Canon's P/T/Z Camera and Network Camera Server Keeps Boarded Pets and Owners Connected.

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 22, 2003

VC-C4 and VB101 Allow for Easy Internet Viewing That Puts Deluxe Pet

Care Facility Ahead of the Competition

As the field of professional pet care continues to expand, growing the business means more than just stocking the best dog biscuits.

Ask the Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit located in Laguna Beach, CA. Using the innovative VC-C4 Pan/Tilt/Zoom (P/T/Z) Camera and VB101 Network Server from Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ), they are providing pet owners with easy-access, real-time Web broadcasts of their pets.

"Dogs are a part of the family to most people," explains Stephanie Marshall, Owner of Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit. "With the Canon VC-C4/VB101, they can go to the Web anytime while they're at work and see what their pets are doing. People like that, because it gives them a great deal of confidence that their dogs are receiving quality care throughout the day."

While the dogs at Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit enjoy amenities like a large grass play area, redwood deck and pool, a Canon VC-C4 camera mounted overhead captures all the action. The VC-C4's exceptional optics and easily adjustable parameters make it the perfect companion for the VB101, which transmits the images live to the Internet at www.thedogranch.com.

With its high image quality, impressive image compression rate of up to 30 fps, ability to connect to up to four cameras, and incredibly simple configuration and maintenance via Web browser, the Canon VB101 was the clear winner for Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit. "The Canon VB101 gave me a Web tool that made it extremely easy for web visitors to pan and tilt the VC-C4, while still giving me control over the camera's parameters," Marshall says. "With the VB101's software, it was simple to specify how long people could use the camera, and whether or not they could zoom. I want to be able to expand coverage at any time, so the ability to have up to four cameras in the system was also important to us."

Canon's long history of superior optical quality was obvious when Marshall compared how other server/camera combinations looked on the web. "I checked out pet care sites using other systems, and they were so slow that it was hard to see what was going on," she says. "With the Canon system's clear optics and fast image rate, the Web video it created was compelling. The VC-C4/VB101 also represented a very good value."

The VC-C4 is a technically advanced and affordable P/T/Z camera that can be used for web broadcasting, videoconferencing, distance learning, general video and even enhanced security monitoring. Easily customizable, the compact and light weight VC-C4 has 460 TVL of resolution and offers a wide range of on-screen controls and a 32-button I/R controller. Other impressive features include a 16x zoom, center mounting for a smoother pan/tilt, and a quieter, precision pan/tilt mechanism with no shaking and minimal vibration.

A network camera server with unparalleled ease of use and flexibility, the VB101 makes web-based videos a simple reality for everyone. Viewing and controlling cameras remotely on a web browser is easy with the included software, Webview Livescope Java Viewer, or with the optional Webview Livescope MV (MultiViewer). Ideal for use with the web and LAN, up to 20 clients can view the live feed of the VB101 at the same time.

After the system was installed at Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit, Marshall was glad to experience Canon's legendary reliability and commitment to customer support. "The dependability so far has been great," she says. "When we do have questions, it's nice to know we can talk to the experts at Canon. Whatever need you have, you can contact someone in the company and have it solved."

As Dog Ranch Bed & Biscuit makes its name as a premier pet-sitting service, their Canon VC-C4/VB101system is making it easy for dog owners to experience peace of mind at any time. "People spend a lot of time and money on what their animals eat and do all day," Stephanie Marshall concludes. "The Canon VC-C4/VB101 is technology that helps them know they're making the right decisions."

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. In 2001, the Company was listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and was ranked #41 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2001, with global revenues of $22 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs approximately 11,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

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