Epson Wins Prestigious Red Dot Award for Moverio BT-300 Smart Glasses

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MoverioBT-300smart glasses

Seiko Epson Corporation has won the Red Dot Award in the Product Design category (Red Dot Award: Product Design 2017)* for its Moverio BT-300 smart glasses with silicon organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays.

Created in 1955 in Germany, the Red Dot Design Award is recognized around the world as one of the most prestigious awards in the design field. A jury of experts evaluates products announced during the past two years and selects the best designs based on nine criteria, including degree of innovation, functionality, ergonomics, ecological compatibility, and durability.

The Moverio BT-300 features Epson’s own silicon OLED displays. It is compact and lightweight yet delivers amazing brightness, contrast, resolution, and image quality. Images are rendered in realistic color and without a distracting frame around the edges of the display. These features mean that Moverio images and information are displayed seamlessly in the user’s field of view for a realistic augmented reality (AR) experience.

“We always want our product designs to exceed customer expectations, but the Moverio BT-300 is more streamlined than our previous model. I think the judges recognized that the design achieves comfort and looks natural. We want to continue to make strides toward even better designs in the future,” says Hiroaki Sakai, general manager of the design department in Epson’s Visual Products Operations Division.

An awards ceremony was held in Essen, Germany on April 3.

For additional product details, visit http://global.epson.com/newsroom/2016/news_20160223.html

Note that Epson products and services vary by region. Please refer to your local Epson sales company for details of products and services available in your region: http://www.epson.com/

For more information about the Red Dot Design Awards, please visit 

http://en.red-dot.org/red-dot-design-award-home.html

* Red Dot Design Awards are organized by Design ZentrumNordrheinWestfalen, a design center.

Epson Named Among Top 100 Global Innovators for Sixth Consecutive Year

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TOKYO, Japan, February 28, 2017 - Seiko Epson Corporation was listed among the 2016 Top 100 Global Innovators announced by Philadelphia-based Clarivate Analytics, formerly the Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters. Epson has been named to the list every year since its inception in 2011. 

Hirofumi Hino from Clarivate Analytics’ office in Japan presented Toshiya Takahata, executive officer and general administrative manager of Epson’s Intellectual Property Division, with a trophy to commemorate the occasion.

Takahata (right) accepting the trophy from Hirofumi Hino of Clarivate Analytics

Reasons for selection (cited by Clarivate Analytics)

The Top 100 Global Innovators methodology analyzes patents across four main criteria (volume, success, globalization, and influence). Epson has been selected for the list largely in recognition of its success rate, a metric that indicates the ratio of patents granted to the number of applications filed.

Intellectual property at Epson

Epson files about 4,000 patent applications a year. It holds and maintains about 50,000 patents globally and is working with patent agencies in 20 countries or more at any given time. In the patent rankings for the 2015 fiscal year, Epson ranked 7th in Japan for the number of patents awarded, 16th in the United States, and 15th in China (among foreign companies). Epson possesses world-class IP capabilities and is an industry leader in patent quantity and quality in product categories such as inkjet printers and projectors. 

Comments from Toshiya Takahata, executive officer and general administrative manager of Epson’s Intellectual Property Division

“I am extremely pleased and proud that Epson has once again been honored with inclusion on the Top 100 Global Innovators list. Epson’s business strategies and intellectual property strategies are closely linked under the Epson 25 Corporate Vision. The acquisition of high-quality patents that contribute to our business is a high priority for us. I think Clarivate Analytics was able to see and appreciate what we have been doing, and that’s why we again made the Top 100 Global Innovators list. Intellectual property expands the potential of Epson’s current businesses as well as our future businesses. The Intellectual Property Division will continue to work closely with research and development departments to achieve Epson’s aim of becoming a truly indispensable company by creating products and services that help to make the world a better place.”

Top 100 Global Innovators

Clarivate Analytics analyzes intellectual property and patent trends based on proprietary data to determine the world’s most innovative corporations and institutions. The analysis covers four main criteria: volume, success, globalization, and influence. Begun in 2011, the Top 100 Global Innovators report is now in its sixth year.

Epson's PaperLab promises to revolutionize office recycling by securely destroying documents and turning them into office paper using a dry process

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PaperLab

Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC) has developed what it believes to be the world's first compact office papermaking system capable of producing new paper from securely shredded waste paper without the use of water. 

