Red Bull Racing has been competing in Formula OneTM since 2005. In the last two seasons the team captured double titles, winning both the Constructors' Championship and the Drivers' Championship, demonstrating their first-class ability and results.

Under the concept of "Speed and Intelligence," the EDIFICE line of analog metal watches evokes a sense of velocity and motor-sports energy with the movement of the hands and distinctive watchface. Using technology that Casio has developed over many years, the lineup features a full range of measurement functions and distinctive face designs.

Red Bull Racing not only has a youthful image and energy, but also pursues an intelligent strategy while striving to leverage outstanding technology development capabilities to make its race cars the fastest in the world. Casio believes that these qualities are a perfect match for the EDIFICE brand concept, and has been an official partner of Red Bull Racing since 2009.

EDIFICE has been designated as the Official Watch Partner for the 2012 and 2013 seasons, and the Casio logo will continue to appear on racing suits worn by Vettel and Webber, as well as on the team wear. The logo will be increased on the nose sections of the RB8 team's race cars. In addition to using team images in EDIFICE advertising, Casio plans to work again with Red Bull Racing to release special collaborative watch models. These global marketing activities are expected to further enhance the EDIFICE brand image.

Hiroshi Nakamura, Senior Managing Director and Senior General Manager of the Global Marketing Headquarters, Casio Computer Co. Ltd., had this to say about the recent contract renewal: "Over the last three years of our partnership with Red Bull Racing, our relationship has grown stronger and closer. The team is hugely popular around the world after winning the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships for two consecutive years. As a result, our partnership with Red Bull Racing has been extremely effective in the global promotion of EDIFICE watches."

Red Bull Racing's Team Principal, Christian Horner, also commented on the contract renewal: "It's encouraging that we're able to keep building and extending our relationships with long-term Partners, such as Casio. Formula One is focused on speed and accuracy, which is captured and reflected in the Casio EDIFICE watches worn by the drivers and the team. We very much look forward to working with them throughout the new season and beyond."

In 2011, Casio released three new hand-held terminals (DT-X8, IT-300 and IT-9000) making their portfolio one of the best mobile technology business opportunities available today. The company has now also ventured into solutions adopting the Android^TM platform, with a newEPOS terminal (VX-100) launched in October 2011.

The partner programme has three levels of recognition, silver, gold and platinum, each level providing a unique status and selection of benefits, which are designed to help target specific end-user requirements. Each level provides a comprehensive range of tools, technical and commercial support, and performance based incentives to help strength and grow the important relationships to take the business to the next level. Co-marketing opportunities are available, together with comprehensive training, seeding units and the provision of sales leads. Visit casio.co.uk/mobile or email bsd@casio.co.uk to find out more.

Aimed at warehousing, stocktaking and retail applications, the Casio range of rugged mobile devices are the perfect solution to provide fast and efficient mobile data collection, as well as leading the retail industry with its Android based EPoS solution.

Mike Pullon, Varlink CEO commented, "Casio provide us not just with a competitive current product offering but with a technology and product roadmap that encompasses some new Android solutions, all of which will provide our customers with significant opportunities. We look forward to working with Casio to build a reseller channel of Mobile Computing and EPoS resellers in the UK".

The product range from Casio includes the DT series of rugged mobile devices including the DT-X7, DT-X8 and DT-X30, as well as the IT-300 and IT-800. The IT-3100 from Casio will be replaced by the IT-9000 and Varlink will have this product available when it is launched in February 2012.

EPOS Distributor, a sales division of Varlink will be distributing the VX-100 Android based EPoS system, which was released by Casio in December 2011, and is the first Android based platform for both Varlink and Casio therefore striking an exciting new product development for the companies and aims to close a gap in the Android market for its resellers.

Guy Boxall, Casio Senior Product Marketing Manager commented, "In this partnership with Varlink, Casio look forward to developing the VAR channel for both our hand-held terminals and Android EPOS business solutions. With some new products recently launched and more coming to market in Q1.2012, the timing of this agreement is perfect".

Varlink has gained over 6 years' experience in supporting specialist mobile computing solution resellers and system integrators who want to develop or build a position in the supply of mobile computing and data capture solutions. The addition of Casio to their brand portfolio will open new opportunities for resellers as well as expanding their product range.

