Sony to Reduce Smartphone, TV Lineups
Sony plans will slash its TV and mobile phone product line-ups to cut costs and expects revenue surges from its PlayStation 4 and image sensor businesses. Sony said on Tuesday its goal for TV and smartphones is to turn a profit, even if sales slide as much as 30 percent. Sony's Xperia smartphones have not sold as much as the Japanese company expected.
The company is also not planning to renew its FIFA soccer sponsorship contract next year, according to a Reuters report.
Under a new three-year electronics business plan announced today, Sony said it was aiming to boost sales for its videogame division by a quarter to as much as 1.6 trillion yen ($13.6 billion). It said that will be helped by personalized TV, video and music distribution services that should lift revenue per paying user.
At its image sensor business, Sony said sales could increase 70 percent to as much as 1.5 trillion yen. Sony's sensor are found in Apple's iPhones while Chinese handset manufacturers are increasingly adopting them.
Sony's Computers Hacked
In related news, Sony’s computer network was hacked in what may be a blackmail attempt, according toa Bloomberg report.
The breach of the entertainment and electronics company’s systems is under investigation. Sony said it was investigating "an IT matter."
The incident began when a picture of a skull appeared on company computer screens, the entertainment website Deadline.com reported yesterday. The image was accompanied by a message that read Sony had been hacked by #GOP and that private data would be released at 6 p.m. New York time yesterday if its undisclosed demands weren’t met.