Like the hero in their anime movie Demon Slayer, Sony has blown away investors with their latest (and probably last) revision to their fiscal year net profit estimate. Announced on Wednesday, the company now says that it forecasts that it will set a new all-time record net profit for the fiscal year that ends in March. The major reason? A shift in focus away from hardware to services and content revenues and profits.
Sony
CES 2021: Sony Evolves From Hardware Maker to Experience Creator
“Please join us in looking forward as we continue to evolve as a ‘creative entertainment company,'” said Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony Chairman, CEO and President to kick off Sony’s presentation to the media on CES 2021’s press day this past Monday. It was a carefully crafted opening, with words of particular significance that contrasts strongly with previous company characterizations. Sony is changing.
Has the train jumped the tracks? Or has Sony hit the hyper-drive taking us to a new and exciting unexplored planet?
See more from Sony’s press presentation…
[Read more…] about CES 2021: Sony Evolves From Hardware Maker to Experience CreatorAKM Fire Update: Sony Admits It Faces ‘Severe Shortage’ of Key Imaging Models
Most manufacturers in Tech have been reluctant to discuss the impact on the supply chain – and on the availability of their key models – as a result of the recent Asahi Kasei Microdevices (AKM) factory fire in Japan. However, Sony – especially Sony Europe – has admitted to customers that it’s camera and video division, is “facing a severe shortage of key parts” for its compact cameras and video cameras. Although Sony did not specifically correlate their problem to the AKM situation, a large number of camera and photography media are saying that this is most likely the cause of the shortage to which Sony is referring.
See what Sony & other brands say about the AKM fire fallout…
[Read more…] about AKM Fire Update: Sony Admits It Faces ‘Severe Shortage’ of Key Imaging ModelsSony to Close Major Malaysia Audio Factory; Begins Refocus Away from A/V
Closing a Separate Audio & TV Factory in Brazil as Well
Sony Corporation has two large factories in Malaysia – one manufacturing audio products, and the other manufacturing predominantly video products. A new report out of Japan indicates that the company plans to close its audio factory in Malaysia by no later than the beginning of 2022 – or in other words, during the upcoming year of 2021. This move is likely a result of a previously announced strategic refocusing on businesses other than a/v electronics at the major consumer electronics manufacturer.
See more on this expected/shocking move by Sony…
[Read more…] about Sony to Close Major Malaysia Audio Factory; Begins Refocus Away from A/VLeave Sony for Sound United?? Frank Sterns Senses Opportunity
When news first appeared two months ago that Frank Sterns was making the move from Sony to Sound United, many folks asked…why? At Sony, he was a top executive with a global CE leader positioned at the top of the industry food chain…a backbone-of-the-industry brand…the inventor of many of the core technologies used in just about every home in America today. Yes, Sound United is a global player as well, but in a much more limited way…and focused exclusively in only one area…audio.
Sterns Tells Strata-gee Readers What He Saw at Sound United…
[Read more…] about Leave Sony for Sound United?? Frank Sterns Senses OpportunitySony Appoints Jeff Goldstein To Head Custom Integration Sales
Sony Electronics Inc. announced that it has appointed Jeff Goldstein as head of sales for the custom integration channel. Goldstein, who is said to have a multi-decade career at with the company and who is well versed in the custom channel will continue to build on the brand’s success with this channel.
Learn more about this Sony appointment…
[Read more…] about Sony Appoints Jeff Goldstein To Head Custom Integration SalesSelect Stories From CES 2020
CES 2020, the big show, is about over (ending the day this was posted) and as usual there are a slew of announcements. It can be a little overwhelming with so much happening in Las Vegas, but there are some stories that flat out are just more important or interesting than others.
See my list of more interesting stories from CES…
[Read more…] about Select Stories From CES 2020Reader’s Choice: The Top 10 Strata-gee Stories of 2019
As we hurtle headlong into the a new decade – the 2020s – it’s a good time to pause and take stock of some of the major events of our industry’s recent history by ranking the Top 10 Strata-gee stories of 2019 based on total page views. This ranking shows just what stories drew the most attention of Strata-gee’s eminently intelligent and inquisitive readers.
See which 2019 Strata-gee stories were tops with readers…
[Read more…] about Reader’s Choice: The Top 10 Strata-gee Stories of 2019Sony Announces Promotions in the AV Specialty & Custom Integration Sales Group
Sony announced that is has promoted two of the members of its team to new roles in the wake of the recent retirement of Gary Frankel, Western Regional Sales Manager. Both new appointments are in their “award-winning” AV Specialty and Custom Integration sales group and were made effective as of September 1, 2019.
See who was promoted at Sony…
[Read more…] about Sony Announces Promotions in the AV Specialty & Custom Integration Sales GroupCEDIA 2019: In Turbulent Economy Sony’s Frank Sterns Tells His Team Just ‘Work the Plan’
Much like any trade show, CEDIA Expo 2019 was full of optimism and good cheer. But with just a few questions to top executives of major exhibitors it is fairly easy to pierce that veil of good cheer to reveal underlying concerns of approaching economic storm clouds. I chatted with Frank Sterns, Sony’s Vice President of AV Specialty/Custom Integration, about the turbulent waters our industry is sailing through and how Sony is faring in the face of these increasing headwinds.