Promoting flexible, connected and cost-effective teaching aids, Casio's flagship projector range - featuring the company's own Laser & LED Hybrid light source - will also be on display, alongside its recently launched graphic calculator and digital keyboard ranges. Visitors to the Casio stand will be able to quiz the Casio team about how to use digital devices to get pupils more involved in what's being taught.

Casio will also be highlighting its focus on creativity in schools. During the summer of 2011, Casio Projectors joined forces with education charity CCE to form Bright Minds, a national competition allowing schools to show off the superb works of art created by their pupils. Entries were judged by a panel that included designer Wayne Hemingway and TES writer Helen Ward. The winning work, from Thameside Junior School in Essex, will be on display at Casio's stand.

Nieve Cavanagh, Casio's Senior Product Marketing Manager, said: "Used in the right ways, classroom technology can make it easier for teachers to capture the attention of their students. We're really looking forward to talking to visitors at this year's BETT and discussing how we can all make the best possible use of classroom tech. With budget cuts looming for some, we'll also be showing that teachers can have the best equipment while keeping costs to a minimum."

To celebrate the launch, an exclusive event for London's media and the music press was held at the new store on 1st December.  In traditional Denmark Street style, the event became a launch-pad for new talent, and VIP guests were entertained by up-and-coming artists Will And The People, with their unique modern twist on vintage sounds, likened to a mixture of the Police and the Specials, and Josh Bailey, pianist with UK hip hop sensation Chipmunk.

The store at Number 11 Denmark Street has been designed to be bright and inviting to music enthusiasts at all levels, breaking down barriers that can make specialist stores intimidating.  Opened in partnership with Casio Electronics, it showcases the first ever Casio Music Studio, a dedicated shopping space for all of Casio's high quality musical instruments, including the latest Casio digital -pianos and keyboards, aimed at everyone from beginner to professional.

Denmark Street started its rise to notoriety in the 1920s but it was the 1960s before it became synonymous with everything music, with its studios nurturing and recording many great music legends.  The Beatles, David Bowie, Jimmi Hendrix, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Noel Gallagher, are just a few of the greats from the Street's hay-day.

Simon Pollard, Managing Director at Musicroom, said: "Denmark Street is the perfect location for our new store.  It is steeped in musical history and many a would-be rock star has walked the dusty pavements hoping for their big break.  Our new store at Number 11 has a huge selection of musical instruments to suit everyone's aspirations and will breathe new life into the street.  It complements perfectly our second store on Denmark Street, which is packed with sheet music and song books from the great stars, all perfect gifts for Christmas."

Andy Carvill, Casio Music Divisional Manager added: "We are all very excited about this partnership with Musicroom and very proud of the first Casio Music Studio and the commitment it represents to the music industry by Casio."

 The IT-9000 is an all-in-one handheld printer terminal equipped with a built-in thermal printer and near field communication (NFC) reader/writer designed for contactless smart cards and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. Options include a C-MOS Imager for scanning  1D and 2D symbologies, a magnetic card reader, 3G wireless WAN capable of high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA),GPScapabilities, and a colour auto-focus digital camera.

The IT-9000 can read data that has been recorded on cards or tags, and scan barcode symbologies printed on labels or other materials. It can also access data via wireless WAN or wirelessLANand print tickets, receipts or labels using the fast integrated thermal printer.

The IT-9000 allows users to send images captured with its built-in auto-focus colour digital camera, data such as positionalinformation determined using theGPSfunction and records of issued tickets and receipts to back office systems.

Designed with superior security, the IT-9000 can be used securely for solutions where importantinformation is handled. If the device is lost or stolen, the data it holds can be erased remotely via a command sent by an administrator over the wireless WAN network. The NFC reader/writer can be used to verify an operator's login credentials using a contactless smart card. Secure Access Module (SAM) slots are available on-board for use if even higher security is required.

