History

In 1946, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation,

the predecessor of Sony)
started as a small company with capital of just 190,000 yen and approximately 20
employees.
Founder Masaru Ibuka said the purpose of setting up the company was to "establish an
ideal factory
that stresses a spirit of freedom and open mindedness that will, through technology,
contribute to Japanese culture."
Symbolizing Sony's spirit of challenge to "do what has never been done before,"
the company has continued to release countless "Japan's first" and "world's first" products.

One of the first truly new television systems to enter the market since the 1950s,

FULL DESCRIPTION

Sony Corporation (Sony), incorporated on May 7, 1946, is engaged in the development, design,
manufacture and sale of various kinds of electronic equipment, instruments and devices for
consumer, professional and industrial markets, as well as game consoles and software. The
Company's segments include Mobile Communications (MC), Game & Network Services
(G&NS), Imaging Products & Solutions (IP&S), Home Entertainment & Sound (HE&S), Devices,
Pictures, Music, Financial Services and All Other. Sony is engaged in the production, acquisition
and distribution of motion pictures and television programming and the operation of television
and digital networks. Sony is also engaged in the development, production, manufacture and
distribution of recorded music and the management and licensing of the words and music of
songs. It is also engaged in various financial services businesses, including life and non-life
insurance operations, through its Japanese insurance subsidiaries and banking operations
through a Japanese Internet-based banking subsidiary. In addition, Sony is engaged in a
network services business and an advertising agency business in Japan. The Company's
manufacturing facilities are located in Asia, including Japan. Sony also utilizes third-party
contract manufacturers for certain products.

The Company's subsidiary, Sony Marketing (Japan) Inc., markets consumer electronics
products through retailers. Its Sony Business Solutions Corporation markets professional
electronics products and services. For electronic components, Sony sells products directly to
wholesalers and manufacturers. Sony markets its electronics products and services through its
Sony Electronics Inc. and other subsidiaries in the United States. In Europe, Sony's electronics
products and services are marketed through sales subsidiaries, including Sony Europe Limited
in the United Kingdom and CJSC Sony Electronics in Russia. Sony markets its electronics
products and services through its Sony (China) Limited, Sony Corporation of Hong Kong Limited
 and other subsidiaries in China. In Asia-Pacific, Sony's electronics products and services are
marketed through sales subsidiaries, including Sony India Private Limited, Sony Electronics of
Korea Corporation, Sony Taiwan Limited and Sony Electronics Vietnam. In overseas areas other
than the United States, Europe, China and Asia-Pacific, Sony's electronics products and
services are marketed through sales subsidiaries, including Sony Brasil Ltda., Sony Middle East
& Africa FZE in the United Arab Emirates, Sony of Canada Limited and Sony de Mexico S.A.de
C.V.

Home Entertainment & Sound

The HE&S segment includes televisions, audio and video, and other. Its televisions include
liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions. Its audio and video includes Blu-ray Disc players and
recorders, home audio, headphones and memory-based portable audio devices.

Television

1960

TV8-301

World's first direct-view portable transistor TV. Comprised of 23 transistors and 19 diodes,
this model was developed based on Sony's extensive experience in radio technology. In
an age when TVs were assumed to be living room fixtures, this device opened the door to
personal television use. Additionally, this model offered three choices for power input.
 1968

KV-1310

The first in Sony's exclusive line of Trinitron color TVs. This model offered approximately
twice the brightness of TVs using conventional shadow-mask tubes. This was a milestone
product establishing Sony's superiority in color TVs.

1990

KW-3600HD

Consumer use 36-inch HD Trinitron HDTV-compatible color TV.

97

KW-32HDF9

A new WEGA series HDTV incorporating an FD Trinitron tube and offering highly
advanced picture reproduction.

2004


Qualia 005

The world's first* LED backlit TV, featuring Sony's Triluminous proprietary backlight
system that uses separate red, green and blue light sources to illuminate the LCD panel.
The result was unprecedented color control and an extraordinarily brilliant picture that
trumped what previous backlight systems could do.
* Among flat-panel TVs for consumer use.

2005

KDL-46X1000

First model in the new BRAVIA series of widescreen LCD TVs. X-series models (shown)
feature "Live Color Creation," utilizing a special backlight system to achieve an incredibly
wide color gamut for deeper colors and full HD resolution panels for crisp, detailed
images.

2010

NSX-46GT1

World's first HDTV powered by Google TV.



KDL-LX900 Series

3D BRAVIA with Full HDTV.

2012

KD-84X9000

The first 4K compatible BRAVIA model, boasting an LCD panel containing no less than
8 million pixels, four times the resolution of Full HD. Equipped with the "4K X-Reality
PRO" picture engine that upscales HD or lower resolution content - including from Blu-ray
discs and TV broadcasts - to stunning, 4K quality picture.

Leverage

they relate specifically to how diverse production skills

are coordinated and continuously developed and many
technology streams integrated into core products, which
are then used as inputs to end products.
Sonys competencies will be identified as those elements
that provide access to a wide variety of markets, make
significant contributions to the perceived customer
benefit of the end product and are difficult for
competitors to imitate