Canon Inc's Competitiveness

Canon encounters intense global competition in all areas of its business. Canon’s competitors range from some of the world’s major multinational corporations to smaller, highly specialized companies. Canon competes in a number of different business areas, whereas many of its competitors focus on one or more individual areas. Consequently, Canon may face significant competition from entities that apply greater financial, technological, sales and marketing or other resources than Canon to their activities in a particular market segment.
The principal elements of competition that Canon faces in each of its markets are technology, quality, reliability, performance, price and customer service and support. Canon believes that its ability to compete effectively depends in large part on conducting successful research and development activities that enable it to create new or improved products and release them on a timely basis and at commercially attractive prices.

The markets for this segment are highly competitive. Canon’s primary competitors are Xerox Corporation/Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.; Ricoh Company, Ltd.; Konica Minolta Inc.; HP Inc.; Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.; and Lexmark International, Inc. Canon believes that it is one of the leading global manufacturers of office MFDs, copying machines and laser printers. In addition to the general elements of competition described above, Canon’s ability to compete successfully in these markets also depends significantly on whether it can provide effective, broad-based “business solutions” to its customers and respond to interrelated customer needs. In particular, the ability to provide equipment and software that connect effectively to networks (ranging in scope from local area networks to the Internet and the cloud) is often a key to Canon’s competitive strength. In the United States, Europe and Japan, Canon is one of the market leaders in all areas of the business machine market. In emerging markets, for example in China, the current market leaders for business machines are Toshiba TEC Corporation, Sharp Corporation and Konica Minolta Inc. Canon hopes to join this group by introducing products tailored to the Chinese market and by strengthening sales and service channels.

Canon has continued to invest aggressively in competitive new products and intends to maintain its position in this market.
Canon’s primary competitors in the interchangeable lens digital camera market are Nikon Corporation and Sony Corporation.
Average prices for compact digital cameras in the industry increased in 2015 from the previous year. Market contraction is having a major impact, resulting in severe conditions in the digital camera market. Despite these difficulties, Canon will seek to take advantage of its status as the major brand in the industry, along with its economies of scale, in order to maintain profitability.

Canon’s primary competitors in the compact digital camera market are Sony Corporation; Nikon Corporation; and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. Canon’s primary competitors in the digital video camcorder market are Sony Corporation; Panasonic Corporation; and JVC Kenwood Corporation. Canon’s primary competitors in the inkjet printer market are HP Inc. and Seiko Epson Corporation.

Very stiff competition continues in the markets for lithography equipment used in the production of semiconductor devices and flat panel displays (“FPDs”). In order to produce lithography equipment that can provide ultra-fine processing, an integration of advanced optical, control and system technologies is required, along with continuous investment in technology development. The main competitors in these markets are Nikon Corporation, in the markets for semiconductor and FPD lithography equipment, and ASML Holding N.V., in the market for semiconductor lithography equipment only.

Canon believes that it has helped its customers improve their productivity by continuously improving the cost performance of semiconductor lithography equipment using the i-line and KrF laser light sources. In particular, equipment using i-line has captured a large share of the global market, satisfying the needs of image sensor manufacturers by quickly adapting to various unique specifications through “design-in”.

Canon believes its FPD lithography equipment with a common platform offers excellent productivity and reliability that has helped it capture market share of the industry-leading South Korean market and the growing Chinese market. Canon’s sales and service support systems have also received high accolades from the customers in these markets. In the trend of high-definition, such as 4K displays in the panel market, Canon believes it has also been meeting the needs of panel makers by continuously offering new products with high resolution.
As for network cameras, the market is competitive in higher functional requirement and price pressure from customers. Canon’s primary competitors are Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. and Panasonic Corporation. Canon is developing the innovative technology to continue to be a global market leader in this industry.