DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, February 26, 2025/APO Group/ –Today Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) begins its celebrations of a decade of excellence in sheetfed inkjet printing, marking both its technological innovation and its unmatched expertise in deployment, integration, and support. Under the campaign theme ‘Progress Powered by Passion’, Canon is commemorating its journey from launching the first B3 sheetfed inkjet press, the pioneering VarioPrint i300, to setting the de facto standard in sheetfed inkjet production with its market-leading varioPRINT iX3200. The campaign will also highlight how Canon’s long experience in sheetfed inkjet – and even longer in continuous feed – has created a service and support ecosystem that ensures customer success. With more than 700 sheetfed inkjet installations globally, Canon has developed industry-leading expertise in every aspect of digital print integration. A team of over 2,400 specialists across EMEA combines deep technical knowledge with practical business transformation and operational production experience, delivering comprehensive solution design, project management, colour, media, and workflow consulting, business development and support services.

The success of Canon’s sheetfed inkjet technology is best exemplified through its transformative impact on customers. VistaPrint, owned by Cimpress plc a global leader in mass customisation, strengthened its partnership with Canon in 2020 when its Venlo, Netherlands facility invested in its first varioPRINT iX3200.

Walter Scotti, VP Manufacturing at VistaPrint, Venlo, emphasises the strategic value of this partnership: “Canon and VistaPrint have forged a deep partnership and are ready to work together on future innovation. As print technology continues to evolve, this partnership stands to support faster delivery, fewer manual touchpoints, improved digital workflows and, above all, consistently high quality that inspires VistaPrint’s customers.

“We are very excited to offer relevant and competitive offerings to our customers, to empower them through technology and remain their design and marketing partner of choice. Therefore it’s key to be able to count on valuable partners such as Canon.”

This sentiment is echoed by ProPack Limited, where the implementation of the varioPRINT iX3200 has delivered significant business benefits. James Clough, Managing Director, ProPack, comments: “The Canon varioPRINT iX3200 has allowed us to be more competitive with elements of new business that we couldn’t win before. We can produce things more economically for customers and still maintain a really good profit margin, so we’ve transitioned some work from the toner devices.”

ProPack’s Business Development Director, Nicola Cummins, particularly values Canon’s commitment to ongoing support: “Previous manufacturers will complete a deal and then move on, but with Canon we speak every single week. Our Canon Account Manager is always trying to educate and see where he can support us further. For us, that’s the really strong selling point of Canon.”

Canon’s success in the sheetfed inkjet market builds on its twelve-year leadership in continuous feed inkjet technology and long experience in highly reliable sheetfed media handling and printing. This combined expertise has enabled Canon to realize its vision of merging inkjet technology’s high productivity and cost efficiency with the flexibility of sheetfed printing, creating solutions that complement traditional offset printing and facilitate the transition of shorter runs to digital production.

Technologies for the outputs of tomorrow 

With a focus on high-value applications, the Canon varioPRINT iX3200 prints in 1200 x 1200 dpi at up to 9,120 SRA3 images per hour and more than 4500 SRA3 4/4 per hour, with a duty cycle of between one million and ten million A4 images per month. Delivering an uptime of over 90%, it can print on a wide range of media and features proprietary iQuariusIX ink and printing technology to deliver high output quality, achieving a 91% reproduction of Pantone spot colours, which has been verified by certifications from Fogra and Idealliance.

Engineered for high quality, productivity and flexibility, the production capacity of the B3 sheetfed inkjet press Canon varioPRINT iX1700 – which will be available later this year – will range between 300,000 and 1.5 million A4 images per month, and has a new set of inks and printheads, enabling it to produce high-quality print applications such as marketing collateral, books and demanding business communication applications.

Meanwhile, the new varioPRESS iV7 B2 sheetfed inkjet press, which was unveiled at drupa 2024 and will be available later this year, will be able to produce up to 4.5 million B2 images per month. Delivering unprecedented levels of productivity with more than 8700 B2 4/0 per hour, the press has been engineered to enable customers to easily meet demanding service level agreements and turnaround times, while cutting costs and boosting efficiency.

Canon’s long experience and continuous innovation in printhead and ink development, media handling, drying and fixation technologies delivers consistent, high quality and detailed output with a broad colour gamut throughout its portfolio and across a range of applications.

Jennifer Kolloczek, Senior Director, Marketing & Innovation, Production Printing, Canon EMEA, says “This year, we celebrate our heritage and success in digital printing. As a global leader in sheetfed inkjet production print, we have been at the forefront of this technology since 2015, and we’re still just as passionate about it today. Over the past ten years, hundreds of print service providers have built and continue to build their business with us, thus far printing more than 66 billion A4 images on our sheetfed inkjet presses worldwide and placing Canon at the forefront of the ultra-heavy production B3 segment in EMEA.

“We have lived and breathed and proved the power of digital sheetfed inkjet and we’re proud to work with customers that push us to innovate harder and test the boundaries of what’s possible in production print technology. This year, as we celebrate ten years of sheetfed inkjet innovations, we’re excited to showcase and celebrate some of those partnerships at Hunkeler Innovationdays 2025 and inspire the print pioneers of tomorrow. Our extensive range of professional services and printing solutions, encompassing both toner and inkjet technologies, represents the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio and uniquely positions Canon to address the requirements of print service providers across the spectrum, while delivering superior technology, exceptional service, and unmatched expertise in applications and operations.”

