Sony Corporation (ソニー株式会社 Sonī Kabushiki Gaisha?

) (TYO: 6758, NYSE: SNE), or

commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation
headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate with
US$77.20 billion (FY2010).[4] Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, products
for the consumer and professional markets.

Sony Corporation is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group,
which is engaged in business through its seven operating segments – Consumer Products &
Services Group, Professional & Device Solutions Group, Pictures, Music, Financial Services,
Sony Ericsson and All Other.[6][7] These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment
companies in the world. Sony's principal business operations include Sony Corporation (Sony
Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony
Music Entertainment, Sony Ericsson, and Sony Financial. As a semiconductor maker, Sony is
among the Worldwide Top 20 Semiconductor Sales Leaders.

The Sony Group (ソニー・グループ Sonī Gurūpu?) is a Japan-based corporate group primarily
focused on the Electronics (such as AV/IT products & components), Game (such as PlayStation),
Entertainment (such as motion pictures and music), and Financial Services (such as insurance
and banking) sectors. The group consists of Sony Corporation (holding & electronics), Sony
Computer Entertainment (game), Sony Pictures Entertainment (motion pictures), Sony Music
Entertainment (music), Sony Financial Holdings (financial services) and others.

Its founders Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka derived the name from sonus, the Latin word for
sound, and also from the English slang word "sonny", since they considered themselves to be
"sonny boys", a loan word into Japanese which in the early 1950s connoted smart and
presentable young men.[8]

Contents
[hide]

• 1 History
o 1.1 Origin of name
• 2 Formats and technologies
• 3 Products
o 3.1 PlayStation
o 3.2 VAIO
 3.2.1 Laptop batteries dysfunction
o 3.3 Sony Pictures Entertainment
o 3.4 Sony BMG
o 3.5 Digital photography
• 4 Corporate information
o 4.1 Mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures
o 4.2 Regional manufacturing and distribution
• 5 Controversy
 o 5.1 Controversial promotions
o 5.2 Digital Rights Management
• 6 Environmental record
o 6.1 Improvement efforts
o 6.2 Green TV
o 6.3 Criticism
• 7 See also
• 8 References
• 9 Further reading

• 10 External links

History

Masaru Ibuka, the co-founder of Sony

In late 1945, after the end of World War II, Masaru Ibuka started a radio repair shop in a bomb-
damaged department store building in Nihonbashi of Tokyo. The next year, he was joined by his
colleague, Akio Morita, and they founded a company called Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K.,[9]
(Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The company built Japan's first tape
recorder called the Type-G.[9]

In the early 1950s, Ibuka traveled in the United States and heard about Bell Labs' invention of
the transistor.[9] He convinced Bell to license the transistor technology to his Japanese company.
While most American companies were researching the transistor for its military applications,
Ibuka and Morita looked to apply it to communications. Although the American companies
Regency Electronics and Texas Instruments built the first transistor radio as joint venture, it was
Ibuka's company that made them commercially successful for the first time.

In August 1955, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo released the Sony TR-55, Japan's first commercially
produced transistor radio.[10] They followed up in December of the same year by releasing the
Sony TR-72, a product that won favor both within Japan and in export markets, including
Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany. Featuring six transistors, push-pull output and
greatly improved sound quality, the TR-72 continued to be a popular seller into the early sixties.
In May 1956, the company released the TR-6, which featured an innovative slim design and
sound quality capable of rivaling portable tube radios. It was for the TR-6 that Sony first
contracted "Atchan", a cartoon character created by Fuyuhiko Okabe, to become its advertising
character. Now known as "Sony Boy", the character first appeared in a cartoon ad holding a TR-
6 to his ear, but went on to represent the company in ads for a variety of products well into the
mid-sixties.[9] The following year, 1957, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo came out with the TR-63 model,
then the smallest (112 × 71 × 32 mm) transistor radio in commercial production. It was a
worldwide commercial success.[9]

University of Arizona professor Michael Brian Schiffer, Ph.D., says, "Sony was not first, but its
transistor radio was the most successful. The TR-63 of 1957 cracked open the U.S. market and
launched the new industry of consumer microelectronics." By the mid 1950s, American teens
had begun buying portable transistor radios in huge numbers, helping to propel the fledgling
industry from an estimated 100,000 units in 1955 to 5,000,000 units by the end of 1968.

