Sony Corp.

Microsoft CEO ‘Xbox Won’t be Sold’

by Jonathan Nolan | May 28, 2014 | 0 comments

Sony isn’t the only corporation undergoing a strategic rethink. Over at rival Microsoft, there has been talk for over 6 months now about what to do with divisions such as Xbox.

It started with the lacklustre reception for the Xbox One combined with dead Windows 8 sales. That and more generated enough frustration from within to oust the CEO Steve Ballmer. Enter: Satya Nadella. In the few months he’s been in the job, he’s faced the pressures left behind from strategic mis-fires.

Some of us may have blown up a balloon or two when even Microsoft founder and veteran Bill Gates commented just a few weeks ago that should the new CEO decide that the loss-making Xbox division had to go, that he would “absolutely” support it.

The new CEO has finally spoken on this. Read on to find out what’s happening at PlayStation’s rival.

Sony’s New ‘Hedge Trimmer’ CFO Takes Up Mantle

by Jonathan Nolan | May 27, 2014 | 0 comments

Please forgive the optimism. As you can imagine at a site like Sony Rumors, we want to see the best for the corporation. It’s been painstaking watching so many successes for the Japanese corporation while losses are still reported. That’s why it’s so exciting to see the rise of the man within Sony who is considered to be the one responsible for trimming excess, removing what’s no longer needed and, if the truth be told, probably did a lot to balance the figures behind the scenes that we don’t know about. He’s understood to be the CEOs right hand man and has been on a fast-track up the ladder since he moved from Sony’s internet provider subsidiary to more central positions such as Representative Director of Sony Bank Inc back in 2002. Lest we forget that the financial services segment is today turning Sony’s healthiest profit.

We’ll make this a year of biting the bullet on restructuring

Who is this man who investors are banking on steering the Sony ship to profit?

No Job Cuts or Division Closures for Sony in 2014

by Sohrab Osati | May 27, 2014 | 0 comments

While it first seemed that 2013 would be a good year for Sony, after the surprise sale of VAIO, it turned out to be anything but that. For the 2013 fiscal year ending in March, Sony reported a loss of ¥130bn / $1.27bn / €929m. Luckily for Sony, other parts of the company like digital imaging, PlayStation, and entertainment which includes Sony Pictures are doing much better. In fact, we’d likely be having much different conversation if those divisions weren’t performing at their current levels.

Sony CEO, Kaz Hirai has promised that the company he’s been with for so many years will turn profitable once again come 2015, and that it won’t require job cuts.

Kaz Hirai Promises Sony Will Be Profitable in 2015

by Sohrab Osati | May 24, 2014 | 6 comments

As we’d reported earlier, Sony is taking a massive hit in profits for the 2013 fiscal year that ended in March. Between continued slumping TV sales, slowdown in consumer interest in compact cameras, and the sale of VAIO, the company’s PC division has resulted in another year that the company failed to be profitable. This isn’t the first time a Sony CEO has promised to see the company turn to profits, only to face massive losses. 2014 will likely be no different with the company already forecasting a 50 billion yen loss, but 2015? Kaz Hirai seems to think that it’s the year the company will turn profitable again.

PS4 Success Backed by Robust Software Sales, Results Show

by Jonathan Nolan | May 15, 2014 | 0 comments

As far back as February, we knew that Sony was enjoying success with its PS4 sales, after the corporation mentioned that its full year target had already been met. A crucial companion to unit sales is software sales, and the 2013 results show a surge of 33%, ensuring that the new alpha console is profitable at the start of the new generation of gaming.

A total of 14.6m units of consoles were shipped in 2013, with at least 7m being Ps4 units alone.

What’s changing rapidly in the gaming division? Read on to find out.

Sony Sold 39m Smartphones in 2013, Aims for 50m in 2014

by Jonathan Nolan | May 15, 2014 | 3 comments

The detailed results for 2013 show that the Japanese corporation sold 39m Xperia smartphones in the past year. That is a 6m jump on 2012. The popularity of devices such as the Xperia Z1 and Z1 Compact stirred consumer appetite and helped the brand achieve a broader reach globally, particularly in North America where Sony has renewed its interest. Bigger is better for Sony as they have now set their sights on 50m units in 2014. What delicious smartphones will they release next to make that happen?

What else can we tell from Sony’s results from 2013?

Sony Financial Results for FY13 – A Loss Despite Strong Sales of PS4, Smartphones

by Jonathan Nolan | May 15, 2014 | 0 comments

Sony just released the full details of its performance for the fiscal year FY13. Sales and operating income are up on last year yet net profit has been eroded, with a loss of ¥130bn / $1.27bn / €929m. The Japanese corporation pointed to a steep fall in disk-based media sales in Europe and further costs related to escorting the PC business out of the corp. as the main culprits for the net loss.

Of the three priority segments for the company, the PS4 unit sales continue to impress with a sharp rise in software sales also. Xperia smartphones came in 6m units up on FY12 but a little short of full year targets. Imaging products were flat, but very profitable.

Read on for a closer look at each segment and key unit sales.