 The IT-9000 features a 9.4-centimeter (3.7-inch) VGA Blanview LCD with touch panel that delivers excellent visibility both indoors and outdoors yet consumes far less power than conventional LCDs. The device is compliant with IP54 dustproof and splash proof standards, and it can withstand drops of up to 1.5 meters, making it suitable for deployment in a wide variety of challenging environments.

l  Integrated, fast thermal printer enables on the spot issuing of tickets, receipts, and other documents

l GPSand HSDPA-capable 3G wireless WAN with high-speed data transfer up to 7.2Mbps downstream

l  The 802.11b/g standard wirelessLANis ideal for sending and receiving data in office or depot environments, particularly when reports are uploaded for processing after operators return from working in the field.

l  Equipped with an NFC reader/writer for contactless smart cards and ISO 15693 approved RFID tags

l  The C-MOS Imager can read 1D and 2D barcode symbologies with high speed and accuracy

l  2.0-megapixel digital camera with an auto focus function

l  The magnetic card reader can be used for credit card transactions

Casio's IT-9000 series features a line-up of six models, all of which can be used in a wide variety of operations that require printing on the spot, including usage as a mobile point-of-sale (POS) terminal that can issue: electricity, gas, or water meter reading slips; sales invoices and bills issued at a visit site; and receipts for customers onsite.

The first Pro Musician we would like to introduce is legendary Journeyman Bill Sharpe. A founding member of smooth jazz pioneers Shakatak, Bill Sharpe is one of the music industry's most respected keyboard players. Constantly in demand across the world he has worked with artists as diverse as Gary Numan, Don Grusin, Jah Wobble and Fast Eddie from Motorhead, selling nearly 10 million records in the process. At ease in his home studio he spoke with Martin over tea and biscuits about his musical journey, collaborations, cowboy boots and Casio's new stage piano the Privia PX-3.

A Conversation with Bill Sharpe:

Do you like playing the piano Bill?

 Is that what you live to do, or what you just ended up doing? If they were to cut you in half would they find a piano?
(Laughs) Yes I guess they would. It's something that I started doing when I was very young. I started having lessons when I was seven. Mum, my dad and my sister all played the piano. My dad was an amateur player but he played really nice jazz piano. He was a big fan of people like Oscar Peterson and Erroll Garner and all these classic wonderful jazz pianists. He didn't do so much soloing he just had a nice ear. He learned by ear, he couldn't read music. So I was kind of surrounded by that, so I started playing and having lessons. I mean I could do other stuff but playing the piano was kind of the one thing I could do well. So I think in life you've either got to have an amazing belief or you've got to have a mother particularly, somebody behind you…

A pushy mum…?

 To make you practice… yeah I had a pushy mum, in a nice way. She used to bribe me to practice… a penny a scale and stuff.
Is that where the biscuit habit came from?
(Laughs) Yes! So basically that's it. Then you get to a certain level. I got to grade five and you do all the exams and then you can start to play for yourself.
How old were you at grade five?
About eleven or twelve, something like that. I got grade eight when I was about fourteen, fifteen. Obviously I practiced hard. I used to practice four or five hours a day.

You were serious then?

Well I was classically trained. I did concerts with orchestras and solo recitals.
Who were the people influencing you as a teenage Bill Sharpe?
When I was a teenager I was playing classical piano but really the one thing I always wanted to do was be in a band.

A classical band?

Well yeah… so consequently I was a massive fan of Keith Emerson, who to me was fantastic, 'cos he used to do some classical like The Nice and Emerson Lake and Palmer. But he also had a great right hand and he was quite jazzy. I used to like the way he used to be quite classic and then throw in a bit of jazz stuff. It was always like Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman, bit like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck… I was always a bit of an Emerson fan because `I liked his jazz whereas Rick Wakeman was very straight ahead. But also The Beatles, Zeppelin, ELP, and then at some point someone played me an album by a band called Return To Forever which featured Chick Corea. It was Hymn of The Seventh Galaxy and one of the seminal jazz-rock albums with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Bill Connors and Al Di Meola. And I thought, "Bloody hell, I thought Emerson was good!" (laughs). But it was all amazing electric piano solos and acoustic and synths that was just phenomenal. And that slowly got me into other stuff.

So Return To Forever blew you away?

Well yes, as a keyboard player. But then I started listening to bands like Weather Report and other keyboard players like Herbie Hancock who is probably one of my favourite piano player keyboardists and started playing in different bands playing that kind of music.
Then in the late 70's, I was living in Bishop's Stortford, a little market town in Hertfordshire and the Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth of Bishops Stortford were Roger and Larraine Odell and if you got into their little circle it was pretty cool, you're in with 'the guys' kind of thing. I think got a call from Rog' saying "I'm starting this jazz rock band and I've heard you play keyboards, would you be interested in coming along and playing?".

And what sort of age were you then?

