Sony takes over Sony Ericsson
source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/27/us-sonyericsson-idUSTRE79Q19J20111027
-
-
- sbacker
- added this
Sony is taking full control of mobile phone joint venture Sony Ericsson, buying out its Swedish partner for €1.05bn (£920m), in a bid to catch up with rivals such as Apple and Samsung.
The Japanese electronics giant said the mobile phone operation would be integrated into its consumer division – which includes TVs, tablets, PCs and the Sony PlayStation – bringing to an end a decade-long joint venture with the telecoms company.
The deal to buy out its Swedish partner will enable Sony to better integrate smartphones and other devices with its array of content, from its music label whose stars include Beyonce and Britney Spears, its movie studio whose current hits include Spider Man and Anonymous and its Playstation video games such as Legends of Norrah.
"Its the beginning of something which I think is quite magical," Sony Chairman Sir Howard Stringer told a news conference in London.
Until now Sony's tablets, games and other consumer electronics devices have been kept separate from the phones sold and created by Sony Ericsson.
"Sony is looking to do the same as Apple and meet users' demands through linking various devices with similar interfaces and operating systems," said analyst Nobuo Kurahashi of Mizuho Investors' Securities in Tokyo.
"Smartphones look to become more important products for Sony ... and they will probably become the main device people use to connect to the Internet."
Smartphone sales have been surging since Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007 and despite a slowdown in the overall consumer electronics market, strong demand is set to continue.
"More and more people are watching content on smartphones. TV is not going to go away, but they watch it on smartphones and they watch it on tablets," Stringer said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/27/us-sonyericsson-idUSTRE79Q19J20111027
The Japanese electronics giant said the mobile phone operation would be integrated into its consumer division – which includes TVs, tablets, PCs and the Sony PlayStation – bringing to an end a decade-long joint venture with the telecoms company.
The deal to buy out its Swedish partner will enable Sony to better integrate smartphones and other devices with its array of content, from its music label whose stars include Beyonce and Britney Spears, its movie studio whose current hits include Spider Man and Anonymous and its Playstation video games such as Legends of Norrah.
"Its the beginning of something which I think is quite magical," Sony Chairman Sir Howard Stringer told a news conference in London.
Until now Sony's tablets, games and other consumer electronics devices have been kept separate from the phones sold and created by Sony Ericsson.
"Sony is looking to do the same as Apple and meet users' demands through linking various devices with similar interfaces and operating systems," said analyst Nobuo Kurahashi of Mizuho Investors' Securities in Tokyo.
"Smartphones look to become more important products for Sony ... and they will probably become the main device people use to connect to the Internet."
Smartphone sales have been surging since Apple launched its first iPhone in 2007 and despite a slowdown in the overall consumer electronics market, strong demand is set to continue.
"More and more people are watching content on smartphones. TV is not going to go away, but they watch it on smartphones and they watch it on tablets," Stringer said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/27/us-sonyericsson-idUSTRE79Q19J20111027
-
- groups:
- News and Politics, Technology
-
- tags:
- iPhone, Sony, Cell Phones, Mobile Phones, 2 more