Sony Ranks as 12th Most Trusted Japanese Company; Far Ahead of Nintendo at 279th

by Sohrab Osati | May 14, 2014 | 0 comments

Once a year, Japanese business publisher Toyo Keizai releases a report of the most trusted companies in Japan. The study covers 700 of Japan’s largest firms and tallies points based on their spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms, among other things. The study then rewards each company points based on a 600 point system, with 300 points going towards their financial standing, 100 for environmental behavior, 100 for human resource issues, and 100 for corporate governance and social impact. With financial standing accounting for half of the points, the firm breaks down the section between profitability, safety, and scale with each capable of giving the company 100 points.

How did Sony do on the report? As it turns out, pretty good, and the company was able to dwarf rival Nintendo. After the jump, we have details from the report.

Senior Execs at Sony to Take 50% Pay Cut (Report)

by Jonathan Nolan | May 14, 2014 | 6 comments

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that several senior executives at Sony are preparing to take pay cuts ahead of the detailed annual results expected for release Wednesday, May 14th. Among the senior execs is CEO Kaz Hirai who is believed to be taking a whopping 50% cut in salary in addition to turning down his bonus.

The salary-slice comes after Sony announced earlier this month it’s forecasted results for the year 2013 which saw a reversal of last year’s gains. A slim operating profit based on a jump in sales on the previous year still resulted in a net loss of ¥130bn / $1.27bn / €929m.

The report, if true, raises some serious questions for Sony’s operations at a time when it should be enjoying the benefits of PS4, imaging and Xperia smartphone success. More than that, the 4th annual loss in 5 years is attracting searing attention at Kaz Hirai’s viability as CEO.

What else is coming out of the full results?

Sony Sweeps Imaging Awards at TIPA, Walks with 4 ‘Best’ Accolades

by Jonathan Nolan | May 13, 2014 | 0 comments

The imaging gurus over at the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) have just awarded Sony no fewer than 4 ‘best in category’ awards, including for best mobile imaging device with the QX series. You may remember the popular QX camera attachments for smartphones which raised the game in the mobile camera wars, bringing a professional tier to our beloved gadgets. Both models filled up various regional Amazon most-purchased lists for some time and earned a resoundingly positive response in the smartphone community as a genuine new standard for mobile photography.

Sony’s other wins came in the best action cam, best camcorder and best CSC professional categories.

TIPA is represented by imaging professionals on 5 continents and this year the ceremony took place from April 3-5 in Vancouver, Canada.

Come check out the four winners.

Lifelog App Expands Support for SmartBand Beyond Sony Smartphones

by Sohrab Osati | May 12, 2014 | 8 comments

The Lifelog app from Sony, in conjunction with the SmartBand SWR10, helps bring your daily activity to life. With an interface that Sony calls “colorful, intuitive, graphic and animated,” the Lifelog app, much like similar offerings from Fitibit helps you set goals to stay active and track your progress. Beyond activity, Lifelog also ties into your social life and displays photos and music, making it stand apart from traditional fitness devices and apps. Now, Sony is prepared to expand that experience beyond their own Smartphones.

Now let’s talk expanded devices.

Optical Disc is Spinning Massive Losses for Sony

by Sohrab Osati | May 9, 2014 | 10 comments

We’ve already reported that Sony’s 2013 full year financials likely won’t look that great. A big reason is the massive costs associated with selling off VAIO, the company’s PC division. Beyond the unsold inventories that will sit in warehouses, Sony also has many parts that have long been contracted from other manufacturers that have long been paid for that it must also eat. This means that profit will shrink significantly, down from 240bn Yen in FY12 to just 26bn Yen for FY13. But there is another business that’s dragging Sony down and it’s the unlikeliest of all culprits: optical media.

Sony Creates 185 Terabyte Data Tape

by Sohrab Osati | May 7, 2014 | 0 comments

Looking to archive your entire life? Sony’s got you covered as the electronic giant has revealed a nano-sized tape technology that’s capable of storing more than any traditional hard drive or optical media could. According to Engadget, “by optimizing how it sputters argon ions onto film to create magnetic material, the company has produced “nano-grained” tape that’s 74 times denser than what you see today.” This tech breakthrough has resulted in a 185TB cartridge (not pictured above).

Possible Xbox Sale Still Under Review Over at Microsoft

by Jonathan Nolan | May 6, 2014 | 0 comments

What would happen to the PlayStation brand if the biggest competitor was sold off?

It’s still under review, apparently. You may remember in the past year that Microsoft’s then-CEO Steve Ballmer announced his retirement. It led to a wide net of people being considered to succeed him in the job, including former Nokia CEO Stephen Elop, who didn’t seem that enamoured by the Xbox division.

The new CEO Satya Nadella is in place and is making changes. But just how far could those changes go? Microsoft founder and second largest shareholder, Bill Gates, recently said in an interview that he would “absolutely” support the sale of the Xbox division – if Nadella decided to do it.

My my, there isn’t much love at home for the Xbox business…

Sony Corp. Full Year Financial Results 2013 – Both a Profit and a Loss

by Jonathan Nolan | May 5, 2014 | 0 comments

The full year results for the fiscal year FY13 are in and Sony is suffering a loss accounted to the PC business and a fall in demand for disks. Sales and operating income are up on last year yet net profit has been eroded, with a loss of ¥130bn / $1.27bn / €929m. Sony cites that costs related to the PC business continue to drag profit downward as they prepare to wind down their VAIO division and sell off the brand.

Read on for the full story.