In an attempt to reign in expenses and slow the bloat, Sony has completely restructured its business. Part of that move involves selling its VIAO PC brand, and its e-reader business. Another part involves restructuring the Bravia TV side of Sony’s business.
Sony’s PC business was sold to JIP (Japan Industrial Partners) while its e-reader business was sold to Kobo.
Interestingly, the word Sony is using to describe its restructure of the Bravia business is “rationalizing”. It essentially amounts to attempts to streamline the business from streamlining the production side of things, to reducing costs in research and development.
Strangely enough, the PlayStation brand is not mentioned at all in Sony’s report. The PlayStation brand is gaining strength as a result of strong global PlayStation sales, and Sony most likely don’t want that brand tarnished in all the restructure cost.
All in all, it seems like a smart move from Sony, get rid of the businesses that don’t work, consolidate the ones that hopefully will work in the future, and don’t touch the businesses that are currently on a roll.
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9 responses to “Sony Just Sold Its PC Brand And Is Restructuring Its Entire Business”
For the moment it’s harder for, say, Chinese/Korean companies to enter the console market as brand loyalty in the console market is incredibly strong atm compared to HDTVs or laptops. Yeah Sony’s products mainly deal with the high-end of those markets, but they’ll be feeling the pinch now of cheaper goods where to the average consumer, the difference in quality isn’t readily noticeable, or not large enough to justify spending an extra $1,000 on a tv of the same size
I spent an extra $1500 on my TV about 6-7 years ago now than what you “could” get a TV for. The quality is still comparable with Today’s TV’s, unlike those cheapies, and unlike my friends who bought the cheapies, I still have the same TV, while theirs have all crapped out and been replaced long ago.
Really, long term, it saved me money to spend more, and short of 4k there’s really no reason to replace my higher end TV.
I know that spending a bit extra is usually worth it to get a well known brand. My LG tv is still going strong 5 years after I got it and I know if I picked up a 40+” HDTV for $3-400 I’d be replacing it every year or two, but for some people they see that as acceptable.
Now I’m looking for a new tv because I want a bigger second tv and again I’ll be spending a fair bit on it to ensure I get quality, but there’s a lot of tv sales that don’t follow that logic
They need to understand that the Sony name doesn’t get to add 30% to the price of shit any more.
Those VIAOs used to be seriously overpriced. Not sure if they still are.
Anyways, good move, Sony.
VAIO.
Hopefully the Bravia TV’s continue to be amazing. Still love the look of them so much more than others I see on displays
Yes, I really hope the Bravia line doesn’t die out (or only focus on 4K, which is where it seems to be heading).
I bought my 42″ for around $600 last year and it is full HD 100Hz with a gorgeous picture and the physical looks were much nicer than others in that price range. There aren’t many lower end TVs around that mark that had half of the features and specs it had.
They are the best TVs for my needs feature-wise and I found the price was easily comparable to the supposedly bang-for-buck Samsungs and LGs, etc.
Problem for Sony is flat screen TV’s and pc’s/lap tops is that in the last 10 years or so they have gone from costing thousands of dollars to hundreds. and margins as a percentage have gone down too.
What was once a $4000 TV or lap top, more sells for a grand.