Sony's headquarters moved to Minato, Tokyo from Shinagawa, Tokyo around the end of 2006.[11]
[12]

Origin of name

When Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo was looking for a romanized name to use to market themselves,
they strongly considered using their initials, TTK. The primary reason they did not is that the
railway company Tokyo Kyuko was known as TKK.[9] The company occasionally used the
acronym "Totsuko" in Japan, but during his visit to the United States, Morita discovered that
Americans had trouble pronouncing that name. Another early name that was tried out for a while
was "Tokyo Teletech" until Morita discovered that there was an American company already
using Teletech as a brand name.[13]

The name "Sony" was chosen for the brand as a mix of two words. One was the Latin word
"Sonus", which is the root of sonic and sound, and the other was "Sonny", a familiar term used in
1950s America to call a boy.[8] The first Sony-branded product, the TR-55 transistor radio,
appeared in 1955 but the company name did not change to Sony until January 1958.[14]

At the time of the change, it was extremely unusual for a Japanese company to use Roman letters
to spell its name instead of writing it in kanji. The move was not without opposition: TTK's
principal bank at the time, Mitsui, had strong feelings about the name. They pushed for a name
such as Sony Electronic Industries, or Sony Teletech. Akio Morita was firm, however, as he did
not want the company name tied to any particular industry. Eventually, both Ibuka and Mitsui
Bank's chairman gave their approval.[9]

Formats and technologies

Further information: List of Sony trademarks

Sony has historically been notable for creating its own in-house standards for new recording and
storage technologies, instead of adopting those of other manufacturers and standards bodies. The
most infamous of these was the videotape format war of the early 1980s, when Sony marketed
the Betamax system for video cassette recorders against the VHS format developed by JVC. In
the end, VHS gained critical mass in the marketbase and became the worldwide standard for
consumer VCRs and Sony adopted the format. While Betamax is for all practical purposes an
obsolete format, a professional-oriented component video format called Betacam that was
derived from Betamax is still used today, especially in the film and television industry.

In 1968 Sony introduced the Trinitron brand name for its lines of aperture grille cathode ray tube
televisions and (later) computer monitors. Trinitron displays are still produced, but only for
markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and China. Sony discontinued the last Trinitron-based
television set in the USA in early 2007. Trinitron computer monitors were discontinued in 2005.

Sony launched the Betamax videocassette recording format in 1975. In 1979 the Walkman brand
was introduced, in the form of the world's first portable music player.

1982 saw the launch of Sony's professional Betacam videotape format and the collaborative
Compact Disc format. In 1983 Sony introduced 90 mm micro diskettes (better known as 3.5-inch
(89 mm) floppy disks), which it had developed at a time when there were 4" floppy disks and a
lot of variations from different companies to replace the then on-going 5.25" floppy disks. Sony
had great success and the format became dominant; 3.5" floppy disks gradually became obsolete
as they were replaced by current media formats. In 1983 Sony launched the MSX, a home
computer system, and introduced the world (with their counterpart Philips) to the Compact Disc
or CD. In 1984 Sony launched the Discman series which extended their Walkman brand to
portable CD products. In 1985 Sony launched their Handycam products and the Video8 format.
Video8 and the follow-on hi-band Hi8 format became popular in the consumer camcorder
market. In 1987 Sony launched the 4 mm DAT or Digital Audio Tape as a new digital audio tape
standard.

Sony Discman

In addition to developing consumer-based recording media, after the launch of the CD Sony
began development of commercially based recording media. In 1986 they launched Write-Once
optical discs (WO) and in 1988 launched Magneto-optical discs which were around 125MB size
for the specific use of archival data storage.[15]

In the early 1990s two high-density optical storage standards were being developed: one was the
MultiMedia Compact Disc (MMCD), backed by Philips and Sony, and the other was the Super
Density disc (SD), supported by Toshiba and many others. Philips and Sony abandoned their
MMCD format and agreed upon Toshiba's SD format with only one modification based on
MMCD technology, viz EFMPlus. The unified disc format was called DVD which was marketed
in 1997.

