Casio 2004 Annual Report Download - page 9

0
50
100
150
200
Sales (Billions of yen)
040302
126
142.5
189
Review of Operations
Casio’s new PRIVIA digital piano offers a sound
quality and natural keyboard touch comparable to
conventional pianos, achieving exceptional quality at
a highly competitive price.
Casio’s EX-Z3 was named Digital Mini Camera of
the Year at the European Photo Awards 2003/2004
ceremony hosted by the European Imaging & Sound
Association (EISA). Winners pose after the ceremony.
Consumer Category
In the Consumer Category, sales of digital cameras and electronic dictionaries far exceeded
Company forecasts, marking a dramatic growth. Sales rose 32.6% from the previous term,
to ¥188 billion.
We aim to bring greater convenience into people’s lives and help make every day more enjoy-
able. With this aim in mind, Casio is developing a broad lineup of attractive products. We are
focusing not only on digital cameras, but also on electronic calculators — from general-use to
sophisticated models— to suit a broad user range, as well as electronic musical instruments that
even beginners can easily master, and portable LCD televisions that can be used anywhere. In
March 2003, we began selling the digital camera EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z3, which was the top sell-
ing model in the Japanese market in 2003*1. The EXILIM EX-Z3 won the EISA (European Imag-
ing and Sound Association) Awards and was named European Digital Mini Camera of the Year
2003-2004. Thanks to their favorable reputation, overall digital camera sales doubled to 2.8
million in the term ended March 2004, from 1.4 million units for the previous term.
With over 30 varieties of electronic dictionaries, Casio boasts the most extensive lineup and
the largest market share in Japan*2. Our electronic dictionaries are popular among a wide array
of users, from students to business people. Sales in South Korea, Germany and Spanish-speaking
markets were largely on target. On March 26, we launched the XD-W6400, an electronic dic-
tionary equipped with a substantially enlarged capacity for business use. This electronic device,
containing 50 different dictionaries, holds the distinction of being the model with the larg-
est collection of built-in dictionaries as of February 2004. This model is equipped with a high-
resolution 5.7-inch large STN LCD. It also features a backlight, and is thus superior in terms of
both readability and the amount of information provided.
During the term under review, Casio also launched a new PRIVIA brand of digital pianos,
offering the features of a concert grand piano at a competitive price.
*1 This is based on the results of a survey conducted by GfK Marketing Services Japan Ltd.
*2 This is based on the resluts of a survey conducted by GfK through April 2003 to March 2004.
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ANNUAL REPORT 2004