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{{nihongo|'''Sony Corporation'''|ソニー株式会社|Sonī [[Kabushiki Gaisha]]}}, commonly referred to as '''Sony''', is a Japanese [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[conglomerate (company)|conglomerate]] corporation headquartered in Kōnan [[Minato, Tokyo|Minato]], Tokyo, Japan.<ref>"[http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/Data/Map/index.html Access & Map]." Sony Global. Retrieved 6 December 2011. "1–7–1 Konan Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075, Japan" – [http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/Data/Map/map_head_office.pdf Map] – [http://www.sony.jp/CorporateCruise/SMOJ-info/Profile.html Address in Japanese]: "〒108-0075 東京都港区港南1–7–1"</ref> Its diversified business is primarily focused on the electronics (TV, gaming consoles, refrigerators), game, entertainment and financial services sectors.<ref name="FY">{{cite web|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/fr/13q4_sony.pdf|title=Consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ended March 2014, Sony Corporation|format=PDF}}</ref> The company is one of the leading manufacturers of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets.<ref name="SonyHistory">[http://www.sony.co.jp/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/History/ Sony Corporate History (Japanese)]. Sony.co.jp. Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref> Sony is ranked 105th on the 2014 list of [[Fortune Global 500]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fortune.com/global500/|title=Global 500 – Fortune|work=Fortune}}</ref>

Sony Corporation is the electronics [[Strategic business unit|business unit]] and the [[parent company]] of the Sony Group, which is engaged in business through its four operating segments – electronics (including [[video games]], network services and medical business), [[motion pictures]], [[music industry|music]] and financial services.<ref name="Organization Data April 2012">[http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/Data/organization.html Organization Data]. Sony.net. Retrieved on 25 April 2012.</ref><ref name="Annual Report 2010">[http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/financial/ar/8ido18000003dkyy-att/8ido18000003dl0u.pdf Business Overview, Annual Report 2010]. (PDF) . Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref><ref name="Organization Data">[http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/Data/organization.html Organization Data]. Sony.net. Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref> These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony's principal business operations include Sony Corporation ([[Sony Electronics]] in the U.S.), [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]], [[Sony Computer Entertainment]], [[Sony Music Entertainment]], [[Sony Mobile Communications]] (formerly Sony Ericsson), and [[Sony Financial]]. Sony is among the [[Semiconductor sales leaders by year|Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders]] and [[Television#Sales of televisions|third-largest television manufacturer]] in the world, after [[Samsung Electronics]] and [[LG Electronics]].

The {{Nihongo|'''Sony Group'''|ソニー・グループ|Sonī Gurūpu}} is a Japan-based [[corporate group]] primarily focused on the Electronics (such as AV/IT products and components), Game (such as the [[PlayStation]]), Entertainment (such as motion pictures and music), and Financial Services (such as insurance and banking) sectors. The group consists of Sony Corporation (holding and electronics), [[Sony Computer Entertainment]] (games), [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] (motion pictures), [[Sony Music Entertainment]] (music), [[Sony/ATV Music Publishing]] (music publishing), [[Sony Financial|Sony Financial Holdings]] (financial services) and [[Sony Corporation shareholders and subsidiaries|others]].

Its founders [[Akio Morita]] and [[Masaru Ibuka]] derived the name from ''[[wikt:sonus|sonus]]'', the [[Latin]] word for sound, and also from the English slang word "sonny", since they considered themselves to be "sonny boys", a [[loan word]] into Japanese which in the early 1950s connoted smart and presentable young men.<ref name="SonyHistory"/> The company's current slogan is ''BE MOVED''. Their former slogans were ''[[make.believe]]'' (2009–2014) and ''like.no.other'' (2005–2014).

==History==
{{main|History of Sony}}
[[File:Tobei.gif|thumb|left|[[Masaru Ibuka]], the co-founder of Sony]]

===Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo===
Sony began in the wake of [[World War II]]. In 1946, [[Masaru Ibuka]] started an electronics shop in a department store building in Tokyo. The company had $530 in capital and a total of eight employees.<ref name="Nobuo">Pioneering firm upsets Japan hiring: Pattern broken. By Nobuo Abiko Staff correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor. The Christian Science Monitor (1908–Current file); 26 March 1966; ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Christian Science Monitor (1908–1998) pg. 14</ref> In the following year he was joined by his colleague, [[Akio Morita]], and they founded a company called ''Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo''<ref name=History>{{cite web|url=http://www.sony.net/Fun/SH/1-1/h2.html|title=Sony Global&nbsp;– Sony History|accessdate=16 February 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061128064313/http://www.sony.net/Fun/SH/1-1/h2.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 28 November 2006}}
</ref><ref name=1946BBC>
{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/463906.stm
|title=World: Asia-Pacific Sony co-founder dies|date=3 October 1999|accessdate=27 May 2012
|publisher=BBC
}}
</ref> (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The company built Japan's first [[tape recorder]], called the Type-G.<ref name=History/> In 1958 the company changed its name to "Sony".

===Sony name change===
When Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo was looking for a romanized name to use to market themselves, they strongly considered using their initials, TTK. The primary reason they did not is that the railway company [[Tokyu Corporation|Tokyo Kyuko]] was known as TTK.<ref name=History/> The company occasionally used the acronym "Totsuko" in Japan, but during his visit to the United States, Morita discovered that Americans had trouble pronouncing that name. Another early name that was tried out for a while was "Tokyo Teletech" until [[Akio Morita]] discovered that there was an American company already using Teletech as a brand name.<ref>''[[Made in Japan (biography)|Made in Japan]]'' – Akio Morita and Sony (pg. 76) by Akio Morita with [müzik indir] [http://www.indiristan.net/ müzik indir] Edwin M. Rheingold and Mitsuko Shimomura, Signet Books, 1986</ref>

The name "Sony" was chosen for the brand as a mix of two words. One was the [[Latin]] word "''Sonus''", which is the root of sonic and sound, and the other was "''Sonny''", a familiar term used in 1950s America to call a boy.<ref name="SonyHistory"/> The first Sony-branded product, the [[TR-55]] [[transistor radio]], appeared in 1955 but the company name did not change to Sony until January 1958.<ref>[http://www.sony.co.uk/article/id/1060176719725 Sony.co.uk. About Sony. ''The History of the Sony Corporation'']. Sony.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref>

At the time of the change, it was extremely unusual for a Japanese company to use [[Romanization of Japanese|Roman letters]] to spell its name instead of writing it in [[kanji]]. The move was not without opposition: TTK's principal bank at the time, [[Mitsui]], had strong feelings about the name. They pushed for a name such as Sony Electronic Industries, or Sony Teletech. Akio Morita was firm, however, as he did not want the company name tied to any particular industry. Eventually, both Ibuka and Mitsui Bank's chairman gave their approval.<ref name=History/>

