Sony has confirmed that it has halted all PC and laptop development with immediate effect, after agreeing to sell that sector of the business to Japanese Industrial Partners Inc. (JIP). This means brands like VAIO will not have new entries to them in the future, unless JIP gain the name rights too and continue using the name. The money from this sale will be reinvested heavily in the smartphone and tablet branch of Sony.
JIP will first concentrate on the domestic Japanese market before thinking of expanding to other territories. Though Sony will stop producing PCs and laptops the company will continue to support current models with aftercare, and this sale will see the loss of around 300 jobs from this sector, though most will be offered roles at JIP or moved to different departments.
Sony is also concentrating on its TV business and has turned it into a subsidiary. The company is currently claiming 75% marketshare in Japan, and majority share for the US in regards to 4K televisions. The TV business isn’t expected to start generating profits until 2015. These changes are huge for the company which has seen quite a few heavy losses financially in recent history, so we’ll see how big of an effect these moves have long term.
http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2014/02/06/sony-sells-laptop-pc-business-stops-all-development/#comments
