Casio Keyboard History

• Privia digital pianos feature Casio's Tri-Sensor Scaled Hammer Action II keyboard. This meticulously engineered keyboard action recreates the weight, feel and resistance of a grand piano. Simulated Ebony and Ivory textured keys provide an incredible feel and its three sensors capture the dynamics of a performance with unparalleled speed.
• The CTK-520L was the first model to feature the Key Lighting function with red lights that illuminated the keys themselves (white and black alike) on a standard keyboard approximately the same size as a piano’s, using the lights to guide the user to the keys they should press in order to play 40 built-in songs.

Casio released its first ever electronic keyboard, the Casiotone 201 in 1980. This decently priced, “sleek” instrument received a positive response from musicians globally, and thus began Casio’s journey as one of the best keyboard manufacturers worldwide.

Model Name
Jun. 1957	all-electric compact calculator
001
Oct. 1967	World's first desktop electronic calculator with program
Typuter
Aug. 1972	World's first personal calculator
fx-10
Nov. 1974	First electronic wristwatch
sigma-50ER
Dec. 1976	First compound calculator
CASIO Mini Card
Sep. 1978	First wristwatch equipped with CASIO LCD
sigma-8700 series
Jan. 1980	First electronic musical instrument
SL-801
Oct. 1981	First Electronic Dictionary
AQ-500
Apr. 1983	Electronic keyboard with ROM pack
G-SHOCK (DW-5000C)
May 1983	First Digital Diary
TV-10
Nov. 1983	Credit card-size calculator
CD-40/401
Oct. 1984	Announcement of MSX-standard PV-7 personal computer
CZ-101
Mar. 1985	Ultra-thin digital watch
LCS-2400
May 1985	Pocket-sized LCD TV
HW-100
Feb. 1986	Calculator capable of processing text data
SK-1
May 1986	Unix-based 32-bit super office computer
DK-1000	Kanji Digital Diary incorporating organizer, dictionary, and calculator
HW-7
Aug. 1987	Electronic guitar with multiple tones and functions
DA-1
Sep. 1987	Portable videocassette recorder with LCD TV
VS-101
Feb. 1988	Handy copier capable of copying anywhere
PG-380
Apr. 1988	Electronic wind instrument
STING
Feb. 1989	Digital watch with sensor for forecasting weather trends
ADPS R1
Aug. 1989	Kanji Digital Diary with IC card capabilities
TV-M700
Mar. 1991	Digital piano with CD player
Page Presto
Nov. 1991	Nameland label printer
DKW-100
Feb. 1992	Wristwatch type blood pressure gauge
AZ-8/SL-300LH
Jul. 1992	Ultra-small (cigarette pack-sized) lightweight LCD TV
JD-300	Digital Diary for kids with message communication function
CPW-100
Jul. 1993	Personal page printer
PX-10	Word processor with built-in English-Japanese dictionary
Z-7000	Portable information terminal for individual users
NICOTO
Jul. 1994	Household video printer
FV-600
Dec. 1994	G-SHOCK for women
QV-10
Mar. 1995	FM receiver with teletext capabilities
CFG-9800G
Apr. 1995	Pocket-sized Digital Diary with handwriting input
NS-600/TV-M6000X
Jun. 1995	Business-use portable information terminal with pen-input capability and large screen
PH-100
Jul. 1995	Wristwatch that displays text data on glass
N4	High speed, low running cost color A3-size printer for business
CASSIOPEIA (A-10/11)	Handheld PC with Windows CE (sales in North America)
QV-5000SX
Jun. 1999	World's first wristwatch with GPS sensor
C303CA
Mar. 2000	World's first wristwatch with MP3 Player
WQV-1
Nov. 2001	Radio controlled wristwatch powered by solar battery
EX-S1
Nov. 2002	G-Shock with solar power and radio control function
EX-Z3
Oct. 2003	Stylish and affordable digital piano
A5406CA	World's first cellular phone with a built-in 3.2-megapixel camera
EX-S100
Nov. 2004	Solar-powered radio-controlled watch with sporty design
XD-LP7300	Electronic dictionary with high-resolution LCD and voice functions
EX-S500	Card-size digital camera with high quality movie recording capability
G'zOne TYPE-R
Aug. 2005	Digital camera that compensates for camera shaking and subject movement
OCW-600/OCW-10
Nov. 2005	Thin card-size 6.0-megapixel digital camera
EX-Z1000
May. 2007	Waterproof, one-seg compatieble cellular phone
W53CA
Jun. 2007	Slim solar-powered radio-controlled watch in full-metal case
W61CA	Waterproof, one-seg compatible cellular phone with 5.1 megapixel camera
EX-S10	World's smallest and thinnest 10.1 megapixel digital camera
EX-F1	Digital camera with world's fastest burst shooting performance
Green Slim Projectors （XJ-A245/A240/A145/ A140/A135/A130）
Nov. 2010	Digital camera with hybrid GPS
EX-ZR10
Apr. 2011	Digital camera offering the enjoyment of free-style shooting
VX-100	Retailer support terminal that can manage customers, reservations, and sales data in one unit
XD-D2800
Mar. 2012	G-SHOCK which can link up with the wearer’s smartphone using Bluetooth V4.0
memopri	Label printer, the memopri, which can print a variety of beautiful labels
Casio Art
Jul. 2013	Small digital signage tools to support retailer sales promotion
GPW-1000	G-SHOCK equipped with GPS and standard time-signal reception
ClassWiz	Scientific calculator offering localized language display on a high definition LCD
EX-FR10	Digital camera featuring a camera unit that can be separated from the LCD-equipped controller unit
joy study
Sep. 2015	Electronic piano with three historical grand piano sounds
Smart Outdoor Watch	Outdoor wrist device running the Android WearTM operating system
EX-word RISE	English conversation learning device which can show learning progress
GPW-2000	Solar G-SHOCK equipped with Bluetooth® and hybrid GPS and radio-signal time reception