===Globalization===
According to Schiffer, Sony's TR-63 radio "cracked open the U.S. market and launched the new industry of consumer microelectronics." By the mid-1950s, American teens had begun buying portable transistor radios in huge numbers, helping to propel the fledgling industry from an estimated 100,000 units in 1955 to 5 million units by the end of 1968.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Sony co-founder Akio Morita founded Sony Corporation of America in 1960.<ref name="Nobuo" /> In the process, he was struck by the mobility of employees between American companies, which was unheard of in Japan at that time.<ref name="Nobuo" /> When he returned to Japan, he encouraged experienced, middle-aged employees of other companies to reevaluate their careers and consider joining Sony.<ref name="Nobuo" /> The company filled many positions in this manner, and inspired other Japanese companies to do the same.<ref name="Nobuo" /> Moreover, Sony played a major role in the development of Japan as a powerful exporter during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.<ref name="Christian">Christian, Caryl, and With Hideko Takayama and Kay Itoi in Tokyo, George Wehrfritz in Hong Kong, John Sparks and Michael Hastings in,New York. "Sony is Not Japan ; the Appointment of a Foreign CEO is a Sign of how Far the Iconic Company has Fallen in the Japanese Corporate Elite." Newsweek 21 March 2005: 30-. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 26 May 2012.</ref> It also helped to significantly improve American perceptions of "made in Japan" products.<ref name="Lohr">Lohr, Steve. "Hard-Hit Sony Girds for a Fight in the American Electronics Market." New York Times: A.8. New York Times. 14 August 1983. Web. 26 May 2012.</ref> Known for its production quality, Sony was able to charge above-market prices for its consumer electronics and resisted lowering prices.<ref name="Lohr" />

In 1971, Masaru Ibuka handed the position of president over to his co-founder Akio Morita. Sony began [[Sony Life|a life insurance company]] in 1979, one of its many peripheral businesses. Amid a global recession in the early 1980s, electronics sales dropped and the company was forced to cut prices.<ref name="Lohr" /> Sony's profits fell sharply. "It's over for Sony," one analyst concluded. "The company's best days are behind it."<ref name="Lohr" /> Around that time, [[Norio Ohga]] took up the role of president. He encouraged the development of the [[Compact Disc]] in the 1970s and 80s, and of the [[PlayStation]] in the early 1990s. Ohga went on to purchase [[Columbia Records|CBS Records]] in 1988 and [[Columbia Pictures]] in 1989, greatly expanding Sony's media presence. Ohga would succeed Morita as [[chief executive officer]] in 1989.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Under the vision of co-founder Akio Morita<ref name="Fackler">Fackler, Martin. "Cutting Sony, a Corporate Octopus, Back to a Rational Size." New York Times: C.1. New York Times. 29 May 2006. Web. 27 May 2012.</ref> and his successors, the company had aggressively expanded into new businesses.<ref name="Christian" /> Part of its motivation for doing so was the pursuit of "convergence," linking film, music, and digital electronics via the Internet.<ref name="Christian" /> This expansion proved unrewarding and unprofitable,<ref name="Christian" /> threatening Sony's ability to charge a premium on its products<ref name="Fackler"/> as well as its brand name.<ref name="Fackler" /> In 2005, [[Howard Stringer]] replaced [[Nobuyuki Idei]] as [[chief executive officer]], marking the first time that a foreigner had run a major Japanese electronics firm. Stringer helped to reinvigorate the company's struggling media businesses, encouraging blockbusters such as ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' while cutting 9,000 jobs.<ref name="Christian" /> He hoped to sell off peripheral business and focus the company again on electronics.<ref name="Fackler" /> Furthermore, he aimed to increase cooperation between business units,<ref name="Fackler" /> which he described as "silos" operating in isolation from one another.<ref name="Nakamoto" /> In a bid to provide a unified brand for its global operations, Sony introduced a slogan known as "make.believe" in 2009.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Despite some successes, the company faced continued struggles in the mid- to late-2000s.<ref name="Christian" /> It became known for its stagnancy, with a fading brand name.<ref name="Christian" /> In 2012, [[Kazuo Hirai]] was promoted to president and CEO, replacing Sir Howard Stringer. Shortly thereafter, Hirai outlined his company-wide initiative, named "One Sony" to revive Sony from years of financial losses and bureaucratic management structure, which proved difficult for former CEO Stringer to accomplish, partly due to differences in business culture and native languages between Stringer and some of Sony's Japanese divisions and subsidiaries. Hirai outlined three major areas of focus for Sony's electronics business, which include imaging technology, gaming and mobile technology, as well as a focus on reducing the major losses from the television business.<ref>{{cite web|author=Jeff Blagdon |url=http://www.theverge.com/2012/3/27/2905412/sony-management-structure-change-announcement |title=Sony reorganizes into 'One Sony', prioritizes digital imaging, gaming, and mobile |publisher=The Verge |date=27 March 2012 |accessdate=10 July 2013}}</ref>

In February 2014, Sony announced the sale of its Vaio PC division to a new corporation owned by investment fund Japan Industrial Partners and spinning its TV division into its own corporation as to make it more nimble to turn the unit around from past losses totaling $7.8 billion over a decade.<ref>{{cite news|last=Knight|first=Sophie|title=As losses mount, Sony's Hirai seeks cure for TV business in spinoff|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/06/us-sony-results-idUSBREA150AK20140206|accessdate=11 February 2014|newspaper=Reuters|date=6 February 2014|author2=Reiji Murai|location=Toyko}}</ref> Later that month, they announced that they would be closing 20 stores.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/26/sony-stores-closing/ | title=Sony to shutter two-thirds of its US stores | work=Engadget | date=26 February 2014 | accessdate=27 February 2014}}</ref> In April, the company announced that they would be selling 9.5 million shares in [[Square Enix]] (roughly 8.2 percent of the game company's total shares) in a deal worth approximately $48 million.<ref name="SQEXsale">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/ps4-company-sony-to-sell-its-entire-stake-in-square-enix-valued-at-around-47-million/1100-6419024/|title=PS4 company Sony to sell its entire stake in Square Enix, valued at around $47 million|author=Makuch, Eddie|publisher=[[Gamespot]]|date=16 April 2014|accessdate=16 April 2014}}</ref> In May 2014 the company announced it was forming two joint ventures with [[Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group]] to manufacture and market Sony's [[PlayStation]] games consoles and associated software in China.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony, Shanghai Oriental Pearl to set up China PlayStation JVs |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/us-sony-shanghaiorientalpearl-playstatio-idUSBREA4P01320140526|work=Reuters|date=25 May 2014}}</ref>


In February 2015, Sony announced that it would spin-off its audio and video business as a separate company by October 2015. Kazuo Hirai also said that Sony would focus on its most profitable businesses, such as PlayStation and film and television production, and that it may seek to spin-off or close other under-performing divisions.

==Formats and technologies==
{{Further|List of Sony trademarks}}

Sony has historically been notable for creating its own in-house standards for new recording and storage technologies, instead of adopting those of other manufacturers and standards bodies. Sony (either alone or with partners) has introduced several of the most popular recording formats, including the [[floppy disk]], [[Compact Disc]], and [[Blu-ray Disc]].

===Video recording===

The company launched the [[Betamax]] [[videocassette recorder|videocassette recording]] format in 1975. Sony became embroiled in the infamous [[videotape format war]] of the early 1980s, when Sony was marketing the [[Betamax]] system for video cassette recorders against the VHS format developed by [[JVC]]. In the end, VHS gained critical mass in the marketbase and became the worldwide standard for consumer VCRs.

While Betamax is for all practical purposes an obsolete format, a professional-oriented [[component video]] format called [[Betacam]] that was derived from Betamax is still used today, especially in the television industry, although far less so in recent years with the introduction of digital and high definition.

In 1985, Sony launched their Handycam products and the [[8 mm video format|Video8 format]]. Video8 and the follow-on hi-band [[8 mm video format|Hi8]] format became popular in the consumer camcorder market. In 1987 Sony launched the 4&nbsp;mm DAT or [[Digital Audio Tape]] as a new digital audio tape standard.

