Casio Ranks Highest in Mobile Phone Handset Customer Satisfaction in Japan For a Second Consecutive Year

TOKYO: 19 January 2007 —Casio ranks highest in customer satisfaction among 11 mobile phone handset manufacturers in Japan for a second consecutive year, according to the J.D. Power Asia Pacific 2006 Japan Mobile Telephone Handset Satisfaction StudySM released today.

Now in its third year, the study measures overall customer satisfaction with mobile phone handsets based on eight factors: design/size; battery; quality; operability; e-mail; camera; display; and Internet.

Receiving the highest ratings from customers in battery, operability, e-mail and camera, Casio ranks highest with an index score of 656 points on a 1,000-point scale.Mitsubishi Electric follows Casio with a score of 636 points—a 28-point increase from the 2005 study. With unique products and features such as sliding covers and large liquid-crystal displays, Mitsubishi Electric performs well in design/size and display.

Sony Ericsson, which incorporates functions that allow users to play music with their phones, ranks third overall with a score of 631 points.

Since the 2005 study, a decline in overall customer satisfaction has been evident among manufacturers that dominate the mobile phone handset market in Japan. Conversely, manufacturers that have focused on innovating their products by adding new functions and features have improved in the rankings.

“The decrease in satisfaction with handsets produced by larger manufacturers implies that customers have now become more interested in unique products that meet their own sense of value,� said Yuji Sasaki, senior research manager at J.D. Power Asia Pacific. “In particular, customers show strong interest in functions related to one-segment TV reception, which allows users to watch TV on their mobile handset, music and waterproof capabilities.�

The study also finds that the number of customers who use packet flat-rate systems have almost doubled since 2005. This system allows customers to access the Internet and e-mail as frequently as they wish. The increased use of this system indicates the possibility of extended use of the Internet with mobile phones.

“Manufacturers should try to better understand exactly what customers expect from their mobile phones in order to target the right audience for their products, and develop products that meet customer expectations,� said Sasaki. “To be successful in the competitive market, it is crucial that manufacturers find their own unique quality to retain existing customers and attract new ones.�

The 2006 Japan Mobile Telephone Handset Satisfaction Study is based on evaluations from 3,187 customers who purchased a mobile phone in the past year. The survey was conducted in August 2006.

About J.D. Power Asia Pacific
J.D. Power Asia Pacific, established in 1990, conducts customer satisfaction research and provides consulting services in the automotive, information technology and finance industries. Information regarding J.D. Power Asia Pacific and its products can be accessed through the Internet at www.jdpower.co.jp

About J.D. Power and Associates
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, consulting, training and customer satisfaction. The firm’s quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies
Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a leading global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor’s, McGraw-Hill Education, BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates. The Corporation has more than 280 offices in 40 countries. Sales in 2005 were $6.0 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com .

Source: J.D. Power and Associates