Epson plans to put the new "PaperLab" into commercial production in Japan in 2016, with sales in other regions to be decided at a later date. Businesses and government offices that install a PaperLab in a backyard area will be able to produce paper of various sizes, thicknesses, and types, from office paper and business card paper to paper that is colored and scented.

A developmental prototype of the PaperLab was demonstrated at the Epson booth at the Eco-Products 2015, an environmental exhibition that took place at the Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) last December 10 to 12.

The enduring universal appeal of paper lies in its simplicity as a communication tool. Information on the highly portable and always convenient medium of paper is easy to read, easy to digest, and easy to remember. On the other hand, this essential tool is also produced from a limited resource. As a leading company in the world of printing, Epson has been deeply involved with paper used for its printer products. With this in mind, the company set out to develop technology that would change the paper cycle. With PaperLab, Epson aims to give new value to paper and stimulate recycling.

PaperLab Features

1. Office-based recycling process

Ordinarily, paper is recycled in an extensive process that typically involves transporting waste paper from the office to a papermaking (recycling) facility. With PaperLab, Epson is looking to shorten and localize a new recycling process in the office.

2. Secure destruction of confidential documents

Until now enterprise has had to hire contractors to handle the disposal of confidential documents or has shredded them themselves. With a PaperLab, however, enterprise will be able to safely dispose of documents onsite instead of handing them over to a contractor. PaperLab breaks documents down into paper fibers, so the information on them is completely destroyed.

3. High-speed production of various types of paper

PaperLab produces the first new sheet of paper in about three minutes of having loaded it with waste paper and pressing the Start button. The system can produce about 14 A4 sheets per minute and 6,720 sheets in an eight-hour day.

Users can produce a variety of types of paper to meet their needs, from A4 and A3 office paper of various thicknesses to paper for business cards, color paper and even scented paper.

4. Environmental performance

PaperLab makes paper without the use of water. Ordinarily it takes about a cup of water to make a single A4 sheet of paper. Given that water is a precious global resource, Epson felt a dry process was needed.

In addition, recycling paper onsite in the office shrinks and simplifies the recycling loop. Users can expect to purchase less new paper and reduce their transport CO₂ emissions.

PaperLab technology

Epson's foundation of compact, energy-saving and high-precision technologies enables the company to achieve small, energy-efficient products that offer outstanding accuracy and performance. With printer business operations spanning the consumer, office, commercial and industrial sectors, Epson has an immense storehouse of ink and media expertise, as well as the ability to produce reliable, durable systems that will operate stably.

In addition to these, Epson has developed Dry Fiber Technology without water, a new group of technologies for the PaperLab.

Dry Fiber Technology consists of three separate technologies: fiberizing, binding, and forming.

Fiberizing

Using an original mechanism, waste paper is transformed into long, thin cottony, fibers. This process immediately and completely destroys confidential documents. Since the PaperLab does not use water, it does not require plumbing facilities. That, plus its compact size, makes it easy to install in the backyard of an office.

Binding

A variety of different binders can be added to the fiberized material to increase the binding strength or whiteness of the paper or to add color, fragrance, flame resistance, or other properties needed for a given application.

Forming

Users can produce sheets of A4 or A3 office paper and even paper for business cards thanks to forming technology that allows them to control the density, thickness, and size of paper.

Epson aims to help customers increase operational efficiency by providing high-speed, low-power business inkjet printers that deliver images of amazing quality at a low cost per print. And by employing PaperLab to convert used paper into new, the company believes that offices of all types will fundamentally change the way they think about paper.

Epson to Triple Inkjet Printhead Production with new factory in Japan

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Akita Epson Corporation, a group company of Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC), will invest a total of approximately 3.4 billion yen (approximately USD $28 million) on the construction of a new factory to increase production capacity of printheads for inkjet printers. Construction will begin in November 2015. The new factory, which will begin operations in the autumn of 2016, will triple Akita Epson's current printhead production capacity.

Epson's printing solutions business provides products and services based on original Micro Piezo inkjet technology to customers in the consumer, office, commercial, and industrial markets. The new factory at Akita Epson will manufacture and assemble inkjet printheads, the core devices used in Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers and business inkjet printers.

Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers are new concept products that meet customer needs for low printing costs while providing genuine Epson print quality. Sales of these printers were strong in the 2014 fiscal year (ended March 31, 2015), with annual unit shipment growth topping 40% and future growth in demand expected. The office market is also seeing annual growth in demand for high-speed business inkjet printers that produce outstanding image quality at a lower cost per print and lower energy consumption than laser printers.