It was about 1978 I must have been twenty-five, twenty-six something like that. So I thought that's pretty cool, I've got an invite from 'the guys'. So we had this band, there was Keith Winter who was Shakatak's original guitarist, myself, Roger and a bass player called Trevor Horn… who's not done too badly as a producer
We just used to do a Sunday lunchtime gig in Stortford in a little place called the Triad Bar and we used to do covers by Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea and that sort of stuff and I started writing pieces for the band.

And was the band called Shakatak?

No it was called Tracks. We're actually doing a reunion gig in October like thirty years later (laughs) ... playing self-indulgent jazz, which is great fun actually.

So you're backtracking…

Oh backtracking, very good! (laughs) Hey I might use that one. It's that marketing background of yours!

(Laughs) Yeah sorry it popped out

So er… (laughs) what was I saying? Oh yeah, I started writing stuff and we ended up doing quite a lot of my numbers for Tracks. Then Roger, who was also working South London in a venue called The Cat's Whiskers in Streatham, which was one of these big places where they used to have all these bands playing the hits at the time. Late 70's, so it was lots of Abba tunes and disco. And one of the guys in the band was a guy called Nigel Wright - who ended up becoming the producer of Shakatak - he had this idea of doing some stuff like a lot of the American artists such as The Crusaders, particularly this guy called Rodney Franklin who'd got a track called The Groove. And I said "it would be kind of cool to do some instrumental British funk like this" 'cos everyone was listening to all the American stuff. He heard some of my songs and said "lets go into the studio and record some of your tunes" and one of the songs we did 'Steppin' ended up being the first Shakatak record.
So a slow process of the way things evolve, coincidences and how life is really. Sometimes they're lucky breaks, sometimes not so lucky… it just worked out. Then in 1980 we did our first few singles and it went from there.

The band was phenomenally big at the time wasn't it… even I paid to go and watch it.

Well done…

Actually I tell a lie… I got a free ticket!

My God, I'm stunned… I was about to give you your money back. (laughs) Bloody freeloader!

But I think everyone looked daft then though didn't they, early 80's?

Yes but then you look at Duran Duran and Spandau… the new romantics, they were very stylised. The fashion was part of it. Shakatak was never about fashion, that's for sure. We got into it a little bit more as we became more successful, but in the early days… I look at some of the stuff I used to wear on stage and it was just like… unbelievable! Sort of like white cowboy boots with mauve trousers and all sorts…

What inspired that then? Did you wake up one day and have a blind man dress you?

(Laughs) Well I don't know? I think we all look back… and I can't think of a fashion I was following, maybe I was totally original? But it was just bizarre with mauve trousers tucked into the boots!

So do you still wear the boots now Bill or are you more of a Hush Puppy man these days?

Er no. Weird a lot of the clothes that I wore then. We became a bit more stylish, we did videos and stuff like that, I've got old suits and a little bag with stuff. My wife's always said for me to throw them away but I want to keep them all because they're part of me.

They say that wives don't they? "Throw it out, it doesn't go with the décor".

Yes its history. I mean I can't get into them any more but so what? They were in some quite successful videos and stuff so its nice to have them. (Laughs) I'll stick them on EBay maybe and get a few bob… or not!

Shakatak is still very active, a lot of people may not realise that.

Yes we still tour. We do a new album every couple of years. We toured round the world recently.

Is that with new stuff?

Yeah

You can see I've done my research!

Well done… (laughs). Yes, we had a new album which was released spring this year. It was released in this country and we're actually doing a bit of promotion through September and October because we're doing a few gigs in the UK. We're just working on a date down your part of the country, at the Concorde Club…

I promise I'll pay for that one!

Really? (laughs) ... but obviously unless you get on national telly and radio, people don't know you're still touring. But we're like so many other bands, you think "whatever happened to them?" but so many of them are still touring and doing well actually. But the live side of things are brilliant. Wherever we play we always sell out and we do good business. The CD's basically sell pretty well. Nothing like they used to, but all our albums are on iTunes. We probably do most of our sales through iTunes around the world. And that does quite well actually. The back catalogue obviously helps like Night Birds, Invitations, Down On The Street… those albums still tick over and sell really well.
To be honest music in the 90's went in a direction I didn't particularly like… but I listen to Shakatak now and I think the tracks still sound fresh, particularly the instrumental stuff.
I like to think so, certainly the style has remained the same and popular, judging by our audience reactions, audiences that include a lot of younger people that weren't even around in the 80's! Presumably they got into us from their parents? Or they took them! (laughs) 

But apart from Shakatak you're quite active as a pianist aren't you?

