MELVILLE, N.Y. - Canon Solutions America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., recently held the first of its new customer Solutions Advisory Council meetings in the Canon Americas Headquarters in Melville, New York. The highly anticipated event brought together Canon Solutions America customers, industry leaders, and Canon technology experts to share innovative ideas and discuss best practices.

Sponsored by the Enterprise Services and Solutions division of Canon Solutions America for its customers, the council was established with the goal of creating an open, captivating environment where Canon thought leaders and customers can share their experience and knowledge of the document imaging industry and marketplace. Seeking to endorse a program that fosters business development, Canon Solutions America’s newest customer council is designed to provide members with the opportunity to network with contemporaries who have similar responsibilities and challenges.

“We take pride in developing different ways for our customers to come together and discuss the things that matter most to their business, and with those who can offer valuable insight,” said Tracie Sokol, vice president, Marketing, Enterprise Services and Solutions, Canon Solutions America. “We’re always looking for opportunities to further evaluate and support customer-facing initiatives.”

The customer Solutions Advisory Council is primed to create a forward-thinking environment and includes benefits that range from deeper understanding of the market and technology trends to the opportunity to influence elements of Canon Solutions America’s future solutions offerings. The Council will provide consultation for Canon Solutions America and its current Enterprise Solutions business plans and future business strategies.

“We want to know what our customers are thinking and use that input to enhance our strategy, solutions, and services,” said James Sharp, executive vice president, Professional Services, Canon Solutions America. “Council members will be the first to hear about our new technology and services developments.”

This new initiative maintains the focus of continuing commitment to customers that helped shape similar groups created by Canon Solutions America’s Production Print Solutions division. The Digital Print Advisory Council and its predecessor, the Transactional Printers Advisory Council, were also formed to build lasting partnerships and gather feedback on future product releases, while integrating the voice of the customer as much as possible.

The primary goal of Canon Solutions America’s newest customer-oriented council is to open a forum for innovation which allows the company to tap into valuable external resources. This “outside in” approach adopted by the council’s creators strives to produce a collaborative outcome-focused approach. These two concepts, combined with Canon Solutions America’s dedication to making its customers’ voices heard, serve as the cornerstone of this unique sponsorship.

“Canon Solutions America’s customer council was a highly informative event that offered great insight into industry trends, while offering a platform to discuss business challenges with experts of the field,” said Randy Dazo, Senior Director, Solutions and Services, Office Group at InfoTrends, the leading worldwide market research and strategic consulting firm for the digital imaging and document solutions industry. “I found it very valuable to interact with customers and leaders of the industry and I look forward to future meetings.”

“Our company acknowledges the invaluable relationships we share with our customers, and to meet with them in this kind of environment where their voice is at the forefront, is something we feel will inspire both us and them,” said Toyo Kuwamura, president and CEO of Canon Solutions America. “Working closely with our customers is of the upmost importance to help sustain our continued growth as an industry leader.”