===Audio recording===

In 1979 the [[Walkman]] brand was introduced, in the form of the world's first portable music player using the [[compact cassette]] format. Sony introduced the [[MiniDisc]] format in 1992 as an alternative to Philips DCC or [[Digital Compact Cassette]] and as a successor to the compact cassette. Since the introduction of MiniDisc, Sony has attempted to promote its own audio compression technologies under the [[Adaptive Transform Acoustic Coding|ATRAC]] brand, against the more widely used MP3. Until late 2004, Sony's [[Walkman#Network Walkman|Network Walkman]] line of digital portable music players did not support the MP3 de facto standard natively.

In 2004, Sony built upon the [[MiniDisc]] format by releasing [[HiMD|Hi-MD]]. Hi-MD allows the playback and recording of audio on newly introduced 1 GB Hi-MD discs in addition to playback and recording on regular MiniDiscs. In addition to saving audio on the discs, Hi-MD allows the storage of computer files such as documents, videos and photos.

===Audio encoding===

In 1993, Sony challenged the industry standard [[Dolby Digital]] 5.1 surround sound format with a newer and more advanced proprietary motion picture digital audio format called [[Sony Dynamic Digital Sound|SDDS]] (Sony Dynamic Digital Sound). This format employed eight channels (7.1) of audio opposed to just six used in Dolby Digital 5.1 at the time. Ultimately, SDDS has been vastly overshadowed by the preferred DTS ([[DTS (sound system)|Digital Theatre System]]) and Dolby Digital standards in the motion picture industry. SDDS was solely developed for use in the theatre circuit; Sony never intended to develop a home theatre version of SDDS.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Sony and Philips jointly developed the Sony-Philips digital interface format ([[S/PDIF]]) and the high-fidelity audio system [[Super Audio CD|SACD]]. The latter has since been entrenched in a format war with [[DVD-Audio]]. At present, neither has gained a major foothold with the general public. CDs are preferred by consumers because of ubiquitous presence of CD drives in consumer devices.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

===Optical storage===

In 1983, Sony followed their counterpart [[Philips]] to the [[Compact Disc]] (CD). In addition to developing consumer-based recording media, after the launch of the CD Sony began development of commercially based recording media. In 1986 they launched Write-Once [[optical disc]]s (WO) and in 1988 launched [[Magneto-optical drive|Magneto-optical discs]] which were around 125MB size for the specific use of archival data storage.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sony.net/Fun/SH/1-21/h4.html| title = Sony History on development of Magneto Optical Discs| accessdate =6 February 2007| year = 2007 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20061224013537/http://www.sony.net/Fun/SH/1-21/h4.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archivedate = 24 December 2006}}</ref> In 1984, Sony launched the [[Discman]] series which extended their Walkman brand to portable CD products.

In the early 1990s, two high-density optical storage standards were being developed: one was the MultiMedia Compact Disc (MMCD), backed by Philips and Sony, and the other was the Super Density disc (SD), supported by [[Toshiba]] and many others. Philips and Sony abandoned their MMCD format and agreed upon Toshiba's SD format with only one modification. The unified disc format was called DVD and was introduced in 1997.

Sony was one of the leading developers of the [[Blu-ray Disc]] optical disc format, the newest standard for disc-based content delivery. The first Blu-ray players became commercially available in 2006. The format emerged as the standard for HD media over the competing format, Toshiba's [[HD DVD]], after a two-year-long [[High_definition_optical_disc_format_war|high definition optical disc format war]].

===Disk storage===

In 1983 Sony introduced 90&nbsp;mm micro diskettes (better known as {{convert|3.5|in|mm|adj=on}} [[floppy disk]]s), which it had developed at a time when there were 4" floppy disks, and a lot of variations from different companies, to replace the then on-going 5.25" floppy disks. Sony had great success and the format became dominant. 3.5" floppy disks gradually became obsolete as they were replaced by current media formats.

===Flash memory===

Sony launched in 1998 their [[Memory Stick]] format, [[flash memory]] cards for use in Sony lines of digital cameras and portable music players. It has seen little support outside of Sony's own products, with [[Secure Digital card]]s (SD) commanding considerably greater popularity. Sony has made updates to the Memory Stick format with [[Memory Stick#Memory Stick Duo and PRO Duo|Memory Stick Duo]] and [[Memory Stick Micro]].

==Business units==
Sony offers a number of products in a variety of product lines around the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/CorporateInfo/Data/organization.html |title=Sony Group Organization Chart |publisher=Sony.net |accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> Sony has developed a music playing robot called [[Sony Rolly|Rolly]], dog-shaped robots called [[AIBO]] and a [[humanoid]] robot called [[QRIO]].<!--don't forget the Walkman-->

As of 1 April 2012, Sony is organized into the following business segments: Imaging Products & Solutions (IP&S), Game, Mobile Products & Communications (MP&C), Home Entertainment & Sound (HE&S), Devices, Pictures, Music, Financial Services and All Other.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/IR/library/Sony_Quarterly_Securities_Report_2012Q1.pdf |title=Quarterly Securities Report For the three months ended 30 June 2012 |format=PDF |accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> The network and medical businesses are included in the All Other.

===Electronics===

====Sony Corporation====
[[File:Sony store Westfield Riccarton 2013.jpg|thumb|Sony at [[Westfield Riccarton]] [[Shopping mall|shopping centre]] in [[Christchurch]], New Zealand]]
Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group. It primarily conducts strategic business planning of the group, research and development (R&D), planning, designing and marketing for electronics products. Its subsidiaries such as Sony EMCS{{clarify|date=May 2014}} Corporation (6 plants in Japan), Sony Semiconductor Corporation (7 plants in Japan) and its subsidiaries outside Japan ([[Brazil]], China, England, India, [[Malaysia]], [[Singapore]], South Korea, [[Thailand]], Ireland and United States) are responsible for manufacturing as well as [[product engineering]] (Sony EMCS{{clarify|date=May 2014}} is also responsible for customer service operations). In 2012, Sony rolled most of its consumer content services (including video, music, and gaming) into the [[Sony Entertainment Network]].

=====Audio=====
Sony produced the world's first portable music player, the [[Walkman]] in 1979. This line fostered a fundamental change in [[music]] listening habits by allowing people to carry music with them and listen to music through lightweight [[headphones]]. Walkman originally referred to portable audio [[compact cassette|cassette]] players. The company now uses the Walkman brand to market its portable [[Audio frequency|audio]] and [[video]] players as well as a line of former [[Sony Mobile Communications|Sony Ericsson]] [[mobile phone]]s.

Sony utilized a related brand, Discman, to refer to its CD players. It dropped this name in the late 1990s.

=====Computing=====
Sony sells many of its [[computer]] products using the [[VAIO]] brand.