Shinjuku-Sumitomo Building
2-6-1, Nishi-Shinjuku
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-01
Japan

Company Perspectives:

Casio's strategy is to popularize multimedia with innovative products that capitalize on new opportunities, that expand creativity for their users, and that can be used now--with existing infrastructure and new media--for reasonable prices. With unique functions and product concepts, we are expanding our product lineup for various lifestyles and consumer groups. We are also helping businesses increase creativity and productivity with advanced data and communications equipment. Our experience and exclusive technologies allow us to create personalized devices that are light, compact, and energy efficient.

History of Casio Computer Co., Ltd.

Casio Computer Co., Ltd. manufactures desktop electronic calculators, digital and analog timepieces, digital notebooks and diaries, electronic musical instruments, audiovisual products, computers, and other consumer and industrial electronic products. Casio has developed a number of electronic products for consumers and businesses based on digital technology and the use of integrated circuits, such as digital cameras. The company also manufactures telecommunications products, including pagers and mobile phones. In 1969 Casio was among the first Japanese manufacturers to fully automate an assembly plant, and this sort of innovation has allowed the firm to remain cost-competitive with other larger electronic manufacturers. Much of Casio's success has been based not only on its technological and assembly innovations but also on its aggressive marketing and sales strategies. As a result of its assertive marketing, the company sells its diverse products in more than 140 countries.

Early History

Casio Computer Company was founded in Tokyo in 1946 by the Kashio family. Four Kashio brothers--Toshio, Kazuo, Tadao, and Yukio--and their father founded a company that was to be managed under a 'spirit of creation'; the company philosophy remains 'creativity and contribution.' The Kashio brothers still own about ten percent of all outstanding Casio stock, and the Kashio family retains effective financial control of the company. Other major holders of Casio stock are Japanese financial companies, none of which owns more than 4.29 percent. The Kashio brothers remain active in the management and operation of the company, as well: Toshio Kashio serves as chairman, and Kazuo Kashio is president.

The name Casio is an anglicized version of Kashio, demonstrating that from the beginning the company was acutely aware of the economic significance of international marketing. The Kashios believed that in the post-World War II environment a westernized name would render the company's consumer and business products more marketable, both domestically and internationally.

Casio was incorporated in 1957, following Toshio Kashio's invention of the first purely electric&mdash opposed to electromechanical--small calculator. The company capitalized on this invention and became the only Japanese manufacturer to specialize in electric calculators. After the introduction of semiconductors in the mid-1960s, electromechanical technology was replaced with electronic technology, and in 1965 Casio introduced the world's first desktop electronic calculator with a memory. Casio has consistently sought to expand its product line while relying upon calculators as its primary base of operations.

Prior to 1965 electromechanical calculators were large and expensive. Electromechanical calculators were literally desktop size, ranged in price from $400 to $1,000, and could complete only four functions&mdashdition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. These earlier devices, limited in function and speed, were also prone to mechanical failure. The development of semiconductor and integrated-circuit technologies during the 1960s began to reduce the size and cost of electronic calculators dramatically and simultaneously enhanced their reliability. Electronic calculators were also easier to read, despite their smaller size, due to technical breakthroughs in light-emitting diodes (LED) and liquid crystal displays (LCD), and these new technologies required significantly less power to operate. Casio helped to develop LED and LCD technologies, and by the 1980s these technologies played an increasingly important role in the development of Casio's digital-timepiece and LCD-television markets.