Yes I do lots of other projects.

What sort of direction has that taken you? Do you prefer doing that to the band?

I do all sorts of different things. In the 80's I did an album and a couple of records with Gary Numan, which was very different from Shakatak. I used to joke with Gary because you couldn't play any 7th's. Everything had to be sort of electro stuff. One particular track was quite a big hit called 'Change Your Mind'. That did really well, it was a top 20 record.

I remember that. I didn't realize that was you on there to be honest…

It had a good video and it was a record basically that myself and my engineer Nick Smith and I produced and then Gary… I tried to sing it actually… but Nick very kindly said (laughs) "This is not quite right" I was working on a solo album. Nick, who had also been working with Gary, sent the track to him and he loved it. So he came in and sang it. Pretty much in one take and it was like 'wow!'. Purely by chance because we had finished the track, but his vocal just slotted in perfectly. And because of the success of that we went on to make an album. So that was something that I quite enjoyed doing. 

On the other hand I've worked with… I've got to know, through working with different keyboard companies… an American pianist called Don Grusin. Don and his brother Dave are quite famous American keyboardists. Don and I over the years have become great friends and we did an album in Los Angeles in about 97. I did a solo album with Don and a lot of his friends. People I'd listened to for years and I was in the same studio playing with them, it was quite nerve racking really, but amazing to play with the drummer who used to play with Weather Report, the bass player that played with Al Jarreau, Paulinho da Costa, then Jeffrey Osborne sang one of the songs. It was like all these people coming in from LA and I was like "Bloody hell!" So that was cool. Then Don and I have done a couple of other albums together, one of which is coming out later this year on Universal in Japan. Then through the publishers I've got I've become quite friendly with a guy called Jah Wobble

Who?

Jah Wobble?

Jah Wobble?

Yeah Jah Wobble… (laughs). He's a great guy called John who's well known really 'cos he was in a band called Public Image with John Lydon… Johnny Rotten… and John's done loads of different stuff. He's a really unusual bass player, kind of reggae style really. We've managed to do a bit of writing together earlier last year and we did a couple of tracks and he said "we must do an album, see what happens?" So we're going to go in in October and do an album. I've got no idea what it will be like but it will be great fun to do!
So I've kind of worked with all sorts of different people… actually I've got one other album, a blues album with a guy called Fast Eddie from Motorhead… he was the original guitarist… we haven't finished that one yet. We might at some point.
So I kind of go… from outside of the band… I do work with these great jazz musicians, then I'll go and work with a rock legend and then do a bit of reggae jazz… so all sorts of stuff. So my life is really interesting. When I come back to the band, I've been working with all these different people, so hopefully when we're doing an album some of that stuff will come out.

A cocktail of different sounds then?

Yeah. It's a little out of my comfort zone sometimes but it's a good thing really.

So your kit then… you're doing all these different things but would you say you were a pianist or a synth man?

Both I would say. I'm classically trained so I play the piano mainly, but then I've got into synths. I grew up using the old minimoog and all that stuff. I struggled with the DX7 when it went digital, but anything analogue I'm pretty good with. I can use the oscillators and stuff so yes I like using the synths as well. Obviously all the kit these days has got everything on it. When we were successful, obviously… I was quite lucky really cos we had a road crew that used to lug all my gear around.

Isn't that a great idea… people carrying your stuff for you!

Yeah you turn up to a gig and its like 'there' and you've just got to start playing virtually. And it's fantastic because I used to carry around an old Yamaha piano, a Fender Rhodes and all sorts of stuff…

Not at the same time!

(Laughs) Well no! But the crew… those guys could do cos they were so strong. But everything now you can get on one keyboard so it's fantastic, or even in the computer.

You've been using Casio's Privia PX-3 recently. Casio are new to the professional market, so how have you been getting on with that?

Well actually its great. I used it on a gig a few of weeks ago, it wasn't a Shakatak gig, and it wasn't a gig you'd call… in musicians terms, 'an easy get in'. It was up two flights of stairs. I don't have a road crew anymore so I was lugging the stuff myself with a bit of help from the other guys. It was at a stately home and there was only one small lift and I couldn't be bothered to wait, so I just stuck it under one arm and walked up the stairs! Which was brilliant. It's very, very portable and it was fantastic cos other keyboards that I've got… which are great but sometimes you need two people to help you carry them or you can carry it on your own and you end up with a bit of a bad back…

… a hernia!