Sony produced computers ([[MSX]] [[home computer]]s and [[Sony NEWS|NEWS]] [[workstation]]s) during the 1980s, exclusively for sale in the Japanese market. The company withdrew from the computer business around 1990. Sony entered again into the global computer market under the new VAIO brand, began in 1996. Short for "Video Audio Integrated Operation", the line was the first computer brand to highlight visual-audio features.<ref name="Nakamoto" />

Sony faced considerable controversy when some of its laptop batteries exploded and caught fire in 2006,<ref name="Engadget 2007-7-25">{{cite news|title=Japanese couple sues Sony and Apple over burning battery|url=http://www.engadget.com/2007/07/25/japanese-couple-sues-sony-and-apple-over-burning-battery/|publisher=Engadget|date=25 July 2007|accessdate=25 July 2007}}</ref> resulting in the largest computer-related recall to that point in history.<ref>{{cite news|title=Dell Details on Notebook Battery Recall |url=http://www.direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2006/08/14/1803.aspx |publisher=Direct2Dell |date=14 August 2006 |accessdate=21 August 2006 |archiveurl = http://web.archive.org/web/20060820160832/http://www.direct2dell.com/one2one/archive/2006/08/14/1803.aspx |archivedate = 20 August 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dell announces recall of 4.1&nbsp;million laptop batteries |url=http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/08/14/dell-recall.html |publisher=CBC News |date=14 August 2006 |accessdate=28 September 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Sony, Dell battery issue heats up |url=http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/08/24/tech-battery.html |publisher=CBC News |date=24 August 2006 |accessdate=24 August 2006}}</ref>

In a bid to join the [[tablet computer]] market, the company launched its [[Sony Tablet]] line of [[Android (operating system)|Android]] tablets in 2011. Since 2012, Sony's Android products have been marketed under the [[Xperia]] brand used for its smartphones.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sony.co.uk/hub/sony-tablet-smartphones |title=Tablet & Smartphones &#124; Xperia™ Tablet & Smartphones |publisher=Sony |date=30 July 2009 |accessdate=10 July 2013}}</ref>

On 4 February 2014, Sony announced that it will sell its VAIO PC business due to poor sales<ref name="Sony VAIO divestment">{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Mat|title=Sony sells its VAIO PC business, makes TV arm its own subsidiary|url=http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/06/sony-sells-vaio/|accessdate=6 February 2014|newspaper=Engadget|date=6 February 2014}}</ref> and Japanese company Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) will purchase the VAIO brand, with the deal finalized by the end of March 2014.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony To Exit PC Business By Selling VAIO|url=http://techcrunch.com/2014/02/06/sony-vaio-sale/?ncid=tcdaily|work=TechCrunch|publisher=AOL, Inc|accessdate=7 February 2014|author=Catherine Shu|date=6 February 2014}}</ref> However, in a news release on the Sony Global website, published on 5 February, the corporations states: "Sony continues to address various options for the PC business, but Sony has no further comments."<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony Corporation Statement regarding Media Reports dated February 4–5, 2014|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201402/14-0205E/index.html|work=Sony Global|publisher=Sony Corp|accessdate=7 February 2014|format=News release|date=5 February 2014}}</ref>

=====Photography{{anchor|DSC}}=====
Sony offers a wide range of digital cameras. Point-and-shoot models adopt the [[Cyber-shot]] name, while [[digital single-lens reflex]] models are branded using [[Sony Alpha|Alpha]].

The first Cyber-shot was introduced in 1996. At the time, digital cameras were a relative novelty. Sony's [[market share]] of the digital camera market fell from a high of 20% to 9% by 2005.<ref name="Nakamoto">Nakamoto, Michiyo. "Screen Test: Stringers Strategy Will Signal to what Extent Sony can Stay in the Game CONSUMER ELECTRONICS: The Japanese Company that Once Brought the World Market-Defining Products is being Trounced by More Agile Competitors and must Decide which Activities no Longer Form Part of its Future, Writes Michiyo Nakamoto." Financial Times: 17. ABI/INFORM Global. 21 September 2005. Web. 27 May 2012.</ref>

Sony entered the market for [[digital single-lens reflex camera]]s in 2006 when it acquired the camera business of [[Konica Minolta]]. Sony rebranded the company's line of cameras as its [[Sony Alpha|Alpha]] line. Sony is the world's third largest manufacturer of the cameras, behind [[Canon (company)|Canon]] and [[Nikon]] respectively.

=====Video=====
In 1968 Sony introduced the [[Trinitron]] [[brand|brand name]] for its lines of [[aperture grille]] [[cathode ray tube]] televisions and (later) [[Visual display unit|computer monitors]]. Sony stopped production of Trinitron for most markets, but continued producing sets for markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. Sony discontinued its series of Trinitron computer monitors in 2005. The company discontinued the last Trinitron-based television set in the USA in early 2007. The end of Trinitron marked the end of Sony's analog television sets and monitors.

Sony used the LCD WEGA name for its LCD TVs until summer 2005. The company then introduced the BRAVIA name. [[BRAVIA]] is an in house brand owned by Sony which produces high-definition LCD televisions, projection TVs and front projectors, home cinemas and the BRAVIA home theatre range. All Sony high-definition flat-panel LCD televisions in North America have carried the logo for BRAVIA since 2005. Sony is the third-largest maker of televisions in the world.<ref name="Discounts">{{cite news| url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-23/sony-samsung-ask-u-s-retailers-to-curb-discounts-on-tv-sets.html | work=Bloomberg | first1=Jun | last1=Yang | first2=Mariko | last2=Yasu | title=Sony, Samsung Ask U.S. Retailers to Curb Discounts on TV Sets | date=23 May 2012}}</ref> {{as of|2012}}, Sony's television business has been unprofitable for eight years.<ref name="Discounts" />

In December 2011, Sony agreed to sell all stake in an LCD joint venture with [[Samsung]] Electronics for about $940&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://gulfnews.com/business/technology/sony-sells-940m-lcd-stake-to-samsung-to-slash-tv-losses-1.957299 |title=Sony sells $940m LCD stake to Samsung to slash TV losses. |accessdate=27 December 2011}}</ref> On 28 March 2012, Sony Corporation and [[Sharp Corporation]] announced that they have agreed to further amend the joint venture agreement originally executed by the parties in July 2009, as amended in April 2011, for the establishment and operation of Sharp Display Products Corporation ("SDP"), a joint venture to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201203/12-0328E/ |title=Sony and Sharp in LCD panel joint venture |publisher=Sony.net |accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref>

Sony also sells a range of [[DVD player]]s. It has shifted its focus in recent years to promoting the [[Blu-ray]] format, including discs and players.

=====Semiconductor and components=====
Sony produces a wide range of semiconductors and electronic components including image sensors, image processor ([[BIONZ]]), laser diodes, system LSIs, mixed-signal LSIs, OLED panels, etc. The company has a strong presence in the image sensor market. Sony-manufactured CCD and CMOS image sensors are widely used in [[digital camera]]s, [[tablet computer]]s and [[smartphone]]s.

=====Medical-related business=====
Sony has targeted medical, healthcare and biotechnology business as a growth sector in the future. The company acquired iCyt Mission Technology, Inc. (renamed Sony Biotechnology Inc. in 2012), a manufacture of flow cytometers, in 2010 and Micronics, Inc., a developer of microfluidics-based diagnostic tools, in 2011.

In 2012, Sony announced that it will acquire all shares of [[So-net|So-net Entertainment Corporation]], which is the majority shareholder of M3, Inc., an operator of portal sites (m3.com, MR-kun, [[MDLinx]] and MEDI:GATE) for healthcare professionals.

On 28 September 2012, [[Olympus Corporation|Olympus]] and Sony announced that the two companies will establish a joint venture to develop new surgical endoscopes with [[4K resolution]] (or higher) and 3D capability.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.olympus-global.com/en/corc/ir/tes/pdf/nr120928_3.pdf |title=Announcement of Agreements Between Olympus and Sony to Form Business and Capital Alliance |publisher=Olympus-global.com |accessdate=12 May 2014}}</ref> Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. (Sony 51%, Olympus 49%) was established on 16 April 2013.<ref name="sony-olympus-medical">{{cite press release|url=http://www.sony-olympus-medical.com/somed/ja/news/20130416-001.html|title=Establishment of Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. |date=16 April 2013 |publisher=Sony Olympus Medical Solutions|accessdate=19 April 2013}}</ref>

On 28 February 2014, Sony, [[MDLinx|M3]] and [[Illumina (company)|Illumina]] established a joint venture called P5, Inc. to provide a genome analysis service for research institutions and enterprises in Japan.<ref name="P5">{{cite press release|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201401/14-011E/index.html|title=Establishment of a New Company to start genome information platform business|date=23 January 2014 |publisher=Sony Corporation|accessdate=16 May 2014}}</ref>

====Sony Mobile Communications====
{{main|Sony Mobile Communications}}

Sony Mobile Communications Inc. (formerly Sony Ericsson) is a [[Multinational corporation|multinational]] [[mobile phone]] manufacturing company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.