Sony introduced the MiniDisc format in 1993 as an alternative to Philips DCC or Digital
Compact Cassette. Since the introduction of MiniDisc, Sony has attempted to promote its own
audio compression technologies under the ATRAC brand, against the more widely used MP3.
Until late 2004, Sony's Network Walkman line of digital portable music players did not support
the MP3 de facto standard natively, although the provided software SonicStage would convert
MP3 files into the ATRAC or ATRAC3 formats.

In 1993, Sony challenged the industry standard Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound format with a
newer and more advanced proprietary motion picture digital audio format called SDDS (Sony
Dynamic Digital Sound). This format employed eight channels (7.1) of audio opposed to just six
used in Dolby Digital 5.1 at the time. Unlike Dolby Digital, SDDS utilized a method of backup
by having mirrored arrays of bits on both sides of the film which acted as a measure of reliability
in case the film was partially damaged. Ultimately, SDDS has been vastly overshadowed by the
preferred DTS (Digital Theatre System) and Dolby Digital standards in the motion picture
industry. SDDS was solely developed for use in the theatre circuit; Sony never intended to
develop a home theatre version of SDDS.

In 1998, Sony launched their Memory Stick format; flash memory cards for use in Sony lines of
digital cameras and portable music players. It has seen little support outside of Sony's own
products with Secure Digital cards (SD) commanding considerably greater popularity. This is
due in part to the SD format's greater throughput (which allows faster recording and access),
higher capacities, and significantly lower price per unit capacity compared to Memory Sticks
available at the same time. Sony has made updates to the Memory Stick format with Memory
Stick Duo and Memory Stick Micro.

Sony and Philips jointly developed the Sony-Philips digital interface format (S/PDIF) and the
high-fidelity audio system SACD. The latter has since been entrenched in a format war with
DVD-Audio. At present, neither has gained a major foothold with the general public. CDs are
preferred by consumers because of ubiquitous presence of CD drives in consumer devices.
Sony VAIO fashion show in 2008

In 2004, Sony built upon the MiniDisc format by releasing Hi-MD. Hi-MD allows the playback
and recording of audio on newly-introduced 1 GB Hi-MD discs in addition to playback and
recording on regular MiniDiscs. Recordings on the Hi-MD Walkmans can be transferred to and
from the computer virtually unrestricted, unlike earlier NetMD. In addition to saving audio on
the discs, Hi-MD allows the storage of computer files such as documents, videos and photos. Hi-
MD introduced the ability to record CD-quality audio with a linear PCM recording feature. It
was the first time since MiniDisc's introduction in 1992 that the ATRAC codec could be
bypassed and lossless CD-quality audio could be recorded on the small discs.

Sony was one of the leading developers and remains one of the strongest proponents of the Blu-
ray Disc optical disc format, which eventually emerged as the market leader over the competing
standard, Toshiba's HD DVD, after a 2 year-long format war. The first Blu-ray players became
commercially available in June 2006, and Sony's first Blu-ray player, the Sony BDP-S1, debuted
in December 2006 with an MSRP of US $999.95. By the end of 2007 the format had the backing
of every major motion picture studio except Universal, Paramount, and Dreamworks.[16][17][18] The
Blu-ray format's popularity continued to increase, solidifying its position as the dominant HD
media format, and Toshiba announced its decision to stop supporting HD DVD on 19 February
2008.

Over the years, Sony has introduced these standards:

• Umatic (~1968)
• Betamax (1975)
• Betacam (1981)
• Compact Disc with Philips (1982)
• 3.5 inch Floppy Disk (1982)
• Video8 (1985)
• DAT (1987)
• Hi8 (1988)
• MiniDisc (~1990)
• Digital Betacam (~1990)
• miniDV (1992)
• DVD with others (~1995)
• DVCAM (1996)
• Memory Stick (1998)
• Digital8 (1999)
 • Universal Media Disc (~2003)
• HDV with JVC (~2004)
• Blu-ray Disc with Panasonic and others (2006)

Products

Sony's retail store, Sony Style

Sony offers a number of products in a variety of product lines around the world. Sony has
developed a music playing robot called Rolly, dog-shaped robots called AIBO, humanoids, and
QRIO.