True! So from a practical point of view the Casio is brilliant, so that was great. I didn't have to use a lot of different sounds on that gig but basically the acoustic piano, electric piano and organ sounds which are the main three I use, all sound great. There are some other stuff like the strings and brass and bits and pieces which are not so great, in my humble opinion. But when you are paying a reasonable price for a full size weighted keyboard… that's the other thing, it's got a nice action and it's an 88 keyboard! A lot of the various synths you don't have that full size keyboard, so as a piano player its really nice having the full length keyboard.

Do you think its something that you will continue to use… you'll keep it in your armoury?

Oh very much so. As I said, on gigs particularly and I'll probably record with it too. In the piano section there's two or three nice electric piano sounds, the acoustic piano is pretty good I have to say and the organ stuff is quite nice. I've yet to go through a lot more of it but so far… having played it in the studio and having used it on gigs… yeah definitely.

Interview by Martin Perry
(Martin is a respected musician and publisher, well known throughout the music industry)

The Casio range of hand-held terminals offers versatility and reliability to the mobile worker. For example, the DT-X8 with an IP67 rating, drop tested to 3 metres and a battery life of 25 hours, is one of the most rugged terminals available today. The DT-X8 is ideal for warehouse applications. Using the Casio IT-800 for 'on-the-road' deliveries, end users such as Transport & Logistics companies will benefit as a result of Momote's offering a unique pay-as-you-go proposition. This allows them to be able to send job details to their mobile workforce whilst they are in the road with NO contract. The return on investment is very fast with no long term risk.

Users will be able to use the application to process payment upon delivery, have real time interaction with their fleet and will also even have the ability to photograph delivered goods in situ, proving that they were delivered on time and undamaged.

Graham Whistance, Managing Director of MyMobileWorkers.com said: "We're delighted to be working with one of the biggest names in the global electronics industry. Casio's devices are used across a range of industry sectors and we expect our application to add significant value, delivering efficiencies and cost savings."

Guy Boxall, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Casio Electronics, explains "Our partnership with Momote brings together the best mobile devices on the market with a very comprehensive software solution. Together, this enables significant efficiency gains in delivery, logistics and service with a competitive Total Cost of Ownership". 

The combination of the Casio hardware and Momote software is a cross platform solution being compatible with any back office system. It comes with free support and maintenance provided by Momote in the UK.

The VX-100 is a compact EPOS terminal equipped with a colour main display with full-touch screen operation, a sub-display that is great for showing information to customers, and a built-in thermal printer to generate receipts. The VX-100 is designed for use in SME retail stores, and works as both a standalone platform or as part of a networked platform.

 The VX-100 comes installed with a sales management application offering a host of data management capabilities. With the optional cash drawer, the terminal can also function as a cash register.

 Additional customer relationship management and reservation management applications can be installed to enable database management of the purchase history of individual customers. The purchase history can then be used to identify preferred customers and formulate marketing strategies tailored to them.

 The VX-100 EPOSterminal uses the Android^TM platform, and Casio has provided a software development kit that supports the VX-100 hardware. Casio plans to leverage the VX-100 to support a variety of businesses such as retail stores, restaurants and other service enterprises by developing its own additional applications as well as facilitating development of applications for the VX-100 by other developers of Android applications.

                   Application Software for VX-100 Business Support Terminal

Sales Management

Conduct a multitude of sales calculations including calculations by product (items, departments and groups), time and clerk. An optional cash drawer can be added to operate the VX-100 as a cash register.

Customer Relationship Management 

Build a customer database associated with sales management data. Analyze the purchase frequency and monetary amounts for each customer, in order to identify create a list of preferred customers. Operators can send emails to a list of preferred customers who have agreed to receive them, or they can specify automatic discounts when ringing up bills for preferred customers, all associated with the sales management application.

 Reservation Management

Take various kinds of orders and reservations from customers, including reservations for meals. Use the customer relationship management and sales management applications to manage databases of customer names and reservation details including names, number of persons and time, all from the VX-100.