In 2001, Sony entered into a joint venture with Swedish telecommunications company [[Ericsson]], forming [[Sony Ericsson]].<ref name="Sony Ericsson press release" >{{cite press release|url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press_Archive/200108/01-0828/|title=Sony and Ericsson complete joint venture agreement |date=28 August 2001|publisher=Sony|accessdate=26 May 2012}}</ref> Initial sales were rocky, and the company posted losses in 2001 and 2002. However, SMC reached a profit in 2003. Sony Ericsson distinguished itself with multimedia-capable mobile phones, which included features such as cameras. These were unusual for the time. Despite their innovations, SMC faced intense competition from Apple's [[iPhone]], released in 2007. From 2008 to 2010, amid a global recession, SMC slashed its workforce by several thousand. Sony acquired Ericsson's share of the venture in 2012 for over US$1 billion.<ref name="Sony Ericsson press release" /> In 2009, SMC was the fourth-largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world (after [[Nokia]], [[Samsung Electronics|Samsung]] and [[LG Electronics|LG]]).<ref>[http://www.telecomskorea.com/market-8211.html nonmember]. Telecoms Korea. Retrieved on 11 July 2011.</ref> By 2010, its market share had fallen to sixth place.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1543014|title=Gartner Says Worldwide Mobile Device Sales to End Users Reached 1.6&nbsp;billion Units in 2010; Smartphone Sales Grew 72 Percent in 2010: Apple and RIM Displaced Sony Ericsson and Motorola in Mobile Device Manufacturers Ranking|publisher=gartner.com|date=9 February 2011}}</ref> Sony Mobile Communications now focuses exclusively on the smartphone market under the Xperia name.

====Sony Computer Entertainment====
{{main|Sony Computer Entertainment}}
[[File:PS2-slim-console.png|thumb|right|upright|The [[PlayStation 2]] is the best-selling video game console of all time.]]

Sony Computer Entertainment is best known for producing the popular line of PlayStation consoles. The line grew out of a failed partnership with Nintendo. Originally, Nintendo requested for Sony to develop an add-on for [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|its console]] that would play [[Compact Disc]]s. In 1991 Sony announced [[SNES-CD|the add-on]], as well as a dedicated console known as the "Play Station".<!--DO NOT CHANGE TO PLAYSTATION. There was a space in the proposed name. --> However, a disagreement over software licensing for the console caused the partnership to fall through. Sony then continued the project independently.

Launched in 1994, the first [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]] gained 61% of global console sales and broke Nintendo's long-standing lead in the market.<ref name="Quest">"The PlayStation Quest." Macleans 6 November 2000: 81-. ABI/INFORM Global; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 27 May 2012.</ref> Sony followed up with the [[PlayStation 2]] in 2000, which was even more successful. The console has become the most successful of all time, selling over 150&nbsp;million units {{as of|2011|lc=on}}. Sony released the [[PlayStation 3]], a high-definition console, in 2006. It was the first console to use the [[Blu-ray]] format, although its expensive<ref name="Nakamoto" /> [[Cell (microprocessor)|Cell processor]] made it considerably more expensive than competitors [[Xbox 360]] and [[Wii]]. Early on, poor sales performance resulted in significant losses for the company, pushing it to sell the console at a [[loss leader|loss]].<ref name="Pilling">Pilling, David. "Camera Sales Raise Sonys Game." Financial Times: 23. ABI/INFORM Global. 27 July 2007. Web. 27 May 2012.</ref> The PlayStation 3 sold generally more poorly than its competitors in the early years of its release but managed to overtake the Xbox 360 in global sales later on.<ref>{{cite web|last=Makuch|first=Eddie|title=PS3 overtakes Xbox 360 in worldwide shipments – Report|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/news/ps3-overtakes-xbox-360-in-worldwide-shipments-report-6402214|publisher=GameSpot}}</ref> It later introduced the [[PlayStation Move]], an accessory that allows players to control video games using motion gestures.

Sony extended the brand to the portable games market in 2005 with the [[PlayStation Portable]] (PSP). The console has sold reasonably, but has taken a second place to a rival handheld, the [[Nintendo DS]]. Sony developed the [[Universal Media Disc]] (UMD) optical disc medium for use on the PlayStation Portable. Early on, the format was used for movies, but it has since lost major studio support. Sony released a disc-less version of its PlayStation Portable, the PSP Go. The company went on to release its second portable video game system, [[PlayStation Vita]], in 2011 and 2012. Sony launched its fourth console, the [[PlayStation 4]], on 15 November 2013.

On 18 March 2014, at [[Game Developers Conference|GDC]], President of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida announced their new virtual reality technology dubbed [[Project Morpheus (virtual reality)|Project Morpheus]] for PlayStation 4. The headset, still in prototype form, will bring VR gaming and non-gaming software to the company's new console.

=== Electric vehicles and batteries===
{{See also|Electric vehicle}}
In 2014, Sony participated within [[NRG Energy]] [[eVgo]] [[Ready for Electric Vehicle]] (REV) program, for [[EV charging]] parking lots.<ref>[http://evnewsreport.com/nrg-evgo-completes-largest-corporate-installation-electric-vehicle-charging-stations-southern-california/17948/ NRG eVgo Completes Largest Corporate Installation of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Southern California]</ref>

Sony is in the business of electric vehicle [[lithium-ion batteries]].<ref>[http://www.engadget.com/2011/07/13/sony-eyes-electric-car-future-wants-to-soon-sell-you-li-ion-bat/ Sony eyes electric car future, wants to soon sell you Li-ion batteries.]</ref><ref>[http://www.electric-vehiclenews.com/2012/04/sony-ceo-says-will-explore-tie-ups-in.html Sony CEO says will explore tie-ups in EV batteries.] </ref><ref>[http://www.siliconrepublic.com/clean-tech/item/22648-sony-to-make-batteries-for Sony to make batteries for electric cars]. Silicon Republic.</ref>

IT giants as [[Google]] ([[Google driverless car|driverless car]]) and [[Apple]] (iCar/[[Apple electric car|Project Titan]]) are working on electric vehicles and [[self driving car]]s, competing with [[Tesla Motors|Tesla]] and Sony is becoming to this field investing $842,000 in the [[ZMP INC.|ZMP]] company. <ref>[http://hexus.net/ce/news/automotive/80782-sony-reveals-self-driving-car-ambitions/ Sony reveals self driving car ambitions.]</ref><ref>[http://www.zmp.co.jp/products/robocar-mv?lang=en RoboCar]</ref>

===Entertainment===

====Sony Pictures Entertainment====
{{main|Sony Pictures Entertainment}}
[[File:Sonypicturesentertainmentoffices.jpg|thumb|Sony Pictures Plaza, next to the main studio lot of [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] in [[Culver City]]]]

Sony Pictures Entertainment, Inc. (SPE) is the television and film production/distribution unit of Sony. With 12.5% box office market share in 2011, the company was ranked third among movie studios.<ref name="BOM">{{cite web |url=http://boxofficemojo.com/studio/?view=company&view2=yearly&yr=2011&p=.htm |title=2011 Market Share and Box Office Results by Movie Studio |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |date=31 December 2011 |accessdate=9 November 2012}}</ref> Its group sales in 2010 were US$7.2 billion.<ref name="Annual Report 2010" /><ref name="Profile">[http://www.sonypictures.com/corp/corporatefact.html Sony Pictures – Corporate Factsheet], sonypictures.com</ref> The company has produced many notable movie franchises, including ''[[Spider-Man]]'', ''[[The Karate Kid, Part III|The Karate Kid]]'', and ''[[Men in Black]]''. It has also produced the popular television game shows ''[[Jeopardy!]]'' and ''[[Wheel of Fortune (U.S. game show)|Wheel of Fortune]]''.

