LAS VEGAS (MarketWatch) After two years of heavy restructuring and cost cutting, Sony Corp. is seeking to demonstrate its product-making prowess with an array of new electronics products focused on 3-D and Internet-connected devices to tap into its movies, music and videogames.

Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer embarked on an overhaul that has seen the company close or sell factories and increase outsourcing. The moves are designed to make the sprawling conglomerate more nimble, so it can adjust quickly to the breakneck pace of the consumer electronics industry.

While those restructuring measures have paid off with an improved bottom line, the company has yet to launch a product that puts a stamp on the turnaround.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Sony unveiled intriguing 3-D product prototypes. One, a futuristic-looking gadget called “Headman,” wraps around a person’s eyes with a small screen for each eye that creates the illusion of depth.

The Japanese electronics conglomerate said it was going to make 3-D “personal” with compact 3-D camcorders, a 3-D digital camera and a Vaio PC laptop capable of viewing 3-D images. Meanwhile it showed off how it aims to position its online video and music delivery platform, Qriocity, to be Sony’s answer to Apple Inc.’s(AAPL 334.00, +2.71, +0.82%) iTunes for a wide range of devices.

More than any other “connected” product, Sony touted the potential benefits of marrying the television with the Internet. It’s a theme echoed by nearly every TV maker at the show, but Sony has aggressively pursued the market since becoming the first manufacturer to launch an Internet TV running Google Inc.’s (GOOG 609.07, +6.95, +1.15%) television platform.

“TVs are no longer passive devices, but gateways to an enormous dynamic world of content delivered whenever and wherever the consumers want it,” Stringer said during the media event.

Sony also said it had a partnership with Time Warner Cable Inc.(TWC 67.35, -0.03, -0.04%) through which the cable operator would deliver content over the Internet to Sony’s Web-connected televisions. The partnership comes as online video delivery threatens the grip of traditional cable and satellite TV operators.

Meanwhile, Sony still pushed heavily on 3-D technology, a major theme of last year’s show. However, the technology has not taken off as fast as the industry had expected but Sony said 3-D is the future of content.

As a “glimpse into the future,” Hiroshi Yoshioka, the head of Sony’s consumer products and devices group, said Sony has developed an all-in-one 3-D Blu-Ray player with a 10-inch, glasses-free screen, as well as prototypes of a 56-inch, 46-inch and 24.5 inch glasses-free 3-D model.

The 24.5-inch glasses-free 3-D television uses an organic light-emitting diode display, considered a next-generation screen technology because it is thinner, brighter and uses less energy than today’s LCDs. Yoshioka did not give a launch timetable for those products.

Sony’s mobile phone joint-venture, Sony Ericsson, also said it would launch a new Android-based Xperia Arc smartphone, which comes with a 4.2-inch display and is slightly curved in the back, in the first quarter of 2011.

Source:http://www.marketwatch.com/story/sony-unveils-personal-3-d-product-prototypes-2011-01-06

Sony will increase its outsourcing orders to 50% of its total shipments, from the previous 30%, according to a Japanese-language Yomiuri Shimbun report. Due to the relationship between Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) and Sony, Chimei Innolux (CMI) will be the major beneficiary.

Yoshihisa Ishida, president of Sony’s TV business group, took over the management in April 2009. Under Ishida, Sony has gradually reduced its production costs and increased its outsourcing. Sony has reduced its assembly plants to four, from nine plants two years ago.

Due to weaker than expected demand in the US market, Sony will not be able to reach its shipment goal of 25 million units for the 2010 fiscal year ending on March 31, 2011, but the vendor aims to ship 35 million units for the 2011 fiscal year.

Foxconn and Wistron from Taiwan are the major OEM partners of Sony, and CMI expects to land more LCD TV panel orders from Sony further helping to improve CMI’s utilization rates and operations.

Source:http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20101129PD207.html

Foxconn Electronics and Wistron will be taking up the job.

It’s good news if you’re a fan of inexpensive electronics, but almost certainly bad if quality is at the top of your list.

Sony is said to be outsourcing manufacturing of high-end LCD sets to Wistron and Foxconn, both companies based in Taiwan.

There’s definitely a taboo around the idea of outsourced manufacturing, and the recent wave of suicides at Foxconn definitely doesn’t bode well.

Conditions have improved at Foxconn recently though, as the iPhone manufacturer has raised wages significantly.

According to DigiTimes, Foxconn will be making 15-18 million high-end LCDs including ultra thin frameless models.

Wistron, which started as the manufacturing wing of Acer, will be handling the Sony Internet TV.

