Canon CR-180 Check Transport Brings Industry-Leading Speed, Accuracy, Reliability to Desktop Check Scanning.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 2003

New Solution Leverages U.S. Regulatory Changes in Electronic

Check Presentment

Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), and a leading supplier of check capture devices for over 20 years, today announced the launch of its CR-180 Check Transport, a compact, high-speed check scanner capable of capturing and automating the exchange of data from both sides of a check at up to twice the speed of competing devices. Building on Canon's global reputation for image quality and document handling performance, the CR-180 delivers industry-leading performance and reliability as well as full compliance with U.S. MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) standards.

Canon's launch of the CR-180 Check Transport anticipates the lowering of barriers to electronic check clearance in the U.S. when Congress passes the now pending Check Truncation Act - also known as the Check Clearing for the 21st Century or Check 21 Act. The CR-180 supports international standards for reading MICR characters, including the E13B, OCR-A and OCR-B standards in the United States.

"As a recognized leader in scanning technology, Canon is focused on staying ahead of the innovation curve by developing advanced solutions to support emerging market applications and trends," said Dennis Amorosano, director and assistant general manager of Canon U.S.A.'s Integrated Business Systems Division. "As regulatory barriers to electronic check truncation continue to fall, the CR-180 is uniquely positioned to support the imaging, processing and security needs of the banks, credit unions, retailers and other U.S. businesses that collectively handle more than 45 billion checks each year."

The CR-180 scans up to 180 double-sided checks per minute, reading the MICR characters simultaneously using a built-in magnetic head and optical character recognition (OCR) software. Users can choose among five black and white and grayscale scanning modes and four levels of resolution up to 240 dpi.

Owing to Canon's proprietary high-precision magnetic head and a built-in jogger unit to keep documents in alignment, the Canon CR-180 has a rated accuracy of over 99.9% in reading MICR data on checks. Another standard feature is a built-in imprinter for adding up to 48 characters of endorsement information to checks as they are scanned.

The CR-180 also offers unmatched image clarity through the use of advanced text enhancement and color dropout features. With Canon's exclusive image processing technology, letters and signatures on illustrated or lightly colored check backgrounds are emphasized for greater contrast and legibility. Additionally, the CR-180 has a color dropout function to improve OCR and text recognition by electronically limiting which colors are scanned.

The CR-180 Check Transport will be bundled with Silver Bullet Inc.'s Ranger Transport API(TM) software tool that allows customers to mix and match the types of item processing software and hardware they select. "Canon just raised the bar for all manufacturers of small check scanners. The CR-180 is by far the best quality small check scanner that we have ever tested. The powerful combination of price, speed and integrated jogger make the CR-180 a no-brainer for back counter image capture applications," said Bryan Clarke, CEO of Silver Bullet Inc., adding, "As the industry standard check scanner interface, our Ranger software allows Canon to plug into a large number of existing software applications. This not only allows Canon to penetrate the check scanning market quickly; Ranger also allows bankers to select virtually any software package to drive the CR-180."

The compact yet durable CR-180 is designed as for high-volume, high-speed back office use by banks, credit unions, check-clearing houses and large retail operations with an average daily volume of up to 20,000 checks. Batches of checks can be scanned simultaneously and automatically sorted to two different output pockets using pre-configured rules based on the MICR data on the checks. The document feeder is adjustable to accommodate different document sizes, with an outer range of 4.6 inches (118 mm) wide by 9.1 inches (230 mm) long. To ensure single document scanning, a double feed detection mechanism monitors each loaded document by thickness and/or length. The built-in jogger, a unique feature, saves document preparation time. Up to 200 checks can be loaded on the feed tray at once. A non-separation mode allows for the continuous, jam-free scanning of sticky-edged duplicate or multiform documents, and worn-out or damaged checks sealed in a 'check carrier' envelope.

The Canon Scanning Utility, an application software program bundled with the Canon CR-180, enables users to scan, view, print and file check data. With this added functionality, MICR data can be saved as the file name of an image, in a TIFF file tag or in a log file for reference. The ISIS/TWAIN drivers are bundled with the device and a software development kit is available for customizing scanner operation.

The Canon CR-180 will be available in mid-October 2003 through authorized Canon Image Filing Systems dealers with a U.S. suggested retail price of $3,895.00.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and is ranked # 39 on the Business Week list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company, Canon Inc., (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking second overall in the U.S. in 2002, with global revenues of $24.5 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs over 10,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.