 Remote control By Email

Receive e-mail messages from a cellular phone or computer, and automatically execute instructions contained in the messages. Even check sales data from a separate location, an ideal feature for busy business managers

 Exhibiting alongside Casio Preferred Partners, Casio's EPOS Solutions will be offering a cost effective management solution, tailored to meet individual pub needs and increase productivity.

 Stephen Martin, Marketing Manager at Punch Taverns, explains "The roadshows are an exciting time for our business, bringing together our licensees, to share many new ideas and innovations, including the latestEPOSsolution from Casio Electronics. We look forward to a busy couple of months. "

 Guy Boxall, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Casio, explains "We strongly believe these shows are the biggest of their kind in the industry. We received excellent feedback from all of our partners involved last year and we are very pleased to be involved again this year. We are looking forward to demonstrating how Casio's EPoS Solution can add real value to the licensees' businesses."

 The Casio QT series is an innovative EPOS Solution which offers the ability to 'build-on' as new requirements are identified. As the number one choice of EPOS for the Punch Taverns estate, each solution is delivered in partnership with our preferred partner network, and offer a scalable system that integrates a fast and efficient front-of-house service with a comprehensive back office management solution.

Reflecting on the three events held so far, Casio and Punch Taverns have seen a significant interest from licensees looking for improved management controls on which to base key business decisions. This, coupled with the exciting new SMS, loyalty and email marketing features of the Casio range, should give licensees a more progressive method of engaging with their target consumers.  Through continual improvement and a firm understanding of the hospitality trade, Casio and Microtill have been well placed to ensure each system has met with the individual need of the business.

Focusing on the careers of a variety of musicians, from journeymen pros, to unsung hero session musicians and up-and-coming artists - Casio are celebrating their careers and how the Privia PX-3 is an integral part of their musical journey.

The Casio Privia PX-3 is designed with professional musicians in mind. Its features offer unhindered creativity, from live performance to music production. The PX-3 is as 'at home' on stage as it is in the studio. It performs as a solo instrument, or controls MIDI equipment flexibly. It's the hub of a MIDI studio, connecting to a computer with USB (without needing to install drivers, or use a MIDI interface). All of this, but even with an 88 key hammer action, weighing in at just 10.8kg (23.8lbs)! This is how Stage Pianos should be made! Easy to carry, easy to use on stage, easy to locate in your studio, without sacrificing functionality.

Feel and Response

As a pianist, you know that the most important 'connection' is the one between your fingers and the sound. Casio has been building Digital Pianos since 1991, and that long experience has resulted in the 'Tri Sensor Scaled Hammer Action'.  The keys have a matt finish and are scaled in resistance from lowest to highest, giving the feel of a quality acoustic piano. A third sensor detects when you repeat a note without the key having returned fully, ensuring fast repeated notes all sound clearly.

Casio's long experience in sampling led to a bespoke technology called 'Linear Morphing AIF'.  The graduation in tone and volume from ppp to fff is smooth and progressive, as is the change over time of long sustained notes.

The PX-3 is 128 note polyphonic, so it copes with the most sustain pedal intensive performances as a solo piano. You can also layer different Tones, or play Standard Midi File songs, and still have plenty of polyphony left to play along.

Tones and Control

Musicians need variety to suit different needs and situations - playing solo piano in a restaurant needs a different sound from playing piano in a rock band. The PX-3 adapts to any musical situation, offering 250 Tones, arranged in groups for easy access. Each Tone group button remembers the Tone selected when you change to another group. For example, select Rock Piano in the Piano group, then change to the Organ group. When you return to the Piano Group, Rock Piano will still be selected.

Casio knows that professional musicians want to customize sounds and functions to their needs. So the PX-3 has a huge range of programmable features allowing just that, but for them to be useful there needs to be a place to store the settings for future use. On the PX-3 this is called the Registration Memory, and it offers 8 Banks of 8 memories. Each bank can be named so you can easily keep track of your settings. You can store an unlimited number of Registration Banks on SD Cards, so you can easily keep different settings for different gigs.

The PX-3 is a great instrument for rehearsal. If you just want to practice yourself, it has headphone sockets and, it is light enough to carry to a hotel room or venue if you're on tour. 
Plus, if you're rehearsing singers and need a quick key change, its Transpose function is easy to access.

"After many years faced with fragmented practices as well as functional and administrative limitations, we've come a long way in a very short space of time," adds Martin Beard. "We now have much smoother and totally integrated back office arrangements and, as soon as we are able to proceed with the next phase of training, we will be introducing the Permit Gateway system into the back-office to improve management and processing for all types of parking permits within the borough."