Sony entered the television and film production market when it acquired Columbia Pictures Entertainment in 1989 for $3.4 billion. Columbia lives on in the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of SPE which in turn owns [[Columbia Pictures]] and [[TriStar Pictures]]. SPE's television division is known as [[Sony Pictures Television]].

For the first several years of its existence, Sony Pictures Entertainment performed poorly, leading many to suspect the company would sell off the division.<ref name="Bates">{{Cite news |last=Bates |first=James |author2=Claudia Eller |title=Sony President Puts Best Face on Studio Woes |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |page=D1 |date=20 November 1996 |accessdate=26 May 2012}}</ref> Sony Pictures Entertainment encountered controversy in the early 2000s. In July 2000, a marketing executive working for Sony Corporation created a fictitious film critic, [[David Manning (fictitious writer)|David Manning]], who gave consistently good reviews for releases from Sony subsidiary [[Columbia Pictures]] that generally received poor reviews amongst real critics.<ref name="critic">{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3524759.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] | title = Legal fight over fake film critic |date= 2 March 2004}}</ref> Sony later pulled the ads, suspended Manning's creator and his supervisor and paid fines to the state of Connecticut<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/03/09/phony.critic/index.html | publisher=[[CNN]] | title=Moviegoers to settle with studio after being lured by phony critic | author=Emanuella Grinberg | date=9 March 2004}}</ref> and to fans who saw the reviewed films in the US.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/4741259.stm | title=Sony pays $1.5m over fake critic | date=3 August 2005 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> In 2006 Sony started using [[ARccOS Protection]] on some of their film DVDs, but later issued a recall.<ref>[http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070418-sony-to-replace-incompatible-dvds.html "Sony admits, fixes problem with DVD DRM"]. [[Ars Technica]].</ref>

====Sony Music Entertainment====
{{main|Sony Music Entertainment}}

Sony Music Entertainment (also known as SME or Sony Music) is the second-largest global [[music industry|recorded music company]] of the [[Music industry#Statistics|"big four" record companies]] and is controlled by [[Sony Corporation of America]], the United States subsidiary of Japan's ''Sony''. The company owns full or partial rights to the catalogues of [[Michael Jackson]], [[The Beatles]], [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]], [[Eminem]], [[Akon]], and others.

In one of its largest-ever acquisitions, Sony purchased [[Columbia Records|CBS Record Group]] in 1987 for US$2 billion. In the process, Sony gained the rights to the catalogue of Michael Jackson, considered by the ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'' to be the most successful entertainer of all time. The acquisition of CBS Records provided the foundation for the formation of Sony Music Entertainment, which Sony established in 1991.

In 2004, Sony entered into a joint venture with [[Bertelsmann AG]], merging Sony Music Entertainment with [[Bertelsmann Music Group]] to create [[Sony BMG]]. In 2005, Sony BMG faced a [[Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal|copy protection scandal]], because its music CDs had installed [[rootkit|malware]] on users' computers that was posing a security risk to affected customers.<ref>{{Cite news|first=Bob|last=Brown|work=Network World|date=1 November 2010|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2194292/network-security/sony-bmg-rootkit-scandal--5-years-later.html|title=Sony BMG rootkit scandal: 5 years later|accessdate=20 February 2015}}</ref> In 2007, the company acquired [[Famous Music]] for US$370 million, gaining the rights to the catalogues of Eminem and Akon, among others.

Sony bought out Bertelsmann's share in the company and formed a new Sony Music Entertainment in 2008. Since then, the company has undergone management changes.

====Sony Music Entertainment Japan====
{{main|Sony Music Entertainment Japan}}
In January 1988, Sony acquired CBS Records and the 50% of CBS/Sony Group. In March 1988, four wholly owned subsidiaries were folded into CBS/Sony Group: CBS/Sony Inc., Epic/Sony Records Inc., CBS/Sony Records Inc. and Sony Video Software International. The company was renamed Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), Inc. SMEJ is directly owned by Sony Corporation and is independent from the United States-based Sony Music Entertainment.

====Sony/ATV Music Publishing====
{{main|Sony/ATV Music Publishing}}
Besides its record label, Sony operates other music businesses. In 1995, Sony purchased a 50% stake in [[ATV Music Publishing]], forming Sony/ATV Music Publishing. At the time, the publishing company was the second-largest of its kind in the world. The company owns much of the publishing rights to the catalogue of The Beatles. Sony purchased digital music recognition company [[Gracenote]] for US$260 million in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony to Buy Gracenote Music Data Company|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PCWorld/story?id=4706733|work=abcnews.go.com|accessdate=11 February 2015|date=23 April 2008}}</ref>

===Finance===

====Sony Financial Services====
Sony Financial Holdings is a holding company for Sony's financial services business. It owns and oversees the operation of [[Sony Life]] (in Japan and the Philippines), Sony Assurance, [[Sony Bank]] and Sony Bank Securities. The company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.

Sony Financial accounts for half of Sony's global earnings.<ref name="Clark">Tim Clark and, Carl K. "Out of Service." New York Times: A.25. New York Times. 9 March 2005. Web. 27 May 2012.</ref> The unit proved the most profitable of Sony's businesses in [[fiscal year]] 2006, earning $1.7 billion in profit.<ref name="Fackler" /> Sony Financial's low fees have aided the unit's popularity while threatening Sony's premium brand name.<ref name="Fackler" />

==Corporate information==

===Finances===
Sony is one of Japan's largest corporations by revenue. It had revenues of ¥6.493 trillion in 2012. It also maintains large reserves of cash, with ¥895 billion on hand as of 2012. In May 2012, Sony shares were valued at about $15 billion.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/10/us-sony-results-idUSBRE8490A120120510 |title=Sony sees return to profit, aims to halve TV losses |date=10 May 2012 | work=Reuters}}</ref>

The company was immensely profitable throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, in part because of the success of its new PlayStation line. The company encountered financial difficulty in the mid- to late-2000s due to a number of factors: the global financial crisis, increased competition for PlayStation, and the devastating [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami|Japanese earthquake of 2011]]. The company faced three consecutive years of losses leading up to 2011.<ref name="FT">"Sony: Too Much make-Believe." FT.com (2011): n/a. ABI/INFORM Global; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 26 May 2012.</ref> While noting the negative effects of intervening circumstances such as natural disasters and fluctuating currency exchange rates,<ref name="FT" /> the ''Financial Times'' criticized the company for its "lack of resilience" and "inability to gauge the economy."<ref name="FT" /> The newspaper voiced skepticism about Sony's revitalization efforts, given a lack of tangible results.<ref name="FT" />

In September 2000 Sony had a market capitalization of $100&nbsp;billion; but by December 2011 it had plunged to $18&nbsp;billion, reflecting falling prospects for Sony but also reflecting grossly inflated share prices of the 'dot.com' years.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-13/stringer-s-shopping-spree-wrong-direction-for-sony-in-apple-battle-tech.html |title=Sony's Shopping Spree Is 'Wrong Direction' in Apple Battle: Tech |accessdate=18 December 2011 | work=Bloomberg |first=Naoko |last=Fujimura |date=12 December 2011}}</ref> Net worth, as measured by stockholder equity, has steadily grown from $17.9&nbsp;billion in March 2002 to $35.6&nbsp;billion through December 2011.<ref>[http://www.gurufocus.com/financials.php?symbol=sne 10 Year Financials of sne&nbsp;– Sony Corp Adr]. Gurufocus.com. Retrieved on 25 April 2012.</ref> Earnings yield (inverse of the price to earnings ratio) has never been more than 5% and usually much less; thus Sony has always traded in over-priced ranges with the exception of the 2009 market bottom.

