Sony CEO Hirai: Xperia Z coming to a US carrier shortly

Sony CEO Hirai: Xperia Z coming to a US carrier shortly

Sony CEO Kaz Hirai had some good news to deliver on stage at D11 — for US fans, at least. According to him, the Xperia Z, which currently serves as the company’s flagship smartphone, is expected to arrive on a US carrier shortly. Unfortunately that’s the extent of the details Kaz was willing to offer up, as we expect he wants to give the unnamed operator the opportunity to make the announcement itself. With that said, we have our suspicions that T-Mobile may be involved, thanks to its recent appearance in the FCC with T-Mobile radios. He did, however, mention that this success story is in part thanks to the company’s increased marketing efforts in this part of the globe. We’ll keep you updated with the news as it trickles out.

Update: David Beren from TmoNews grabbed a few shots of the Xperia Z with T-Mo branding, which certainly adds credence to our suspicions that the Z will wind up with the UnCarrier.

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Via: AllThingsD

Sony report details what Kaz Hirai has achieved in his first year as CEO

Sony report details what Kaz Hirai has achieved in his first year as CEO

In recent years, Sony’s state of the union report has made for wince-inducing reading, but one year into Kaz Hirai’sOne Sony” strategy we seem to be seeing hints of a turnaround. The company is trumpeting its return to profitability after several loss-making quarters, thanks to boosts in its film and financial services units — not to mention some aggressive asset sales. Unfortunately, Sony still has the weak heart of its consumer electronics business to nurse, but promises that aggressive cost-cutting in its TV department will see it back in the black shortly.

Sony has also announced plans to “significantly expand” its business model around the PlayStation 4 and promises to speed up smartphone development to incorporate the company’s hardware and imaging know-how. With one eye on those dwindling PC market figures, Sony will look to make profitable machines rather than chasing market share. The company has also said that, aside from its successful Mirrorless ILC division, will shift focus on its imaging business from consumer electronics to medical and security. With all of this change, let’s just hope that no-one forgets to buy someone in the PR department a wider camera lens.

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Source: Sony

Sony restructuring in Japan: camera lens plant to close with loss of 2,000 jobs

Sony to close a camera lens factory, shed 2,000 jobs as One Sony begins to bite

Kaz Hirai’s “One Sony” rescue plan was designed to unite the many disparate arms of the conglomerate, shed 10,000 jobs and make cost savings wherever it could. Facilities in Sweden and the UK have already been closed, so now the company is shifting focus to its operations in Japan. Sony will close its Minokamo site, which currently produces camera lenses for DSLRs and smartphones, with production being moved to factories in Kohida and Kisarazu, 840 staff will lose their jobs. The company is also instituting an early retirement program across its various Japanese businesses in order to push the domestic total to 2,000 — which it must do before a self-imposed deadline of March 2013.

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Sony restructuring in Japan: camera lens plant to close with loss of 2,000 jobs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Oct 2012 04:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony makes Olympus rescue pact official with $645 million investment

Olympus hangs $57 million loss on austerity, strong yen and declining compact camera market

After months of speculation about who would step in to save the scandal-ridden Olympus‘ rocky fortunes, Sony has finally opened up its checkbook. The two companies are entering into a “business and capital alliance,” with Sony pumping in $650 million to its former rival. In exchange, it’s gaining a seat on the company’s board and a 51 percent stake in a new joint venture based on Olympus’s coveted medical imaging tech — something Kaz Hirai outlined in his “One Sony” strategy. The deal also includes a component-sharing agreement in the photography space, with Olympus mirror cells and camera lenses being given to Sony, while image sensors (where Sony is very strong) will go the other way.

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Sony makes Olympus rescue pact official with $645 million investment originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 04:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Mobile moving HQ to Tokyo, cutting 1,000 jobs in Sweden

Sony Mobile moving HQ to Tokyo, cutting 1,000 jobs in Sweden

Sony’s slow and painful transformation continues with a restructuring of its newly-minted mobile division. In October, it’s moving its headquarters from Lund, Sweden (presumably a holdover from its Ericsson days) to Tokyo — for deeper integration — and repurposing the duties of its facilities in Tokyo, Lund and Beijing. As part of the changes, Sony Mobile will slash 15 percent of its workforce, with 1,000 employees being let go by the end of March 2014, in a trend we’ve seen across the industry. Most of those affected are in Sweden, with 650 on-site staffers and up to 450 consultants being shown the door.

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Sony Mobile moving HQ to Tokyo, cutting 1,000 jobs in Sweden originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 03:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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