Casio Computer’s development of EXILIM

Abstract

The market for digital still cameras, as measured by total shipment value, exceeded one trillion yen in 2003, and amidst market expansion for digital home electronics, the industry is now widely recognized as one in which Japanese companies are strong competitors. Although Casio Computer Co. Ltd. created the market for digital cameras with their launch of the QV-10, their camera business subsequently stagnated due to the competitive assault by traditional film camera manufacturers with high-quality, multipixel products. Released by Casio in 2002, the EXILIM is an innovative model that captured the essence of digital cameras in a market where competition focused on high-quality, multipixel products. This paper explores Casio development of the EXILIM and the type of processes undertaken during development.