In 1964 the first transistorized, programmable, desktop calculators were introduced, and Japanese manufacturers, including Casio, began to assemble electronic calculators. The entire output from all Japanese electronic manufacturers in 1965 was only about 5,000 units. In 1969 Casio's Kofu factory became the first Japanese plant to mass produce electronic calculators. Very few of these early Japanese electronic calculators were destined for the U.S. market. In 1965 the United States imported just 69 electronic calculators from Japan, and in 1966 Japanese calculators accounted for less than one percent of the U.S. market. Casio did not begin to market its own products in the United States until 1970.

In the 1970s Japanese electronic products, particularly consumer electronics, began to capture a larger share of the ever-expanding U.S. market. By the mid-1970s Japanese electronic manufacturers came to dominate the U.S. electronic-calculator market. Japanese companies competed fiercely for market share, and eventually only Sharp and Casio were left. Casio aimed for the bottom of the market, selling small, low-cost calculators with a variety of novel functions.

The calculator division grew steadily, manufacturing standard electronic calculators, high-performance scientific calculators, pocket computers, and digital diary systems. Electronic notepads and digital diaries greatly expanded Casio's markets, particularly its domestic sales. The electronic-timepiece division also prospered, making a variety of digital and analog watches, many with built-in memory and storage features.

By the 1980s Japan had become the world's leading electronics exporter while the United States was the largest consumer of electronic products. While U.S. firms concentrated on military, industrial, and commercial products, Japanese firms emphasized consumer products.

Expanding Product Lines in the 1980s

After years of market expansion during the 1970s and 1980s, however, Casio found that market demand in timepieces became stagnant. As a result of market saturation, Casio introduced a number of new timepieces to maintain market demand during the late 1980s, including such products as watches that measured altitude, depth, and barometric pressure; phonedialing watches; and watches that could record caloric consumption or serve as a pedometer.

The electronic-musical-instrument division manufactured such products as electronic keyboards and digital synthesizers, guitar synthesizers, digital horns, and other sound generators. One of the Kashio brothers, Toshio, was responsible for the company's move into electronic instruments. He had been interested in mass-marketing musical instruments for a while, but manufacturing costs were too steep. However, new chip technology that was developed in the late 1970s made cheaper electronic instruments possible. Casio engineers began to develop electronic pianos at this time. They were marketed to amateur players who couldn't or wouldn't afford a traditional piano. Casio introduced electronic keyboards into the U.S. market in 1980.

Casio Vintage Keyboard History

U.S. sales began to take off in the mid-1980s. In 1983, the total number of electronic keyboards sold in the United States numbered less than 300,000. By 1987, American consumers bought close to five million. Most of these were low-end instruments, retailing for less than $300. By the end of the decade, Casio had captured roughly 55 percent of the electronic instrument market. Its pianos were principally low-cost products, but they provided lots of effects. With digital sampling and memory, keyboards could store dozens of sounds, songs, and patterns. Musical products suffered from potential market saturation, however, and the company lavished millions on advertising in order to keep its products fresh in consumers' minds. After an initial surge in sales, the company began to market enhanced or new lines of products to maintain market demand. During the late 1980s Casio began working to expand its musical markets by appealing to professional musicians and by developing sound products for use in live performances.

The electronic-office-equipment division manufactured such products as LCD televisions, TV/VCR combination units, office computers, electronic cash registers, point-of-sale scanning systems, and other audiovisual products. Casio hoped to build on its LCD technology to further expand its product lines and to ensure future growth and development.

In 1988 Casio introduced a new automated (PDA) with the Tandy Corporation, a small computer that could interface with traditional personal computers, as well as recognize handwriting and send e-mail. Casio's digital diaries became extremely popular with children in the mid-1990s. These hand-held devices combined traditional datebook functions--calendar, alarm clock, phone directory, memo pad--with functions of immense appeal to school-age consumers, including fortunetelling, secret passwords, a match-making adviser, and the 'virtual pet.' When the user pressed the 'pet' button, a puppy would appear on the screen and do tricks. Casio's diaries were such a hit that production had to expand 20 percent in 1994 to keep up with demand. Later models had built-in infrared beam technology that allowed users to send messages to friends' diaries.

Sales of the diaries helped Casio increase its revenues in Japan in 1994, but the strong yen continued to cut into the profitability of the company's exports. Casio increased the amount of its manufacturing that was done overseas in order to combat this trend. While only 30 percent of Casio's production was overseas in 1993, two years later 80 percent of the company's products were made in foreign plants. By 1996 Casio had plants in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Korea, in addition to its Hong Kong, Taiwan, and North American plants.

