Sony has announced that it will be spinning of its video and audio departments.
Yesterday the Japanese company revealed its intention to focus on three core parts of its business – its lucrative PlayStation brand, its Sony Pictures cinema arm, and its smartphone image sensor business.
Meanwhile, Sony’s loss-making TV and mobile departments are set for further trimming.
Another move the company is taking in a bid to reach an operating profit of 500 billion yen (£2.17 billion) by March 2018 is to spin off its video and audio department. This department will now operate as a separate, wholly owned subsidiary.
This combined video and audio department includes Sony’s cameras, for which the company has been widely acclaimed in recent years, as well as its Walkman-branded music players.
It’s a similar move to the one Sony made last year with its ailing TV business. As the Wall Street Journal notes, combined with the sale of the company’s Vaio PC business during the same year, CEO Kazuo Hirai’s mantra of “One Sony” appears to be ringing rather hollow.
Related: Why Sony might abandon mobile
Speaking of the Vaio sale, Hirai has warned that he will consider selling Sony’s under-performing TV and mobile arms. He also foresees the spinning off of other non-key departments.
All in all, it’s rather sad news for Sony fans, with the company appearing to slowly split apart at the seams.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
