

The introduction of LBP-2000 and the LBP- 810 marks Canon's entry into the

laser printer market in India and are priced at Rs 59,995 and Rs 16,995

respectively. These printers can be operated remotely with Canon's Document

Printing Application and Canon Peripheral Controller Architecture.

Canon also introduced a range of new scanners that include N1240U, N640Pex,

D646U and D2400 UF. These are priced at Rs 10,995, Rs 4,995, Rs 5,495 and Rs

33,995 respectively.

Alok Bharadwaj, general manager, System Product division, Canon India, said,

"Keeping the Indian customers in mind we at Canon have sliced the market

into thin price bands, making it easier for the consumer to purchase a printer

that is priced right and offers him value added features."

Focussing highly on distribution model, the company has appointed three

national distributors that include Tech Pacific in the north, Compuage in the

west and Wellwin India in the south. The company has also put in place a

three-tier 'channel structure' to increase its reach and penetration in the IT

peripheral market wherein there will be an exclusive representative of Canon's

System Product Division in each state.

The first tier comprises of regional distributors. These will interface

directly with resellers, system integrators/assemblers and corporate partners

who constitute the second tier. The resellers will in turn deal directly with

the third tier comprising of a large number of dealers. The company is also

targeting the 18 per cent market share in the inkjet printer category by June

2002.