By 2011, around 50 percent of Sony’s HDTV output will be outsourced and the other half made in-house.

Source:http://www.highdefdigest.com/news/show/Google_TV/Foxconn/Sony/Sony_May_Be_Outsourcing_High-End_LCDs_and_Google_TV/5636

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese electronics maker Sony Corp said it would sell a factory in Spain making liquid crystal display TVs as part of its push to outsource more production and turn its struggling TV operations into a profit driver.

The maker of Bravia flat screen TVs said in a statement it would sell its facility in Barcelona that makes LCD TVs for Europe to Spain-based companies Ficosa International SA and COMSA EMTE SL for an undisclosed sum.

Sony said it would outsource production of LCD TVs to a new manufacturing company to be established by Ficosa at the site for two years from completion of the transaction, underscoring its “asset-light” strategy for lowering its cost base.

Sony is aiming to turn its TV business profitable for the first time in seven years in the current financial year to March 2011 on the back of cost-cutting and higher revenue, with LCD TV unit sales projected to jump 60 percent to 25 million.

Sony said it would incur a loss from the factory sale but this was already factored into its 75 billion yen ($892 million) restructuring charge estimate for the year and would therefore not have a material impact on its results.

More outsourcing of production is one of the key strategies of Chief Executive Howard Stringer, who has struggled to restore Sony to a high level of profitability despite a series of large restructurings since taking the helm in 2005.

Sony is the world’s third-largest flat screen TV maker after South Korea’s Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and LG Electronics. (Editing by David Holmes)

Source:-http://ca.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idCATRE6862SE20100907

Japan’s Sony Corp is increasingly outsourcing television manufacturing to contract makers, primarily its Taiwanese partners, during this fiscal year to boost its market share.

The electronics giant expects for 50% of its TVs to be produced by its manufacturing partners during the fiscal year ending March 31 of next year.

Sony would see Hon Hai Precision Industry Co, one of the biggest electronics manufacturing service providers, become its biggest local partner. Taipei County-based Hon Pai acquired a second TV factory, located in Slovakia, from Sony in March.

This year, Sony added Compal Electronics Inc, a top contract notebook computer maker, to its manufacturing partner list.

Source:http://www.sourcingfocus.com/index.php/site/newsitem/2579/

japanese consumer electronics giant Sony Corp is increasing outsourcing of television manufacturing to contract makers, primarily its Taiwanese partners, during this fiscal year to boost its market share, a high-ranking executive said yesterday in Taipei.Half of Sony’s TVs would be produced by its manufacturing partners during the fiscal year ending March 31 of next year, Toshiro Kawata, general manager of Sony’s TV division, told reporters.
He did not give a comparative figure. However, Taipei-based research firm WitsView, an LCD research arm of TrendForce Corp (集邦), estimated that Sony only outsourced 11 percent of its total shipments to Taiwanese firms, in particular to Wistron Corp (緯創).
Taiwanese manufacturers were Sony’s good partners last year, and are this year as well,” Kawata said.

Sony is maintaining its target of shipping 25 million LCD TVs this year, of which 10 percent would be 3D TVs, Kawata said.LED TVs would account for 30 percent, he added.This year, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), the world’s biggest electronics manufacturing service provider, would become Sony’s biggest local partner after the Tucheng (土城), Taipei County-based company acquired a second TV factory, located in Slovakia, from Sony in March, according to WitsView.

Sony will be able to gain a bigger share of emerging markets by farming out production of entry-level TV sets to Taiwanese firms, which are good at cost control,” said Locke Chang (張小彪), head of WitsView.Increasing outsourcing is also a policy of Sony as it looks to expand its affordable product portfolio to stave off competition from South Korean TV makers Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics,” Chang said.This year, Sony added Compal Electronics Inc (仁寶), the world’s biggest contract notebook computer maker, to its manufacturing partner list, Chang said. Compal is diversifying its product lineup to non-PC areas.When asked whether the rising yen against the US dollar would put pressure on Sony to accelerate outsourcing orders, Kawata said “the yen is not the only factor affecting [the company’s outsourcing policy.

Source:-http://taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2010/09/01/2003481823

Sony Corp.’s and Panasonic Corp.’s ambitions for higher earnings this year depend on convincing Yin Weiguang, a retired construction worker in Beijing, that he chose the wrong television.

“I don’t really care about fancy features,” said Yin, 55, who paid 2,799 yuan ($413) for a 32-inch set made by Skyworth Digital Holdings Ltd. “I just use it for basic entertainment: watching news, weather forecast and TV series.”