PlayStation

The Slimline PlayStation 2 with controller

In early 1994 Sony launched the PlayStation to compete with other consoles. This successful
console was succeeded by the PlayStation 2 in 2000. The PlayStation 2 has become the most
successful video game console of all time, selling over 140 million units. The PlayStation brand
was extended to the portable games market in 2005 by the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and in
2009, the PSP go. Sony developed the Universal Media Disc (UMD) optical disc medium for use
on the PlayStation Portable. Although Sony tried to push the UMD format for movies, major-
studio support for the format was cut back in spring 2006, though as of 2009 some major-studio
titles continue to be released on UMD.

Sony released the PlayStation 3, a high-definition console, in 2006. It later introduced the
PlayStation Move, an accessory that allows players to control video games using motion
controllers. Sony announced that on 1 April 2010[19] it was electronically removing Linux [20]
functionality from the first generation PS3.[21] A class action has been taken out in California
challenging the legality of "the disablement of valuable functionality originally advertised".[22]

Sony admitted in late 2005 to hiring graffiti artists to spray paint advertisements for their
PlayStation Portable game system in seven major cities including New York City, Philadelphia,
San Francisco,[23] and Sydney Australia. The mayor of Philadelphia filed a cease and desist order.
According to Sony, they paid businesses and building owners for the right to graffiti their walls.
[24]
As of early January 2006, Sony had no plans to keep or withdraw them.

In November 2006, a marketing company employed by Sony created a website entitled "All I
want for Xmas is a PSP", designed to promote the PSP through viral marketing. The site
contained a blog, which was purportedly written by "Charlie", a teenager attempting to get his
friend "Jeremy"'s parents to buy him a PSP, providing links to t-shirt iron-ons, Christmas cards,
and a "music video" of either Charlie or Jeremy "rapping". However, visitors to the website soon
discovered that the website was registered to a marketing company, exposing the site on sites
such as YouTube and digg, and Sony was forced to admit the site's true origin in a post on the
blog, stating that they would from then on "stick to making cool products" and that they would
use the website for "the facts on the PSP". The site has since been taken down. In an interview
with next-gen.biz, Sony admitted that the idea was "poorly executed".[25]

In 2003, Sony Computer Entertainment America, marketer of the popular PlayStation game
consoles, was sued by Immersion Corporation of San Jose, California which claimed that Sony's
PlayStation "Dual Shock" controllers infringed on Immersion's patents. In 2004, a federal jury
agreed with Immersion, awarding the company US$82 million in damages. A U.S. district court
judge ruled on the matter in March 2005 and not only agreed with the federal jury's ruling but
also added another US$8.7 million in damages. This is likely the reason that the Sixaxis
controller for the PlayStation 3 had no rumble feature. The DualShock 3 has since been made
available for the PlayStation 3, reintroducing rumble capabilities. Microsoft Corp. was also sued
for its Xbox controller, however, unlike Sony, they settled out of court so they could continue
using the technology for the follow-up Xbox 360.[26] A California judge ordered Sony to pay
Immersion a licensing fee of 1.37 percent per quarter based on the sales of PlayStation units,
Dual Shock controllers, and a selection of PlayStation 2 games that use Immersion's technology.
[citation needed]

VAIO

Main article: VAIO

Sony offers a line up laptops branded as VAIO. Previously Sony has disabled hardware
virtualization on their high end VAIO laptops, citing concern for users running malicious code.
[27]
However, most new VAIO laptops can utilize virtualization.[28]

Laptop batteries dysfunction

In April 2006, a Sony laptop battery exploded in Japan and caught fire. A Japanese couple in
Tokyo sued both Sony and Apple Japan for over ¥2 million (US$16,700) regarding the incident.
The suit argues that the man suffered burns on his finger when the battery burst into flames while
being used, and his wife had to be treated for mental distress due to the incident.[29]

On 14 August 2006, Sony and Dell admitted to major flaws in several Sony batteries that could
result in the battery overheating and catching fire. As a result they recalled over 4.1 million
laptop batteries in the largest computer-related recall to that point in history. The cost of this
recall was shared between Dell and Sony. Dell also confirmed that one of its laptops caught fire
in Illinois.[30][31] This recall also prompted Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to
order the companies to investigate the troubles with the batteries. The ministry said that Sony
must have reported on their findings and drawn up a plan to prevent future problems by the end
of August, or face a fine under consumer safety laws.[32] On 23 September 2006, Sony announced
its investigation[33] of a Lenovo ThinkPad T43 laptop which overheated and caught fire in the Los
Angeles International Airport on 16 September, an incident that was confirmed by Lenovo.

