Low highlights Canon’s evolution from an imaging pioneer to a business solutions provider championing smarter, more connected businesses across Malaysia. - Photo by Leong Wai Yee/The Star
FOR almost 90 years, Canon has remained synonymous with imaging excellence. What began as a pioneering optics company has grown into a global household name and a trusted leader in imaging technology.
Over the decades, the company has evolved with changing industries, shifting customer needs and the accelerating digital landscape.
Today, it stands not only as an imaging brand but as a holistic technology solutions provider enabling smarter, more connected workflows across Malaysia.
“Imaging has always been at the heart of Canon,” shared Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn Bhd Business Imaging Solution (BIS) Centre head Vincent Low.
Over time, he said, it expanded that expertise to help people and businesses work smarter through imaging-driven technology.
“Today, Canon leverages its strengths across four key domains — printing, medical, imaging and industrial — combining imaging intelligence with smart automation and cloud-enabled workflows.”
Canon’s evolution reflects a clear shift in purpose: from capturing images to empowering end-to-end workflows.
Its comprehensive suite of technologies now simplifies, secures and accelerates business operations — creating end-to-end value for organisations navigating digital transformation.
A platform for ideas
Canon’s progress is anchored by the Think Big platform, a long-running initiative that brings together industry leaders, policymakers and innovators to explore how digitalisation can fuel real, measurable business growth.
Since its launch in 2010, Think Big has served as a collaborative space for organisations in the region to access insights, learn from case studies and evaluate emerging technologies.
“Think Big reflects our belief that technology should be accessible, practical and scalable — for every business, from SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to large enterprises,” said Low. He added that sharing real-world insights and success stories bridges innovation with action.
“This helps Malaysian businesses turn technology investments into measurable outcomes and sustainable growth,” he added.
While Think Big frames the strategic conversation around digital transformation, the execution of that vision is driven by Canon’s BIS division.
(Front row, centre) Low, with (behind him, in blue suit) Norihiro Katagiri and (on Katagiri’s left) Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn Bhd president and chief executive officer Masato Yoshiie, together with the Canon Marketing Malaysia team, at the Think Big Klang Valley 2025 Series, showcasing Canon's commitment to Malaysia's digital progress.
Engine of growth
Canon’s BIS division sits at the heart of the company’s transformation. As the company’s business-to-business (B2B) arm, BIS has been instrumental in advancing document digitisation, workflow modernisation and cloud-based workflows across key sectors — including healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education and public services.
A clear example of this impact can be seen in Malaysia’s healthcare sector. Currently, only about 20% of hospitals and 236 out of more than 3,800 clinics have fully digitised their medical records — illustrating the vast potential for efficiency and accuracy improvements across the ecosystem.
Canon is helping bridge this gap.If, for instance, a healthcare institution previously required hours to manually search and request access to patient records, its technology changes the entire workflow.
“With our document management system, enhanced by eForms, intelligent automation and proprietary data protection they’ve streamlined approvals, improved efficiency and saved valuable time,” said Low.
These improvements extend across industries, creating real value.
“We’ve also supported banks and universities to reduce manual paperwork and shorten approval cycles by up to 40%. Our focus is simple — to help organisations build smarter, connected business environments where information flows securely, efficiently and seamlessly,” he added.
The division’s leadership is reflected in Canon’s strong market performance. The company has held the No. 1 market share for laser copiers in Malaysia for three consecutive years, a testament to the trust organisations place in its reliability, service quality and continuous innovation.
Next frontier
What makes BIS particularly effective is its scalability. Solutions can be tailored from simple digitisation tools for SMEs to advanced, intelligent workflow solutions for enterprises.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) powers key capabilities in Canon’s next-generation solutions — including predictive maintenance, automated document routing and intelligent data recognition — helping businesses save time and reduce human error,” explains Low.
Canon, he says, runs on the ethos of ‘Business Can Be Simple’ — showcasing it in two ways — through the tools they create and the platforms they build.
“Our Smart Tech solutions, powered by AI, cloud and automation, are the tools that simplify how businesses work — making processes faster, smarter and more efficient.”
Canon’s product innovation in recent years reflects this growing importance of AI and automation in improving business continuity, reducing downtime and supporting smarter decision-making.
Canon’s document management solutions, for example, integrate imaging intelligence, data analytics and automated processes to help Malaysian organisations modernise their operations.
“These innovations demonstrate how Canon integrates AI, cloud and imaging intelligence to make organisations and industries more efficient, connected and reliable,” says Low.
These improvements translate into fewer manual processes, faster decision cycles and reduced operational disruptions — all critical ingredients for organisational resilience in an increasingly competitive environment.
Canon’s direction also aligns closely with Malaysia’s national digital objectives, including the push to expand AI adoption and strengthen the digital economy.
“Our initiatives support the government’s digital agenda, including responsible AI adoption, while helping businesses embrace transformation without complexity or high entry barriers,” said Low.
Canon’s commitment is to ensure that transformation tools — automation, digitisation, workflow modernisation — remain accessible not only to large enterprises but also to SMEs that form the backbone of the economy.
A Canon representative briefing MyDIGITAL chief executive officer Adrian Marcellus on Canon business solutions that support Malaysia’s digital ambitions and help businesses accelerate digitalisation.
Showcasing innovation
Canon’s alignment with national goals is not limited to technology deployment — it also extends to knowledge sharing and ecosystem collaboration.
This was evident at its Think Big 2025 Series, a nationwide programme spanning Johor Bahru, Penang, Putrajaya and Petaling Jaya.
Across these four events, industry leaders and policymakers discussed emerging trends, challenges and growth opportunities shaping Malaysia’s digital future.
The series' latest edition, themed, “Future-Ready Malaysia: Innovation, Resilience, Growth,” highlighted how the nation can automate, optimise and innovate towards a future-ready digital economy.
A highlight of the event was the debut of Canon’s next-generation imageFORCE multi-function device (MFD) series, designed for the future of work.
Built on four core values — security, reliability, connectivity and sustainability — the new devices feature AI-assisted automation, predictive maintenance and enterprise-grade security for more seamless digital workflows.
“This approach helps businesses reduce the risk of unplanned downtime, ensuring devices operate at peak efficiency and reliability,” said Low.
Powered by Canon’s Smart eServices platform, the MFDs offer real-time remote monitoring, faster service response and optimised maintenance scheduling — turning traditional servicing into a proactive, data-driven process.
Towards a more connected Malaysia
As Malaysia accelerates toward a digital-first and AI-driven economy, the need for collaboration, clarity and practical innovation becomes increasingly critical.
For Canon, the goal extends beyond creating smarter tools. It is about enabling organisations to strengthen their foundations, unlock new efficiencies and move forward with confidence.
Most importantly, the company aims to ensure technology uplifts both businesses and the people behind them — reinforcing digital progress as a national advantage.
With its deep legacy, advanced imaging intelligence, and forward-looking ecosystem initiatives, Canon is not only keeping pace with Malaysia’s digital future — it is helping shape it.