Sony and Panasonic, the world’s two largest makers of consumer electronics, are slashing some TV prices by a third in China after being outsold six-to-one by Shenzhen-based Skyworth. Sony aims to double TV shipments in China this fiscal year, and Panasonic expects 50 percent growth in the world’s second- largest market for flat-panel TVs.

“The price battle in China will likely intensify as local manufacturers, South Korean makers and Japanese companies all fight for market share,” said Yoji Takeda, who heads the Asian equity management team at RBC Investment (Asia) Ltd., which oversees $1.1 billion. “Prices will probably continue falling with increased market supply during the second half.”

In December, Sony offered a 32-inch set for 3,000 yuan, or 33 percent off the previous price for that size, targeting customers in regional cities and rural districts, said Yuki Shima, a spokeswoman for the Tokyo-based company. To help cut costs, Sony has increased outsourcing of TV production to Foxconn Technology Group, the world’s largest contract manufacturer of electronics.

50 Percent Cut

Panasonic, the world’s biggest maker of plasma TVs, may cut prices of some models in China as much as 50 percent this year, Hitoshi Otsuki, senior managing director of the Osaka-based company’s overseas operations, said in an interview last week.

“The market is totally different from the U.S. and others,” Otsuki said. “In China, domestic manufacturers are very powerful, especially in low-end products. The smaller sets are the fastest-growing area and the most difficult for us.”

Sony slipped 0.1 percent to 2,697 yen as of the 11 a.m. trading break in Tokyo, narrowing its gain this year to 1 percent. Panasonic fell 0.7 percent, extending its loss in 2010 to 17 percent. Skyworth Digital dropped 0.4 percent on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Biggest Flat-Panel Market

Sales of liquid-crystal-display TVs in China will rise 15 percent to 45.5 million next year and overtake North America shipments, according to DisplaySearch estimates. China will become the biggest flat-panel TV market, including plasma sets, in 2012, according to the Austin, Texas-based researcher.

Skyworth is the market leader in China with a 15 percent share, followed by domestic rivals Hisense Electric Co. and TCL Corp., according to AVC Consulting in Beijing.

Japan’s Sharp Corp. was the top non-Chinese vendor with 4.9 percent, followed by Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc. of Seoul. Sony and Panasonic, the maker of Viera-brand TVs, each had 2.4 percent.

“Sony has started to take more serious action in China,” Shima said, citing the introduction of the lower-priced model in December. “We need to become sensitive about changes on products and business models for China.”

A price war may reverse the optimism sparked last month after the Japanese companies increased profit forecasts, said Yuuki Sakurai, chief executive officer of Tokyo-based Fukoku Capital Management Inc. Sony and Panasonic on July 29 cited better-than-expected sales of flat-panel TVs for raising their full-year projections, sending shares of both companies higher in Tokyo trading the following day.

Sony estimates 60 percent growth in worldwide TV sales by volume and Panasonic 35 percent.

“There’s no way Sony and Panasonic can compete with Chinese producers in terms of prices,” Sakurai said. “Even the South Koreans are struggling. Chinese consumers aren’t very keen on top-quality products.”

Samsung, the world’s largest TV maker, said last month that falling set prices may erode profitability this quarter. The company intends to keep prices above those of Chinese producers.

“We will stick to a strategy that will make people aware of our premium image,” said Chenny Kim, a spokeswoman at Suwon, South Korea-based Samsung. “We won’t compete with local companies in pricing.”

Skyworth’s annual shipments in China rose 12 percent to 7 million units in the fiscal year ended March 31 from a year earlier, the company said April 19. Revenue from the business increased 55 percent.

Competition, What Competition?

Skyworth, whose shares trade in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, isn’t concerned about international competitors, said Shen Jian, a spokesman. Brands from abroad account for about a quarter of the TVs sold in China, according to DisplaySearch.

“Domestic branded TVs are cheap and durable,” said Yin, who receives a monthly pension of about 4,000 yuan.

A 40-inch, international-brand TV sold for an average of about $902 in the second quarter, or about 33 percent more than Chinese marques, according to DisplaySearch.

“Our advantage is we are a local brand,” Shen said. “We don’t worry about the competition at all.”

Still, the price cuts may be helping overseas companies make inroads. Chinese producers’ combined market share fell to 76 percent in the first quarter from 83 percent the previous three-month period, according to Hisakazu Torii, a Tokyo-based analyst at DisplaySearch.

Value For Money

Liu Lin, 29, said non-Chinese TVs are worth the extra cost.