Casio began to expand into mainland China as well. In 1993, the company set up two joint ventures in China to manufacture pagers and other electronic devices, and in 1995 two more manufacturing and marketing joint ventures were established in China. Casio Electronics Co. in Zhongshan made electronic diaries and scientific calculators, and another company in Zhuhai produced electronic keyboards. This gave Casio another lower-cost Asian base for manufacturing and also gave the company a foothold in the Chinese consumer market, which was expected to grow markedly in the coming years. Casio also began marketing pagers in India, under a joint agreement with Mitsui and the Indian company Bharti Telecom, beginning in 1995.

Casio found a promising new market in the mid-1990s as a result of deregulation of telecommunications in Japan. Pagers had not been allowed for sale directly to consumers until March 1995. This changed as part of a liberalization of Japan's telecommunications industry, and Casio experienced record growth in its pager sales. In what seemed a typical move for Casio, which had enjoyed great success with kids' electronics in other areas, the company introduced a pager aimed at school children. Its 'Bell-Me' pager translated telephone signals into text messages coupled with various happy or sad faces. Casio also developed a small mobile telephone it called the 'personal handy-phone system' (PHS), which began commercial service in July 1995. This was similar to the digital mobile phones already in use in the United States. The PHS was tailored to the Japanese urban environment. It required an antenna within 100 to 300 meters, but it functioned ideally in Japan's densely populated cities.

Other telecommunications devices Casio marketed in the mid-1990s included the video phone. Previous video phones had been unsuitable for general consumers because of high cost and poor quality. Only large businesses with complex digital networks in place had been able to use video phones with success. Casio began marketing a home-use video phone in 1995 that was reasonably priced and worked well on regular analog telephone circuits. Consumers did not have to change their phone lines in order to use the new phones, and Casio hoped the new technology would become commonplace in the near future. Casio also introduced a low-cost digital camera in 1995. Like the video phone, the digital camera had been used in the corporate world but was previously not convenient for the general public. Casio introduced a moderately-priced, pocket-sized model that could be used by consumers with a personal computer.

Throughout the 1990s, Casio had shown its strength in translating new technology into desirable consumer items. Casio's genius was for making high-tech electronics into small, light, cheap and intriguing gadgets. It had done this with calculators, watches, keyboards and digital diaries. The company believed it was positioned for long-term growth using this strategy in the evolving telecommunications industry and in multimedia advancements to come.

Principal Subsidiaries: Aichi Casio Co., Ltd.; Yamagata Casio Company; Casio Polymer Tec Co., Ltd.; Casio Electronic Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (71%); Casio Micronics Co., Ltd.; Casio Systems Co., Ltd.; Kofu Casio Co., Ltd.; Kochi Casio Co., Ltd.; The Casio Lease Company; Casio Electronic Devices Company, Ltd.; Asahi Corporation (65%); Casio Computer Company GmbH (Germany; 60%); Casio Computer Ltd. (Hong Kong); Casio Electronics Company, Ltd. (U.K.); Casio (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.; Casio Korea Company, Ltd.; Casio Taiwan Ltd.; Casio Asia Pte. Ltd. (Singapore); Asahi Electronics (Singapore) Pte., Ltd. (62.5%); Asahi Electronics (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (59%); Asahi Industries (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. (80%); Casio Inc. (USA; 60%); Casio Canada, Ltd.; Casio PhoneMate Inc. (USA); Casio Manufacturing Corporation (U.S.A.); Casio Electromex S.A. de C.V. (Mexico).

Additional Details

• Public Company
• Incorporated: 1957
• Employees: 18,407
• Sales: ¥401.67 billion (US$4.52 billion,1995)
• Stock Exchanges: Tokyo Osaka Amsterdam Frankfurt
• SICs: 3873 Watches, Clocks, Clockwork Operated Parts & Devices; 5065 Electronic Parts & Equipment, Wholesale; 3931 Musical Instruments; 3571 Electronic Computers; 3651 Household Audio & Video Equipment; 3579 Office Machines, Not Elsewhere Classified

Further Reference

Cignarella, Patricia, 'Casio's Quest to Become the Pied Piper,'

Casio Keyboard History App

Adweek's Marketing Week, January 16, 1989, p. 24.Holyoke, Larry; Spindle, William; and Gross, Neil, 'Doing the Unthinkable,' Business Week, January 10, 1994, pp. 52-53.

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Casio Keyboard History Apps