On 28 September 2006, Sony announced a global battery exchange program in response to

growing consumer concerns.[34] Acer, Apple Computer, Dell, Fujitsu, IBM, Lenovo, Hewlett-
Packard, and Toshiba all recalled Sony laptop batteries.[35] It was also reported that Fujitsu,
Toshiba, and Hitachi were considering the possibility of seeking compensation from Sony over
the battery recalls.[36]

A Japanese newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, reported that Sony was aware of faults in its notebook
PC batteries in December 2005 but failed to fully study the problem.[37][38]

Sony Pictures Entertainment

In July 2000, a marketing executive working for Sony Corporation created a fictitious film critic,
David Manning, who gave consistently good reviews for releases from Sony subsidiary
Columbia Pictures that generally received poor reviews amongst real critics.[39] When the scandal
was revealed, Sony apologised to Ridgefield Press, the newspaper Manning was claimed to be
from. Sony claimed it was unaware of the marketing ploy, and pulled the ads and suspended
Manning's creator and his supervisor. In 2003, Sony paid the state of Connecticut $325,000 in
fines following the Connecticut Attorney General's investigation into Sony's alleged fraudulent
marketing practices.[40] In August 2005, Sony finalized a settlement to pay $1.5m to fans who
saw the reviewed films in the US.[41]

In 2006 Sony started using ARccOS Protection on some of their film DVDs, which caused
compatibility problems with some DVD players – including models manufactured by Sony.
After complaints, Sony was forced to issue a recall.[42]
Sony BMG

Main article: Sony BMG CD copy protection scandal

In October 2005, it was revealed by Mark Russinovich of Sysinternals that Sony BMG's music
CDs had installed a rootkit on the user's computer as a DRM measure (called Extended Copy
Protection by its creator, British company First 4 Internet), which was difficult to detect or
remove.[43] This constitutes a crime in many countries, and poses a major security risk to affected
users. The uninstaller Sony initially provided removed the rootkit, but in turn installed a dial-
home program that posed an even greater security risk. Sony eventually provided an actual
uninstaller that removed all of Sony's DRM program from the user's computer. Sony BMG faced
several class action lawsuits regarding this matter.[44] On 31 January 2007, the U. S. Federal
Trade Commission issued a news release announcing that Sony BMG had agreed to settle
Federal Trade Commission charges that Sony BMG committed several offenses against United
States federal law. This settlement required that Sony BMG allow consumers to exchange the
CDs through 30 June 2007, and to reimburse consumers for up to $150 for the repair of damage
to their computers that they may have incurred while removing the software.

In September 2009 Sony had its Mexican office raided by police to recover over 6000 CDs,
masters and artwork, by the popular Latin American artist Alejandro Fernández. Fernández's
lawyers claimed that Sony was in breach of contract as Fernández had been contracted to Sony
for seven albums and the recordings were an eighth album made after the contract had expired.[45]

Digital photography

Sony offers a range of digital cameras, ranging from point-and-shoot models to digital SLRs.

Initially, in October 2005, it was reported by Sony that there were problems with the charge-
coupled devices (CCD) in 20 models of digital still cameras. The problems can prevent the
cameras from taking clear pictures, and in some cases, possibly prevent a picture being taken at
all. In late November 2006, the recall was broadened to eight additional models of digital
cameras sold between 2003 and 2005. The problem appears to manifest itself mostly when the
camera is used in areas with hot weather. The eight models affected are the following: DSC-F88,
DSC-M1, DSC-T1, DSC-T11, DSC-T3, DSC-T33, DSC-U40 and DSC-U50. Sony indicated that
they would repair or replace the affected camera at no charge. Since Sony is one of the largest
producers of CCD chips, this recall may affect other manufacturers and models of cameras,
possibly as many as 100 models or more. Other manufacturers of digital cameras, including
Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus or Fuji have indicated they will replace faulty CCDs in their
respective models of cameras if necessary.[46]

Corporate information
Sony's current CEO, president and chairman Sir Howard Stringer

