Six major Japanese electronics manufacturers are prepared to agree to raise employee pay when they meet with union representatives at the upcoming spring labor-management wage talks, according to a report in the Japan Times. Yet to be worked out is the exact amount of the increase – the first such increase for workers since 2008.
Management
Kommotion at Kaleidescape
BREAKING NEWS
Starting first thing this morning, our office was inundated with multiple sources contacting us by phone and email to tell us that something big was happening over at Sunnyvale, CA-based, media-server company Kaleidescape. While there were minor variations on the stories we received, they all came down to the same thing – an exit of several employees, including some top executives, from the company.
See what’s changed at Kaleidescape… [Read more…] about Kommotion at Kaleidescape
Sony Cuts Get Deeper – A Third of U.S. Staff to be Cut; 20 Sony Stores Will Close
Although not a surprise, Sony Electronics in San Diego began releasing details of a substantial cutback in U.S. facilities and personnel. The company says it will cut 33% of its U.S. staff – about 1,000 employees. Also, the company announced a major retreat from retail as it will close 20 of its 31 total Sony Store locations.
See more on this significant Sony restructuring… [Read more…] about Sony Cuts Get Deeper – A Third of U.S. Staff to be Cut; 20 Sony Stores Will Close
Witten & Weisenberg Out of Core Brands as Company Reorganizes Its Product Management Team
BREAKING NEWS
Today we learned that Core Brands has taken steps to reorganize their product marketing teams with moves both to bring in new executives – and to move two prominent executives out. Mitch Witten, former Core Brands Director of Audio, and Mark Weisenberg, Business Development, are both out of the company effective immediately.
See who is newly joining the company, or has been promoted into new roles… [Read more…] about Witten & Weisenberg Out of Core Brands as Company Reorganizes Its Product Management Team
Sony, Finally Making Its Move, Puts the Computer Biz Up for Sale; TV Biz is Next Target for Shake-Up
The Nikkei reported this week that Sony Corp. has finally taken a bold step to reorganize its business by putting its VAIO computer division up for sale. According to the report, the company is in negotiation to offload the division to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), a Japanese investment company.
See why this move makes sense…and why their TV division is the next target for a shake-up… [Read more…] about Sony, Finally Making Its Move, Puts the Computer Biz Up for Sale; TV Biz is Next Target for Shake-Up
With Huge Increase in Fiscal YTD Net Loss – JVC Kenwood Moves to Cut Staff & Buy a Company
JVC Kenwood Corporation released their year-to-date results for the first nine months (April 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013) of the current fiscal year at the end of last week. The results clearly portrayed a company in a struggle to turn their flagging business around. Although 9-month sales showed a 2.6% increase to ¥230.3 billion ($2.3 billion), up from ¥224.5 billion ($2.2 billion) last year…the company also booked a net loss that also increased more than four-fold – from ¥1.4 billion ($13.8 million) last year to ¥5.7 billion ($55.7 million) now.
See more on both JVC Kenwood’s results…and their moves to rectify the situation… [Read more…] about With Huge Increase in Fiscal YTD Net Loss – JVC Kenwood Moves to Cut Staff & Buy a Company
Taiwan’s Foxconn Looks to Build Factories in the U.S. – Six States Compete for Selection
Foxconn Technology Group, a Taiwanese company with manufacturing plants in China, and the world’s largest manufacturer of electronics – is looking to build one or more factories here in the U.S. The company, mostly known as the primary manufacturer of Apple’s popular iPhone, is in negotiations with Arizona and Colorado, according to a report by Bloomberg. But four other states have thrown their hats into the ring as well.
See more on this turn of events, a Taiwanese company building factories in the U.S…. [Read more…] about Taiwan’s Foxconn Looks to Build Factories in the U.S. – Six States Compete for Selection
Social Media’s Buzzing about Savant Systems’ New CEO
Savant Systems, LLC announced on Tuesday that it has hired William J. Lynch as its new CEO. Who is Lynch, you ask? He is the ex-Barnes & Noble CEO who left there in the middle of last year. The Savant announcement surprised many as, on paper, Lynch looks like an unlikely candidate for the role.
Since the announcement, social media has buzzed about this appointment. See more… [Read more…] about Social Media’s Buzzing about Savant Systems’ New CEO
Catalyst AV’s 1st Birthday: What a Difference a Year Makes
We first reported on the formation of a new distributor group called Catalyst AV almost exactly one-year ago in December 2012, just prior to their formal launch at the International Consumer Electronics show this past January. While the concept of a national association of regional distributors was not a new phenomenon – various groups started forming back in the mid- to late-1990s – this particular announcement had some added drama with several of the initial members unilaterally defecting from competitor DDG.
So what’s life like at 1-year old Catalyst AV? See details below… [Read more…] about Catalyst AV’s 1st Birthday: What a Difference a Year Makes
In Wake of Poor Results, JVC Kenwood Announces Major Cuts to Staff & Compensation
Just days after the JVC Kenwood Corp. announced their dismal fiscal first-half results and revealed dramatic revisions to their full-year forecast – including the surprising news that they would lose money this year – the company released a statement saying they would attack their performance shortcomings aggressively. A series of actions were outlined designed to mitigate the company’s projected loss…but they couldn’t say for sure at this time if these actions will have a material effect on the remaining fiscal period’s performance.
