To What Extent Did Canon Become A Better Company Than Nikon Even Thought It Was Founded Until 1933?

Business Managment Internal Assesment |
TO WHAT EXTENT DID CANON BECOME A BETTER COMPANY THAN NIKON EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS FOUNDED UNTIL 1933? |
By Alonso Beylán González |
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Teacher: José Carlos Ramírez Perroni |
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TO WHAT EXTENT DID CANON BECOME A BETTER COMPANY THAN NIKON EVEN THOUGHT IT WAS FOUNDED UNTIL 1933?
From its earliest days, Nikon's focus has been on optics. Thegoal: to see with brilliance and clarity beyond the power of the naked eye; to bring the distant near; extend the reach of the human hand and the grasp of the mortal mind, to allow people to open a picture window on the universe and then share that view with the world. (Newswire)
Born in 1917 out of a union of three of Japan's leading optics manufacturers, Nikon's earliest products weren'tcameras. Rather, they were prism binoculars and microscopes. Though Nikon's product line diversified over its early years to include surveying equipment, measuring instruments and eyeglass lenses, it was the company's development of camera lenses -- mounted on the bodies of other companies' cameras -- that established its global reputation for quality, excellence and innovation.
By the 1930s, Nikkorwas fast becoming the preferred lens among discerning and demanding professionals.
Inspired and encouraged by the success of Nikkor lenses, Nikon introduced its first camera in 1948. The small 35mm rangefinder-type camera, appropriately dubbed the Nikon I, enjoyed kudos from the press and acceptance from the public. More importantly, it set Nikon on a course that would change not simply thecompany's future but the future of photography itself.
In the other hand when Canon founders came together in 1933, their vision was simple: become the best camera makers in the world. They started off by taking apart a Leica model (one of the best cameras at that time) and coming up with an improved version. Eventually indigenous technology improved and Canon started increasing its product portfolio.Things were looking up until World War II came. Tough times followed. Canon however kept its focus on, and was savvy enough to look for new markets. Not surprisingly, in 1955 it became one of the first Japanese companies to open an office in the United States.
But till late 1960s, the company was not very successful in the United States. It was then, during an income tax audit session that FujioMitarai, the current Canon global head and nephew of Takeshi Mitarai (a co-founder of the company), learnt his most important lesson - the company must make more profit than the prevailing interest rate. The lesson was well learnt as the company has since been certainly making more than the existing interest rate. Canon has maintained its sales and has been ranked in the top 100 companiesworldwide. Not bad for a company which started off just to make better cameras than its German counterparts.

Since Canon was founded, its executive board established where the company was going, from the beginning of the company Canon started producing cameras and soon managed to expand its market share to America and Europe. By 1957 the company had presence already in the United States andSwitzerland. In contrast, Nikon started producing cameras until 1946 and began expanding its geographical scope until the 1950s (more than 33 years after its foundation).
Canon began innovating from the very beginning; in 1964 it produced a prototype calculator, while Nikon’s first diversification from microscopes and binoculars was its first camera in 1945 and it was not much of an innovation.
Canonlaunched an oversea production operation in Taiwan in 1970 and entered the market of personal calculators. In 1975 it continued innovating with a laser beam printer, which was fully developed by the company. After all these, in 1978, Canon opened a new division centered in business products.
Nikon did not start forming joint ventures until the year 2000, when Canon had already gone to Europe,...