On 22 June 2005, Nobuyuki Idei stepped down as Sony Corp. Chairman and Group CEO and
was replaced by Howard Stringer, then Chairman and CEO of Sony Corporation of America,
Corporate Executive Officer, Vice Chairman and COO Sony Entertainment Business Group.
Sony's decision to replace Idei with the British Howard Stringer marked the first time that a
foreigner has run a major Japanese electronics firm. On the same date, Kunitake Ando stepped
down as President and was replaced by Ryoji Chubachi.[47]

Sony's former slogans were "It's a Sony", "like.no.other" and its current slogan is
"make.believe". Sony acquired Berkah Karya Bersama Kabushiki-Gaisha and Cipta Lamtoro
Gung Persada that owned by Mbak Tutut that have TPI and TVRI in 1991. In 2009 till now, TPI
did not broadcast sporting event again after Sony has ditched "like.no.other" (which was never
used on the entire product range) to embrace a new unified brand concept “make.believe”.

Mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures

This section requires expansion.

Further information: List of acquisitions by Sony Corporation

Regional manufacturing and distribution

Slightly more than 50% of the electronics' segment's total annual production during the fiscal
year 2005 took place in Japan, including the production of digital cameras, video cameras, flat
panel televisions, personal computers, semiconductors and components such as batteries and
Memory Sticks. Approximately 65% of the annual production in Japan was destined for other
regions. China accounted for slightly more than 10% of total annual production, approximately
70% of which was destined for other regions.

Asia, excluding Japan and China, accounted for slightly more than 10% of total annual
production with approximately 60% destined for Japan, the US and the EU. The Americas and
Europe together accounted for the remaining slightly less than 25% of total annual production,
most of which was destined for local distribution and sale.[48]
Sony's Sales and Distribution by Geographical Regions in 2009[49]

Geographic Region Total Sales (yen in millions)

Japan 1,873,219
United States 1,827,812
Europe 2,307,658
Other Area 2,041,270

On 9 December 2008, Sony Corp. said it will cut 8,000 jobs, drop 8,000 contractors and reduce
its global manufacturing sites by 10% to save $1.1 billion a year.

Controversy
A concern has been raised that this article's Criticism section may be compromising the
article's neutral point of view of the subject. Possible resolutions may be to integrate
the material in the section into the article as a whole, or to rewrite the contents of the
section. Please see the discussion on the talk page. (August 2009)

Controversial promotions

In July 2006, Sony released a Dutch advertising campaign featuring a white model dressed
entirely in white and a black model garbed in black. The first ad featured the white model
clutching the face of the black model. The words "White is coming" headlined one of the ads.
The ad has been viewed as racist by critics.[51] A Sony spokesperson responded that the ad does
not have a racist message, saying that it was only trying to depict the contrast between the black
PSP model and the new ceramic white PSP. Other pictures of the ad campaign include the black
model overpowering the white model.

Digital Rights Management

Main article: Sony BMG copy protection rootkit scandal

In August 2007, security firm F-Secure reported that the MicroVault USB thumb drive installs a
rootkit in a hidden directory without consent on user computers. The directory is intended to
protect fingerprint data, however it can be used for malicious means as most virus scanners will
not search for the directory or its contents.[53] Sony advised it was conducting an investigation on
the third-party product, and would offer a fix by mid-September.[54]

Environmental record
In October 2010, Sony was ranked 6th (jointly with Panasonic and Motorola) in Greenpeace’s
Guide to Greener Electronics that assesses the policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate
change of 18 leading electronics manufacturers.[55] Number of Sony’s models on the market are
partially free of PVC and BFRs, including all models of the VAIO PC, and many models of
video recorder, Walkman, camcorder and digital camera.[56]

The company has committed to removing PVC in all new models of mobile products (excluding
accessories), and BFRs in the casing and main PWBs of all new models of mobile products by
April 2011. However for the improvement in its ranking it still needs to set a timeline for
eliminating all phthalates, beryllium copper and antimony and its compounds.[56]

Sony publishes on its website a list of products, for which the company had (as of February
2010) or intended to replace PVC and BFR with alternative substances by the end of FY 2010
(April 2011), nevertheless as of January 2011 the list does not identify which products are
fulfilling these criteria at the moment.[57]

