About Konica Minolta
About Konica Minolta
Konica Minolta is a Japanese tech company that is located in 49 countries around the world. The company primarily manufactures Industrial and business Imaging products. These products include laser printers, copiers, multifunctional peripherals, and digital print systems. These are made mainly for the production printing markets. They also produce various optical devices, which include x-ray image processors, x-ray film, 3D digitizers, photometers, LCD film, and lenses. In the past, they once manufactured cameras. However, this side of the industry was sold to Sony in 2006.
History of the company
The company was formed when Konica and Minolta, both Japanese Imaging firms, merged in 2003. The logo of the company makes use of a globe mark, which is similar to the former logo of the Minolta brand. It also makes use of the exact same corporates Logan, the essentials of Imaging. In 2006 Konica Minolta announced that they were to quit the camera market due to continuing financial losses. Their operations involving SLR cameras were ultimately passed over to Sony. In 2007 Konica Minolta ceased with their photo imaging division come on and the colour paper, colour film, digital mini lab, and photochemical divisions have all closed down.
History of camera production
Minolta was a major player in the camera market and produced cameras starting in the 1960s. Their main target audience was amateur photographers and included models including the x700 and the x370. During the Middle Ages, Bee Company produces a range of cameras that featured 35mm SLRs. As the era of digital cameras arrived, the company produced a line of the point and shoot cameras. They created and manufactured a range of cameras which came under the category of SLR like. These cameras possessed a mix of digital imagery along with traditional SLR features.
They made forays into the SLR camera market during the mid-to-late 90s. However, the market was ever competitive and saturated with modern technology. This resulted in manufacturing and production costs proving to be more expensive than anticipated and resulted in the company selling there camera division to Sony in 2006. They had hoped that they will be able to work in partnership with Sony, however, Sony made it clear that it was either everything or nothing so they decided to pull out of the camera industry and pass on all rights to Sony.
Multifunction peripherals
Konica Minolta decided to pursue Avenues in Advanced Imaging they are the manufacture and production of multifunctional peripherals. These were branded as the bizhub series and possess many features and functions, such as faxing, copying, printing, and scanning. They were designed to assist with the consolidation of office equipment via software programs for Network Management and to be able to share both computer-generated and scanned data.
Printing Solutions
The company ventured into lightweight and compact colour Laser Printers that offered a high level of performance. This has proved to be a particularly lucrative Avenue for the company as many industries shift from using monochrome printing to colour printing. They released the magicolor line, which featured photographic quality 2400 DPI printing capabilities. The printers also allowed the individual to print directly from digital cameras via USB. The line of printers ranges from home and office models of an entry-level design to large printing stations designed for environments of a corporate nature.
Medical and graphic
The company also manufactures and sells processing and film equipment designed for graphics and medical imaging. The company form the umbrella brand of Konica Minolta Graphic Imaging, USA, and manufactures and distributes both digital and conventional graphic art supplies. These include digital and analogue film, CTP and conventional printing plates, plate and film processes, plate setters, software, Digital Color proofers, imagesetters, and processing chemicals. Konica Minolta serves corporate communications, printing and publishing, and newspaper Industries directly from its headquarters.
Konica Minolta Sensing
The company offers software, services, and products that use measurement technology and light control within four of its main production areas. These are displayed measurement, medical measurement, colour measurement, and 3D measurement. Display measurement includes spectral radiometers, colour analyzers, and colourimeters. These are typically used for adjusting the balance and contrast of televisions, mobile phones, satellite navigation systems, and LCD computer displays.
Its 3D digitizers are able to take a complete scan of 3D objects and transfer the data to computers. This can then be used for academic research, archaeological studies, medical applications, 3D archiving, and the production of computer graphics. Its colour measurement line includes chroma meters which measure the transmitted and reflected the colour of various objects. These are typically used for the production of automotive parts, textiles, paint, construction materials, plastic, food, and for correcting visual defects. Their medical measurement equipment includes jaundice meters and pulse oximeters.
Konica Minolta Healthcare
As the world of healthcare continues to expand with the digital revolution, Konica Minolta is standing at the forefront by creating digital Image processing technology. The company has ranges covering computed radiography, laser imagers, ultrasound devices, digital radiography, analogue solutions, and veterinary products. This helps and assists hospitals and medical centres around the world improve their caregiving while taking advantage of the modern technology available to help and assist with treating many conditions, ranging from both internal and external situations.
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Konica Minolta Planetarium
Konica Minolta is the only known manufacturer planetariums that also operates and runs its own chain of theatres. There are two theatres located in Tokyo, which draw and more than 800,000 visitors annually. The theatres run programs focusing on relaxation, and provide a high quality and high definition experience covering everything from the planetary movements to the galaxies and universes beyond. The projectors work by producing starfields that follow a true to form radiation. Each theatre consists of 6 high-resolution projectors that provide a high-definition and fully immersive visual experience.
The future of Konica Minolta
The company understands that office environments are changing around the world, and there is a real need for ever advancing technology. Artificial intelligence is looking to make a real impact on the way in which companies and businesses will work in the future. It has been more than 60 years since the words 'artificial intelligence@ arrived, and it is believed that it will be able to professionally influence our lives and help the world to become better understood. Currently, Konica Minolta is working on concepts of progressing intelligent hubs that will help to provide businesses with support, collaboration, and insight.
The company also provides business solutions such as virtual receptionist and eVisionSense. These have been designed to help strained workflow and Safeguard the privacy of the workplace and the equipment contained within. The virtual receptionist allows for visitors to register in the system and achieve communication between guests and hosts. It also affords the individual to be able to set up delivery options, capture photos, present legal documents for electronic signatures, and print badges. It does away with the need for a real-life receptionist and streamlines all of the usual systems between visitors and hosts.
Konica Minolta final thoughts
Konica Minolta or has grown from being two separate companies to one giant one and has successfully managed to cross the barriers between the worlds of office solutions, medical practices and visual imagery. The company can now be found in almost every major developed country around the world and employees a truly humongous workforce. From humble beginnings in the world photography, the company has managed to remain true to its original formation and to this day still manufactures and produces equipment covering this market. While the company may have stepped out of the digital camera revolution, their heart is still very much focused on digital imagery and printing solutions.
As time progresses, Konica Minolta continues to design, create, and manufacture some of the most cutting-edge technology that enables businesses to communicate more effectively. They also help with some solutions by bringing ever-increasing high-quality print solutions. Their involvement within the medical world has also helped with the advancement of many medical routines and simplify the process of diagnosing and treating patients suffering from a whole plethora of conditions. The move into the veterinary business is also a welcome one and is improving the life quality of animals the world over. The company stand strong as a leader in innovative visual and digital technology that is constantly improving the daily life of individuals and improving business output.
Only time will tell if the company can continue to be a leader in it's field. However, if it continues to operate in the way that it does, then the future only holds good things for Konica Minolta. It has grown into a multinational that is renowned around the world for its technological advancements, and many of its umbrella companies have gone on to thrive in their own right. It may be easy to look at Konica and Minolta as being simple camera manufacturers of the past, but the combining of these two companies into one has turned it into a shining star in the world of digital imagery and print.