"Akita Epson is an important domestic production site with advanced technological capability and a close working relationship with Epson's corporate R&D function," said Takashi Mitsui, president of Akita Epson.

"We make a significant contribution to the manufacturing capability of the entire Epson Group, sharing with Epson's overseas manufacturing plants the technical expertise we have gained from manufacturing core devices. By using Epson's original production equipment and automating and rationalizing production lines, the new plant will further raise our production capability."

In the Philippines, Epson’s ink tank system printers were instrumental in propelling the digital imaging leader to the Number 1 position.

“Our ink tank printers provide the best value in the market – with a printing cost of only 7 centavos per page, unmatched durability and reliability, and unequalled print quality, Epson is the undisputed brand of choice of Filipinos,” said Epson Philippines Product Manager Russer Cabrera.

Epson is committed to advancing its original technologies and to delighting customers by exceeding their expectations with products and services based on original core devices.

EPSON Establishes Corporate Governance Policy

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Seiko Epson Corporation recently announced it had established a Corporate Governance Policy summarizing its philosophy and policies relating to governance. The Policy was approved by a meeting of Epson's board of directors held on September 2.

To achieve the goals declared in its Management Philosophy, promote sustainable growth, and increase corporate value over the mid- to long-term, Epson believes in continuously enhancing and strengthening corporate governance that realizes transparent, fair, timely, and decisive decision-making. For effective corporate governance in light of prevailing social imperatives and the operating environment, Epson will review this policy, and amend it as necessary, on an annual basis.

“Epson pursues continuous improvement not only through its products, but also in how it operates. Our goal is to provide better value to our customers and enhance their quality of life,” said Toshimitsu Tanaka, Managing Director of Epson Singapore Pte. Ltd.

Epson’s Corporate Governance Policy here:

http://global.epson.com/SR/organizational_governance/index.html

Epson RIPS Technology wins BLI Outstanding Achievemt in Innovation Award

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Epson recently announced that its Replaceable Ink Pack System (RIPS) technology had been recognized by Buyers Laboratory LLC (BLI), a leading provider of independent information to the imaging industry, with the Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Award for the summer 2015 test season. The awards are made to companies that provide something new to the market and set new standards and goals to which others can aspire.

Used with Epson’s acclaimed series of WorkForce Pro Replaceable Ink Pack Printers, RIPS technology solves many of the issues associated with office printing by using super-high-yield ink supply units for printing up to 75,000* pages between ink changes. The result of this is less wasted time and resources, and predictable print costs.

In its citation, BLI noted that printers using the technology achieved:

· Phenomenally high tested yields for all colors. 

· Ultra-long-life consumables, which help maintain office productivity and reduce pain points for IT administration. 

· User-friendly replacement and maintenance procedures.

· Compact and low waste packaging advantage, which will suit space-constrained office environments.

“The super-high ink yields offered by the Epson RIPS are a game-changer in the office marketplace, drastically reducing office user consumable replacement frequencies and negating the need for spare sets of toners or inks on site which take up valuable space,” noted David Sweetnam, BLI’s director of research and lab services in Europe. “The ultra-long life supplies will also be an attractive proposition for suppliers offering ‘all inclusive’ contracts, greatly reducing logistics costs and headaches associated with keeping clients stocked with supplies at all times.”

“We are proud to receive the BLI ‘Outstanding Achievement in Innovation’ award for WorkForce Pro RIPS,” said Yoshiro Nagafusa, general manager for printer sales at Seiko Epson. “According to BLI’s independent tests, WorkForce Pro RIPS models can deliver up to 75,000 pages of uninterrupted high-quality print without the need to replace consumables, in addition to using far less energy and generating less waste than laser competitors."

“Epson believes that inkjet printing now demonstrates clear advantages over laser in the office, and offers efficiencies to businesses of all sizes. We will continue to promote this shift,” commented Nagafusa.

BLI also named the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-8590 as this summer’s Outstanding A3 Low- to Mid-Volume Business Inkjet All-in-One, and the Epson WorkForce Pro WF-R8590 as the Outstanding A3 Mid- to High-Volume Business Inkjet All-in-One.