Improvement efforts

Since 1976, Sony has had an Environmental Conference.[58] Sony's policies address their effects
on global warming, the environment, and resources. They are taking steps to reduce the amount
of greenhouse gases that they put out as well as regulating the products they get from their
suppliers in a process that they call "green procurement".[59] Sony has said that they have signed
on to have about 75 percent of their Sony Building running on geothermal power. The "Sony
Take Back Recycling Program" allows consumers to recycle the electronics products that they
buy from Sony by taking them to eCycle (Recycling) drop-off points around the U.S. The
company has also developed a biobattery that runs on sugars and carbohydrates that works
similarly to the way living creatures work. This is the most powerful small biobattery to date.[60]

Green TV

For sale in Japan on 30 July 2008, Sony's green product, new flat-panel 32-inch (810 mm) TV
150,000 yen (US$ 1,400; € 900) Bravia KDL-32JE1 offers ecological consumers advantages of
less energy consumption (70% less) than regular models with the same image quality. Sony was
able to reduce carbon dioxide emissions totaling 79 kilograms (174 pounds) a year, without
sacrificing quality by developing a brighter back light and better filtering, which produces light
more efficiently. The TVs will have liquid crystal displays along with high-definition digital
broadcast capabilities.[61][62][63]

Criticism

In 2000, Sony was ridiculed for a document entitled "NGO Strategy" that was leaked to the
press. The document involved the company's surveillance of environmental activists in an
attempt to plan how to counter their movements. It specifically mentioned environmental groups
that were trying to pass laws that held electronics-producing companies responsible for the clean
up of the toxic chemicals contained in their merchandise.[64] In early July 2007, Sony ranked 14th
on the Greenpeace chart "Guide to Greener Electronics." This chart graded major electronics
companies on their environmental work. Sony fell from its earlier 11th place ranking due to
Greenpeace's claims that Sony had double standards in their waste policies.[65]
In 2005, it was made public that the videogame Full Spectrum Warrior, developed by Sony
Pictures Imageworks and Pandemic Studios, was paid for in whole by the United States
Department of Defense, for use as an urban combat trainer. Not only was the simulation never
used as intended, but the Army lost its full investment while Pandemic Studios went on to
release the simulation, now an entertainment game, through THQ and it became a success.[citation
needed]

Sony Corporation

ソニー株式会社 Type Public

Industry Conglomerate Founded May 7, 1946[1] Founder(s) Masaru Ibuka
Akio Morita Headquarters Minato, Tokyo, Japan Area served Worldwide Key people
Howard Stringer[1]
(Chairman, President & CEO)
Ryōji Chūbachi[2]
(Vice Chairman)
Kazuo Hirai[3]
(Executive Deputy President)
Masaru Kato[2]
(EVP & CFO) Products Consumer & professional electronic equipment
Communication & information-related equipment
Semiconductor
Electronic devices & components
Battery
Chemicals
PlayStation
Blu-ray Services Financial services
Internet service Revenue ¥7.214 trillion / $88.205 billion (2010)[4] Operating income
¥31.8 billion / $342 million (2010)[4] Net income −¥40.8 billion / −$437 million
(2010)[4] Total assets ¥11.22 trillion / $137.694 billion (2010)[5] Total equity ¥2.77
trillion / $31.741 billion (2010)[5] Employees 167,900 (as of March 2010)[1] Subsidiaries
List of subsidiaries Traded as TYO: 6758 NYSE: SNE Website Sony.net

Company Name

Sony Corporation

Founded

May 7, 1946

Headquarters
1-7-1 Konan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0075, Japan

Access & Map

Representative Corporate Executive Officers

Chairman, CEO and President

Howard Stringer

Vice Chairman

Ryoji Chubachi

Executive Deputy President

Kazuo Hirai

Major Products

Audio

Home audio, portable audio, etc.

Video

Video cameras, digital still cameras, and DVD-Video players/recorders, and Digital-
broadcasting receiving systems

Televisions

LCD televisions

Information and communications

PC, printer system, broadcast and professional use audio/video/monitors and other
professional-use equipment

Semiconductors

LCD, CCD and other semiconductors

Electronic components

Optical pickups, batteries, audio/video/data recording media, and data recording systems
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Locations of Major Offices and Research Centers (in Japan)

Tokyo, Kanagawa, Miyagi

Access & Map

Headcount (Consolidated)

167,900 (as of March 31, 2010)

Consolidated Sales and Operating revenue(2009)

7,214,000 million yen