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 26, 2025/APO Group/ —

• Available to UK visa customers in 141 countries globally including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya.  
• Leveraging Generative AI-powered conversational chatbot, offering human-like, conversational support  
• Responds to voice and text inputs, effectively catering to a diverse audience 

VFS Global (www.VFSglobal.com) has recently launched a new Generative AI-powered chatbot to enhance customer support for travellers to the UK.

The AI-Powered Chatbot not only utilises advanced Generative AI technology to offer human-like, conversational support, but does so through both voice and text commands, providing instant, accurate, and accessible information for customers travelling to the UK.

Developed by VFS Global’s AI team, the AI-Powered Chatbot addresses the increasing demand for efficient customer support, allowing users to easily access the information needed to navigate the application process.

Jen Vidler, Deputy Director, Cross Cutting Service Operations, Visa, Status and Information Services, Customer Services Group, UK Visas and Immigration, said, “The rollout of VFS Global’s AI-powered chatbot demonstrates our continued commitment to ensuring our visa services are accessible, efficient and meet the needs of all customers. Providing instant access to accurate information about the visa application process will ensure we continue to offer the best service to our customers.” 

Zubin Karkaria, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, VFS Global, added, “Technology and innovation have always been the cornerstones of our operations at VFS Global, and we are pleased to launch this AI-powered information solution which will significantly enhance the visa application experience for our customers travelling to the UK from across the globe. We are developing a range of AI and digital technology driven products to drive the next transformation in visa and consular services for our Client Governments and customers. We remain deeply committed to the responsible development of AI in accordance with the policies and requirements of our client governments.” 

The AI-Powered chatbot was developed using advanced Generative AI technologies, each trained exclusively on publicly available data from their respective VFS Global Country-to-UK websites. Built and hosted entirely on VFS Global’s secure IT infrastructure, the AI models adhere to rigorous data privacy and security standards.

A dedicated team of data scientists and AI specialists collaborated on the project, leveraging in-house expertise to uphold the highest quality and security standards, with VFS Global’s AI centres. Ethical AI practices were a key focus, with VFS Global partnering with the ‘Responsible AI Institute’ to integrate ethical considerations and bias mitigation into the development process. Additionally, the project utilised proprietary AI platforms, including our AI Foundation Model and Super Alpha Application Platform, both equipped with built-in guardrails to ensure data safety, security, and regulatory compliance.

Key Features of the GenAI-Powered chatbot 

• Human-like interactions: The AI-Powered Chatbot delivers responses that closely mimic human conversation, enhancing user engagement
• Country-specific information: Focussed solely on the customers’ needs, the information is highly accurate and relevant
• Data masking and PII detection: This process detects and masks any Personally Identifiable Information (PII); therefore, no sensitive data is stored
• Secure AI hosting: Deploys our Large Language Model (LLM) in a safe environment to prevent data sharing with external platforms
• Ethical AI practices: Minimises biases and ensures fair and consistent responses
• 24/7 availability: Customers can access assistance anytime
• User feedback mechanism: User feedback helps refine responses over time

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, February 26, 2025/APO Group/ –Aleph Hospitality (www.AlephHospitality.com), the largest independent hospitality management company in the Middle East and Africa, is set to expand its footprint in Ghana with the addition of The Address, a landmark hotel in Accra, to its growing portfolio.

The Address is owned by DevtracoPlus Limited (https://apo-opa.co/3XjX7NX), one of Ghana’s leading real estate companies under the Devtraco Group. In 2022 Aleph Hospitality signed a management agreement for The Pelican Hotel in Accra with the same developer. The Address marks the second hotel which DevtracoPlus has entrusted with Aleph Hospitality, reflecting the owner’s confidence in the management company’s expertise. A key component of Aleph Hospitality’s continued growth is their proven track record in the region, leading to over 60% of existing hotel owners entrusting further properties to Aleph Hospitality’s management.

Scheduled to open in 2026, the hotel tower at The Address will feature 121 rooms and suites with sophisticated interiors, premium finishes, and a seamless fusion of style and functionality in addition to a restaurant, sky view bar, cigar lounge, fully equipped fitness centre, pool, and meeting rooms. Located in Roman Ridge, one of Accra’s most sought-after locations in the northern part of the Ghanaian capital, The Address is a mixed-use development which includes a collection of luxury apartments with private pools. The well-planned neighbourhood of The Address offers easy access to the city’s top attractions, business hubs, and entertainment options with only 10-minute drives to Kotoka International Airport, Achimota Golf Club and Accra Mall.

Bani Haddad, Founder and Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality said: “Partnering once again with DevtracoPlus for the management of another one of their exceptional hotels in Ghana is a testament to the trust our existing owners place in our innovative, owner-focused management approach. We have established a close and collaborative relationship, built on trust and transparency, and our shared goal is to drive exceptional guest experiences, optimise operations, and create a healthy bottom-line.”

Joseph Aidoo, Executive Director of Devtraco Group said, “We have complete confidence in Aleph Hospitality, having witnessed the outstanding results delivered at The Pelican Hotel. Their team combines local expertise with agility and responsiveness, qualities essential for safeguarding our investment amid Ghana’s growing tourism sector. With an anticipated two million visitors annually and increasing demand for high-quality accommodations, Accra’s hotel occupancy rates are expected to reach 70-80% during peak seasons.”