* Using an A3 model. Yields are based on simulations generated after testing with ISO/IEC24711 measurement methodology using ISO/IEC 24712 patterns and calculated using Epson’s methodology. Yields may vary for reasons including images printed, documents printed, printing frequency and printing environment.

Find out more about Epson printing technology:

http://global.epson.com/innovation/core_technology/micro_piezo.html

Note that Epson products and services vary by region. Please refer to your local Epson sales company for details of products and services available in your region:

http://global.epson.com/web_sites.html

Epson Corporation marks 40 years

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On June 12, 2015, Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC) will mark the 40th anniversary of the Epson brand the company uses on many of its products and services. 

To commemorate the 40th anniversary,  Epson aim to show appreciation to the stakeholders who have supported the brand over the years. Epson also will take a retrospective look at the meaning of the brand and reaffirm the commitment to continuing to provide the customers with products that surprise and delight

Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) capped off another successful fiscal year with the achievement of market leadership in the categories of Projectors, Inkjet, Dot Matrix, and POS printers. 

EPC President & Country Manager Toshimitsu Tanaka as the company shared the achievement with the media during the annual media thanksgiving event, Epson Fusion Six held at the Huma Island Resort and Spa, Busuanga, Palawan, Philippines.

As the leading brand in Projectors, Inkjet, Dot Matrix, and POS printers, Epson is now poised to create more opportunities for growth with the innovative products that we offer. We are eager to demonstrate the latest Epson advances that we believe will drive our momentum, as we continue to be the brand of choice among Filipinos," stated EPC President & Country Manager Toshimitsu Tanaka. 

The 40-year story of Epson began in a small Japanese town called Nagano. It started the joumey into the printing business by making the world's first compact, lightweight digital printer - the EP-101. 

Epson (then Daiwa Kogyo) was founded in 1942. Originally a developer and manufacturer of watches, Epson later leveraged its core technologies -- which enable products that are compact, energy saving and high-precision -- to enter and gradually expand in other business areas. As a vertically integrated enterprise with capabilities ranging from product development and manufacture to sales and marketing, Epson began moving into the information equipment business in 1968 with the release of the EP-101 , the world's first compact, lightweight digital printer, and followed this in the 1970s with a succession of computer peripheral products. As the company went on to develop new markets and provide customers around the world with satisfying products and services in a broad range of categories, we decided to develop a unique, original brand. 

Now, Epson is one of the leading digital imaging brands with nearly 70,000 employees in 94 companies around the world. The proprietary core technologies and customer-focused innovation helped make us the brand of choice in the markets serve. 

The Epson brand name comes from the EP-1 01 , the product that kicked off the company's expansion into the information equipment business. The "EP" stands for "electronic printer" and the "SON" represents our desire to follow the original electronic printer with many worthwhile descendants (products and services). 

The "Exceed Your Vision" global tagline that accompanies the Epson brand concisely states our promise to customers that Epson will continue to exceed their expectations. 

"We use Epson's unique core technologies to transform our businesses as customer and societal needs change. Under our current corporate vision, SE15, we are continuing to develop unique products and services in an effort to drive change in four areas: printing, visual communications, quality of life, and manufacturing. Going forward, we will refine these core technologies and will continue to pursue our corporate ethos of creativity and challenge in an effort to provide products an services that bring positive change to the lives of our customers around the world,"  said EPC President & Country Manager Toshimitsu Tanaka, who will concurrently become Managing Director of Epson's Regional office (Epson Singapore Pte. Ltd.), President Director of Epson Thailand, and Director of Epson Indonesia starting June 2015, 

Epson Powers Star Dome - A New Star City Attraction

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There’s a new dragon that made its secret lair inside the Star City Amusement park in Pasay, and this one has a beautiful story behind it.

Launched last December, Star Dome – Star City’s newest attraction, features holographic technology and dome projection to tell a timeless, compelling story about a prince, a princess, and a dragon.

“We are very proud to showcase the power of Epson’s projectors in this one-of-a-kind show. Star Dome is the first and only installation of its kind in the country and Star City is only the third in the world today to feature this attraction,” said Epson Philippines Corporation’s (EPC) President/Country manager, Toshimitsu Tanaka.

For its dome style projection, Star Dome is using the Epson EB-Z8450WU projector – a high-end unit capable of a 360 degree installation, projects HD-quality WUXGA images, and sports a 7,000-lumens lamp. With its proficiency for geometrical corrections and accurate color matching (edge blending), the Epson EB-Z8450WU is perfect for unique installations.