“The quality of Sony’s picture is really good,” said Liu, who bought a Sony 46-inch Bravia set for 5,999 yuan, or more than half her monthly pay. “Quality and price are of the same importance in buying a TV set.”

Japanese TV makers also face the hurdle of a stronger currency that’s giving them less room to cut prices than South Korean rivals. The yen has gained about 7.5 percent against the yuan this year, while the Korean won has weakened 1.2 percent.

They may get a boost from the falling prices of flat panels, typically the costliest TV component. LG Display Co., the world’s second-largest LCD maker, last month forecast that panel prices would decline an unspecified amount through August.

“Price is my top concern given I’m not that well-paid,” said Pan Ying, who earns about 5,000 yuan monthly at a Beijing health-care company. “I’ll consider a foreign brand if the price is good.”

With assistance from Vincent Ni in Beijing; Jun Yang in Seoul; and Maki Shiraki in Tokyo. Editors: Young-Sam Cho, Jonathan Annells.

Source:http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-08-09/sony-panasonic-tvs-star-in-battle-in-china-showrooms.html

Sony will stop designing all of its VAIO PCs itself, the company’s business deputy president Ryosuke Akahane revealed in an interview today. The Japanese PC house will split its line into two tiers, with a top tier being its usual self-designed computers and a new, second tier being designed by a contractor that would simply attach the VAIO name to the design. They would include Sony-specific features like a help button, PCPro was told, but would have Sony only approve the design rather than shape it from the outset.
The Japanese executive insisted that they would be of the same quality but admitted that the newest technology would always go to the first tier, with the outside contractors getting many parts second-hand.

Sony’s strategy would be aimed at beating market share leader HP but also Apple, Akahane said. It would help get more products on shelves than Apple’s relatively small product range and would be important for a new attempt at synergy in Sony’s lineup, where a VAIO PC could sync its behavior with a PS3 or a Sony Ericsson phone. An eventual adaptation of the PlayStation Network could see video bookmarking, where progress made watching a video on one device would be mirrored on another.

The company has long made allusions to a unified media service that would go beyond the PS3 but hasn’t said when it would actually become active.

Apple has in recent years had consistently outperformed Sony in the computer market, particularly in the US where the Mac brand is strongest. Both companies aim at the same premium demographic, but Apple’s quality reputation along with a more prominent retail network and marketing have sometimes given it an edge. The Sony strategy would stand in direct opposition to Apple’s as it would attempt to expand the range with cheaper PCs where Apple has usually resisted price hikes and adding new models.

Source:http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/04/15/sony.vaio.pcs.will.get.outsourced.models/

A global provider of IT services and business solutions, Patni Computer Systems, has appointed a new HR Director for the EMEA region. Alison Fry will be based at Patni’s EMEA headquarters near Heathrow, where she will be responsible for the entire HR function within the EMEA business.

Fry joins the firm from Real HR Consulting, where she provided HR outsourcing consultancy to organisations in the financial and technology sectors. Fry holds more than 20 years experience in the industry, previously holding senior HR roles in TCS, SHL, Sony UK, Steria and Hitachi Data Systems.

Discussing her new role, Fry comments: “Joining the EMEA team at Patni at such an important time in its growth and development is a fantastic opportunity. The team is made up of some of the industry’s most talented individuals and I’m looking forward to helping them reach their full potential.”
Derek Kemp, President, EMEA, Patni, adds: “We are delighted to welcome Alison to the leadership team at Patni EMEA. Her experience and understanding of the HR function within businesses such as Patni will be invaluable as we grow the team in the EMEA region.”

Source:http://www.thegrapevinemagazine.com/?newsid=2672

Sony announced that it will outsource a part of the human resources and accounting operation services of Sony and certain of its subsidiaries in Japan to IBM Japan.

The companies said that Sony is undertaking steps on a global scale to execute structural transformation to achieve profitability improvement and optimize business processes.

In connection with the above-mentioned outsourcing decision, Sony, IBM Japan and Manpower Japan Co. have agreed to establish a joint venture. The joint venture will be formed by splitting a part of the human resources service operations from Sony Human Capital, which currently undertakes human resources service, business travel and insurance operations mainly for Sony Group in Japan.

IBM Japan will provide its human resources
and accounting operation services to Sony Group in Japan using the new joint venture as its base in Japan and IBM Global Delivery Center in Dalian, China as its base outside Japan.

Source:http://www.tradingmarkets.com/news/stock-alert/ibm_sony-to-outsource-part-of-its-business-processes-to-ibm-japan-716887.html