In April 2012, Sony announced that it would reduce its workforce by 10,000 (6% of its employee base) as part of CEO Hirai's effort to get the company back into the black. This came after a loss of 520&nbsp;billion yen (roughly US$6.36 billion) for fiscal 2012, the worst since the company was founded. Accumulation loss for the past four years was 919.32&nbsp;billion-yen.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57411107-93/sony-expected-to-slash-10000-jobs/?tag=cnetRiver |title=Sony expected to slash 10,000 jobs |accessdate=9 April 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-10/sony-widens-net-loss-estimate-to-520-billion-yen.html |title=Sony, Sharp Losing $11 Billion Leaves Investors Let Down |date=11 April 2012 | work=Bloomberg |first1=Mariko |last1=Yasu |first2=Shunichi |last2=Ozasa}}</ref> Sony plans to increase its marketing expenses by 30% in 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thehindu.com/business/companies/article3497657.ece | title= Sony ups ad spend to Rs.450 cr| date=7 June 2012 | work=The Hindu}}</ref>
1,000 of the jobs cut come from the company's mobile phone unit's workforce. 700 jobs will be cut in the 2012–2013 fiscal year and the remaining 300 in the following fiscal year.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-08-22/sony-may-cut-1-000-jobs-at-swedish-mobile-unit-sydsvenskan-says.html |title=Sony to Cut 1,000 Jobs to Reduce Costs at Mobile Unit |date=23 August 2012 | work=Bloomberg |first1=Adam |last1=Ewing |first2=Mariko |last2=Yasu}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Sony's 2009 sales and distribution by geographical region<ref>[[Wikinvest:stock/Sony (SNE)/Sales Distribution#FilingDocumentSection3523749|Breakdown of sales and distribution by geographical markets from company 10Ks]]</ref>
|-
! scope="col" | Geographic region
! scope="col" | Total sales (yen in millions)
|-
| '''Japan'''|| 1,873,219
|-
| '''United States'''|| 2,512,345
|-
| '''Europe'''|| 2,307,658
|-
| '''Other Areas'''|| 2,041,270
|}

On 9 December 2008, Sony Corporation announced that it would be cutting 8,000 jobs, dropping 8,000 contractors and reducing its global manufacturing sites by 10% to save $1.1&nbsp;billion per year.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/dec/09/sony-job-cuts |work=The Guardian | location=London | title=Sony to cut 8,000 jobs worldwide | first=Justin | last=McCurry | date=9 December 2008 | accessdate=23 May 2010}}</ref>

In January 2013, Sony announced it was selling its US headquarters building for $1.1 billion to a consortium led by real estate developer The Chetrit Group.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/01/18/us-sony-building-idUKBRE90H03Q20130118| title=Sony to sell its U.S. headquarters building for $1.1 billion | author=Reuters | publisher=Reuters | date=18 January 2013}}</ref>

On 28 January 2014, [[Moody's Investors Service]]s dropped Sony's credit rating to Ba1—"judged to have speculative elements and a significant credit risk"—saying that the company's "profitability is likely to remain weak and volatile."<ref>{{cite web|last=Chilson|first=Morgan|title=Labels Sony Credit Rating 'Junk' Amid Lower Demand|url=http://www.moneynews.com/TheWire/sony-moodys-junk-credit/2014/01/28/id/549536|work=Article|publisher=Moneynews|accessdate=28 January 2014}}</ref>

On 6 February 2014, Sony announced it would trim as many as 5,000 jobs as it attempts to sell its PC business and focus on mobile and tablets.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/02/06/sony-selling-vaio-pc-business/5248885/ | title=Sony to cut as many as 5,000 jobs, unload Vaio | work=USA Today | accessdate=6 February 2014}}</ref>

===Environmental record===
In November 2011, Sony was ranked 9th (jointly with Panasonic) in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics. This chart grades major electronics companies on their environmental work. The company scored 3.6/10, incurring a penalty point for comments it has made in opposition to energy efficiency standards in California. It also risks a further penalty point in future editions for being a member of trade associations that have commented against energy efficiency standards.<ref name="Guide to Greener Electronics">{{cite web|url=http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-it/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/ |title=Guide to Greener Electronics | work=Greenpeace International |publisher=Greenpeace International |accessdate=16 November 2011}}</ref> Together with [[Philips]], Sony receives the highest score for energy policy advocacy after calling on the EU to adopt an unconditional 30% reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Meanwhile, it receives full marks for the efficiency of its products.<ref name="Guide to Greener Electronics"/> In 2007, Sony ranked 14th on the [[Greenpeace]] guide. Sony fell from its earlier 11th place ranking due to [[Greenpeace]]'s claims that Sony had double standards in their waste policies.<ref>{{cite news|last=Samson|first=Ted|title=Sony hits bottom of Greenpeace eco rankings|url=http://www.infoworld.com/d/green-it/sony-hits-bottom-greenpeace-eco-rankings-649|accessdate=5 October 2010|newspaper=InfoWorld|date=9 July 2007}}</ref>

Since 1976, Sony has had an Environmental Conference.<ref>{{Wayback |df=yes|date=20080208124950 |url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/activities/history/index.html |title=History of Environmental Activities at Sony }}. Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref> Sony's policies address their effects on global warming, the environment, and resources. They are taking steps to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases that they put out as well as regulating the products they get from their suppliers in a process that they call "green procurement".<ref>{{Wayback |df=yes|date=20071127044020 |url=http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/Environment/activities/vision/index.html |title=Sony Group Environmental |title=Vision }}. Web.archive.org (27 November 2007). Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref> Sony has said that they have signed on to have about 75 percent of their [[Sony Building (New York)|Sony Building]] running on [[geothermal power]]. The "Sony Take Back Recycling Program" allow consumers to recycle the electronics products that they buy from Sony by taking them to [[eCycle (Recycling)]] drop-off points around the U.S. The company has also developed a biobattery that runs on sugars and carbohydrates that works similarly to the way living creatures work. This is the most powerful small [[biobattery]] to date.<ref>[http://www.techgadgets.in/misc-gadgets/2007/24/sony-develops-worlds-most-powerful-sugar-based-bio-battery-prototype/ Sony develops World's Most Powerful Sugar-based Bio Battery Prototype]. Techgadgets.in (24 August 2007). Retrieved 7 July 2011.</ref>