“As the Number 1 global projector brand, Epson is proud to lend our innovative technology to highlight the creative projection applications that Star Dome uses,” added Tanaka.

Aside from the dome set-up, the attraction features an interactive giant book that users can manipulate by swiping, giant ‘talking’ heads animated through projection mapping, and live-action/holographic technology hybrid story telling.

When asked why Epson projectors were chosen for this theme park attraction, Lyn Lizarondo, EPC’s Product Manager for Visual Instruments, explained that the strength of Epson projectors lies in the company’s proprietary 3LCD technology.

“Compared to our competitor’s similarly-priced 1-chip projectors, the colors that Epson 3LCD projectors provide are usually three times brighter. With brighter colors, stories come alive, presentations make a bigger impact, and entertainment – your HD movies and 3D games – becomes much more immersive,” said Lizarondo.

The International Committee for Display Metrology (ICDM) reviewed the initial work done by Epson and scientists working for 3LCD. The committee concluded that customers should consider Color Light Output (CLO) as a relevant metric when buying a projector. A higher CLO means more vivid and realistic colors. On the other hand, 1-chip projectors cannot claim the same since they can only produce 1/3 of Color Light Output vis-à-vis their White Light Output. As such, for customers to get their money’s worth, they should insist on the Color Light Output specs for their projector purchase.

Epson is a global innovation leader dedicated to exceeding expectations with solutions for markets as diverse as the office, home, commerce and industry. Epson's lineup ranges from inkjet printers, printing systems and 3LCD projectors to industrial robots, smart glasses and sensing systems and is based on original compact, energy-saving, and high-precision technologies.

For more information about how projector buyers should look for color light output, visitwww.epson.com.ph/colorbrightness

Epson’s Moverio to Be Used to Test Opera Subtitle Delivery System

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Seiko Epson Corporation (SEC) is partnering with the Japanese New National Theatre Foundation (NNTF),Information Services International - Dentsu, Ltd., and Zimaku+ Inc. to test an opera subtitle delivery system. The system will be tested from February 28 to March 2 during performances by the New National Theatre Opera Studio in Japan. Selected guests will be able to follow the performances with subtitles projected onto the see-through lenses of Epson's new Moverio BT-200 smartglasses.

Operas are commonly sung in Italian or German, so opera houses often install large LED displays in front of the stage wings to provide subtitles during performances. The problem with these systems, however, is that operagoers have a hard time immersing themselves in the performance because they are constantly taking their eyes off the stage to read the subtitles.

Epson and its partners have created and will test the practical potential of a more convenient subtitle system that they hope solves this problem. The new system takes advantage of the ability of the Epson Moverio BT-200, which can be worn like an ordinary pair of glasses, to display subtitles seemingly in the air while guests watch the action on the stage. Moverio BT-200 smartglasses will be loaned to selected guests who want a more natural opera viewing experience with line-of-sight subtitles.

The roles of the four parties in the demonstration are as follows: 

Epson 

Epson will provide Moverio BT-200 smartglasses.

New National Theatre, Tokyo (NNTT) 

The NNTT Opera Studio will present a production of Ariadne auf Naxos for three days, from February 28 to March 2.

Information Services International - Dentsu (ISID) 

ISID will provide "potaVee," an area-limited, Wi-Fi multicasting platform that delivers subtitles that are synchronized with the opera. ISID also created a subtitle app for the Moverio BT-200.

Zimaku+ 

Zimaku+ will produce the subtitles for the opera, provide and run the server used to deliver the subtitles, and manage the test during the sessions.

Epson believes that the Moverio's binocular, transparent display and hands-free navigation give it the potential to transform the way people experience and interact with the world around them. The Moverio technology platform can serve as a foundation for the development of new visual tools in a wide variety of consumer and commercial fields.

Epson Moverio BT-200 Smart Glasses 

Sporting a sleek, light design, the Epson Moverio BT-200 smartglasses offer users the ability to enjoy crystal clear video entertainment, games, music, and web content anytime and anywhere. With transparent lenses and motion tracking sensors that make navigation hands-free, the Moverio projects see-through overlays of digital content onto the real world so that users can enjoy a compelling augmented reality experience while still being able to see their surroundings.

The ways in which smart-glasses can be used and enjoyed is rapidly expanding with the development of an increasingly diverse range of applications.