A young star in the making, Tom drives the Ford Focus to its limits on the British Touring Car circuit.

Tom says, "I am really excited about being one of the Faces of EDIFICE. It's great to have such a prestigious brand supporting me in the British Touring Cars. Time is everything in my profession, it's how I run my life, and it's the difference between winning and losing. My EDIFICE watch has the precision timing I need to measure and deliver my ultimate performance."

Tom has driven in the BTCC since 2007, having found himself on the podium in only his fifth race and winning in the 20th making him one of the most exciting emerging talents. In 2010 he placed 4th in the championship overall, including a race won by the closest margin in BTCC history, 0.009 seconds. Casio recognises that the finest margins make the difference between first and second and the precision 1000th second chronograph and radio controlled technology within the Edifice range ensures perfect timing.

This season, with the support of Casio, Tom has continued his success and after a brief stint at Militek has returned to Team Aon to help cement the Ford Focus as one of the fastest cars on the circuit, not only as a driver but also as an integral part of engineering team. Tom has put a lot of time in behind the scenes to ensure that the team get the best out of the car.

We look forward to sharing in Tom's success and know that EDIFICE will continue to support him with perfect timing.

The Compact Hi-zoom model boasts 14 mega pixels and will be available from 18th August 2011, priced £149.99 and comes complete with a new silent mode feature. Silent Mode automatically configures the camera settings to avoid disturbing others around you - particularly handy when shooting in a museum, aquarium, restaurant and other areas where flash photograph is prohibited.

Available in black, and sporting a 12.5X optical zoom lens, the EX-ZS100's Hi-zoom model equipped lens allows users to shoot wide angle :24mm - telephoto :300mm range as well as being able to shoot up close and personal - up to 1cm away from the object using its macro focus function.

Intent on making high quality photography even more accessible than before, Casio's new EX-ZS100 has an "Advanced Easy Mode". This mode means that whereas with other, harder to use cameras, the user would have to half press the shutter button to focus the image and then take the shot slowing the overall process down. With the EX-ZS100, when the camera is pointing at the object, it focuses automatically so all the photographer has to do is press the shutter button fully and not waste time focusing and shooting in a separate action.

For more information, images or review units please contact: Hill & Knowlton

E - casio@hillandknowlton.com
T - 0 20 7413 3000

The competition, which asked classes to submit a piece of digital creative work, was open to every school in England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The winning creation was to be exhibited between July and September at Southbank Centre as part of their Festival of Britain 60th anniversary celebrations.

Thameside Junior School's film, The Butterfly Lion, is based on the Michael Morpugo book of the same name and was produced by the children. The work will be displayed at Southbank Centre and form part of the Schools of Creativity pavilion, opening today as part of the Festival of Britain 60th anniversary celebrations at an event featuring Jude Kelly OBE and MOBO winner Akala. The school will also receive £3,500 of Casio technology for the winning classroom.
The entries were judged by a panel including representatives from Casio and CCE, as well as TES reporter Helen Ward, Education Executive editor Julia Dennison, and Wayne Hemingway, founder of fashion label Red or Dead and curator of the Vintage exhibition at the Southbank Centre this summer.
 
Wayne Hemingway commented on the winning film: "The Butterfly Lion is a clear winner for me. The creative execution is individual and challenging and the combination of graphics, treatment of the film and the use of traditional media like paper cutouts gives the work depth."

"The film was so eye catching, and it was obvious that a lot of thought has gone into doing more than just an adaptation," added Helen Ward. The standard of the entries was so high that the judging team also chose two runners up from the entries - which came from more than 50 schools around the country. The runners up will receive Casio projectors for their classrooms to help them bring their creativity to life.

Rehana Mughal, Creative Producer at Southbank Centre, who has created the Schools of Creativity pavilion, added: "I am so impressed by the imagination of the young people who have created such amazing work. Every entry to the competition is testament to how the combination of creativity and schoolwork can really allow children to grow and develop."

Nieve Cavanagh, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Casio said: "We see ourselves as supporting creativity in the classroom through our innovative technology, and love hearing how children use our products to get the most out of learning. We're looking forward to seeing the winning entry projected in all its glory as part of the Festival of Britain anniversary celebrations, and want to congratulate every school on turning out such brilliant work."