In 2000, Sony faced criticism for a document entitled "NGO Strategy" that was leaked to the press. The document involved the company's surveillance of environmental activists in an attempt to plan how to counter their movements. It specifically mentioned environmental groups that were trying to pass laws that held electronics-producing companies responsible for the cleanup of the toxic chemicals contained in their merchandise.<ref>{{cite news|last=Knight|first=Danielle|title=Sony's PR War on Activists |url=http://motherjones.com/environment/2000/09/sonys-pr-war-activists |accessdate=5 October 2010|newspaper=Mother Jones|date=22 September 2000}}</ref>

===Community Engagement===
''EYE SEE project''

Sony Corporation is actively involved in the EYE SEE project conducted by [[UNICEF]]. EYE SEE digital photography workshops have been run for children in Argentina, Tunisia, Mali, South Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Rwanda, Liberia and Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web|title=UNICEF and Sony photo workshop promotes rights with Darwin's indigenous youth|url=http://www.unicef.org.au/Media/Media-Releases/April-2013/UNICEF-and-Sony-photo-workshop-promotes-rights-wit.aspx|work=unicef.org.au}}</ref>

''South Africa Mobile Library Project''

Sony assists The South Africa Primary Education Support Initiative (SAPESI) through financial donations and children book donations to the South Africa Mobile Library Project.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony helps S African mobile library project|url=http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/sony-helps-s-african-mobile-library-project|work=japantoday.com|accessdate=11 February 2015}}</ref>

''The Sony Canada Charitable Foundation''

The Sony Canada Charitable Foundation (SCCF) is a non-profit organization which supports three key charities; the Make-A-Wish Canada, the United Way of Canada and the EarthDay and ECOKIDS program.

''Sony Foundation'' and ''You Can''

After the [[2010–11_Queensland_floods|floods of 2011]] and [[Black Saturday bushfires|Victorian bushfires]], Sony Music released benefit albums with money raised going to the Sony Foundation.<ref>{{cite news|last=Cashmere|first=Paul|title=Sony Foundation Funds Salvos Sound Point Centre In Goodna|url=http://www.noise11.com/news/sony-foundation-funds-salvos-sound-point-centre-in-goodna-20121005|work=noise11.com|accessdate=11 February 2015|date=5 October 2012}}</ref>
You Can is the youth cancer program of Sony Foundation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Sony Foundation raises over $880k with Wharf4Ward|url=http://www.mcvpacific.com/news/read/the-sony-foundation-raises-over-880k-with-wharf4ward/0140322|work=mcvpacific.com|date=24 October 2014}}</ref>

''Open Planet Ideas Crowdsourcing Project''

Sony launched its Open Planet Ideas Crowdsourcing Project, in partnership with the [[World Wildlife Fund]] and the design group, [[IDEO]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Beavis|first=Simon|title=Sony – engaging untapped audience through crowdsourcing |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sony-untapped-audience-crowdsourcing-project|work=TheGuardian.com|date=26 May 2011}}</ref>

''Street Football Stadium Project''

On the occasion of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Sony partnered with streetfootballworld and launched the Street Football Stadium Project to support football-based educational programmes in local communities across Latin America and Brazil.<ref>{{cite web|title=Stadiums to go: streetfootballworld partners with Sony to support Brazilian and Latin American communities – |url=http://www.streetfootballworld.org/latest/blog/stadiums-go-streetfootballworld-partners-sony-support-local-communities#sthash.y2p34iqv.dpuf|work=streetfootballworld
|date=7 March 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Sony marketing]]
* [[List of companies of Japan]]
* [[Toshiba]]
{{Portal bar|Sony|Tokyo|Companies}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* ''[[Made in Japan (biography)|Made in Japan]]'' by Akio Morita and Sony, [[HarperCollins]] (1994)
* ''Sony: The Private Life'' by [[John Nathan]], [[Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|Houghton Mifflin]] (1999)
* ''Sony Radio, Sony Transistor Radio 35th Anniversary 1955–1990''&nbsp;– information booklet (1990)
* ''The Portable Radio in American Life'' by University of Arizona Professor Michael Brian Schiffer, PhD (The University of Arizona Press, 1991).
* ''The Japan Project: Made in Japan''&nbsp;– a documentary about Sony's early history in the U.S. by [[Terry Sanders]].

==External links==
{{Sisterlinks|Sony}}
* {{official website|http://www.sony.net/}}
* [http://www.sony.com.ar/ Sony Argentina]
* [http://www.sony.com.au/ Sony Australia]
* [http://www.sony.ca/ Sony Canada]
* [http://www.sony.ie/ Sony Ireland]
* [http://www.sony.com.au/ Sony New Zealand]
* [http://www.sony.co.uk/ Sony United Kingdom]
* [http://www.sony.com/ Sony USA]
* [http://www.sony.ru/ Sony Russia]
* [http://www.sony-asia.com/ Sony Asia Pacific]
* [http://www.sony.co.in/ Sony India]
* [http://www.sony.com.my Sony Malaysia]
* [http://www.sony.co.za/ Sony South Africa]
* [http://www.sony.com.sg/ Sony Singapore]
* [http://www.sony.com.ph/ Sony Philippines]
* [http://www.sony.co.id/ Sony Indonesia]

{{Sony Corp}}
{{Major information technology companies}}
{{Japanese Electronics Industry}}
{{Nikkei 225}}
{{TOPIX 100}}

[[Category:Sony| ]]
[[Category:1946 establishments in Japan]]
[[Category:Audio equipment manufacturers]]
[[Category:Belgian Royal Warrant holders]]
[[Category:Companies based in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange]]
[[Category:Companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Conglomerate companies established in 1946]]
[[Category:Conglomerate companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Consumer electronics brands]]
[[Category:Display technology companies]]
[[Category:Electric vehicle industry]]
[[Category:Electronics companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Headphones manufacturers]]
[[Category:History of radio]]
[[Category:Holding companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Japanese brands]]
[[Category:Loudspeaker manufacturers]]
[[Category:Media in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Microphone manufacturers]]
[[Category:Multinational companies headquartered in Japan]]
[[Category:Netbook manufacturers]]
[[Category:Photography companies of Japan]]
[[Category:Semiconductor companies]]
[[Category:Videotelephony]]

Revision as of 17:44, 25 February 2015

For other uses, see Sony (disambiguation).

Sony Corporation
Native name
[ソニー株式会社] Error: {{Lang}}: unrecognized language code: jp (help)
Company typePublic
TYO: 6758
NYSE: SNE
ISINJP3435000009 Edit this on Wikidata
IndustryConglomerate
FoundedTokyo, Japan (7 May 1946)[1]
FounderMasaru Ibuka
Akio Morita
HeadquartersMinato, Tokyo, Japan
Number of locations
Yokohama
Toyama
Osaka
New York City
Mount Laurel
Teaneck
Huntington Station
Cranston
Philadelphia
King of Prussia
Pottstown
Edison
Berlin
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Osamu Nagayama
(Chairman of the Board)
Kazuo Hirai
(President and CEO)
ProductsConsumer electronics
Semiconductors
Video games
Media/Entertainment
Computer hardware
Telecom equipment
ServicesFinancial services, insurance, banking, credit finance and advertising agency
RevenueIncrease ¥7.767 trillion (2014)[2]
Decrease ¥26.49 billion (2014)[2]
Decrease ¥−128.36 billion (2014)[2]
Total assetsDecrease ¥15.333 trillion (2014)[2]
Total equityDecrease ¥2.258 trillion (2014)[2]
Number of employees
140,900 (31 March 2014)[1]
SubsidiariesList of subsidiaries
WebsiteOfficial website

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  1. ^ a b "Sony Global – Corporate Information". Retrieved 27 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference FY was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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