The press releases on this website are provided for historical reference purposes only.
Please note that certain information may have changed since the date of release.
November 19, 2009
Under the leadership of its new executive management team established in April 2009, Sony Corporation ("Sony") has reformed its organizational structure in order to bolster profitability and transform its operations, with the aim of accelerating innovation and growth and optimizing business processes, particularly within its electronics and networked service businesses.
As a result, approximately 80% of Sony's targeted 330 billion yen of group-wide cost reductions for the current fiscal year ending March 31, 2010 compared to the previous fiscal year have been achieved in the first half of the current fiscal year. Furthermore, Sony is now positioned to launch a succession of competitive products from the end of this calendar year and into 2010.
In order to permit further growth and continue to enhance profitability, Sony is implementing additional transformation measures centering on the following four initiatives:
Through these measures, Sony targets an annual 5% operating income margin and a 10% return on equity by the end of the fiscal year ending March 31, 2013.
Details of these initiatives are as follows:
Regain the leading market position in LCD TV business
Network-connected products and services
Statements made in this release with respect to Sony's current plans, estimates, strategies and beliefs and other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements about the future performance of Sony. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those statements using words such as "believe," "expect," "plans," "strategy," "prospects," "forecast," "estimate," "project," "anticipate," "aim," "intend," "seek," "may," "might," "could" or "should," and words of similar meaning in connection with a discussion of future operations, financial performance, events or conditions. From time to time, oral or written forward-looking statements may also be included in other materials released to the public. These statements are based on management's assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Sony cautions you that a number of important risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements, and therefore you should not place undue reliance on them. You also should not rely on any obligation of Sony to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Sony disclaims any such obligation. Risks and uncertainties that might affect Sony include, but are not limited to (i) the global economic environment in which Sony operates and the economic conditions in Sony's markets, particularly levels of consumer spending as well as the recent worldwide crisis in the financial markets and housing sectors; (ii) exchange rates, particularly between the yen and the U.S. dollar, the euro and other currencies in which Sony makes significant sales and incurs production costs, or in which Sony's assets and liabilities are denominated; (iii) Sony's ability to continue to design and develop and win acceptance of, as well as achieve sufficient cost reductions for, its products and services, including platforms within the game business, which are offered in highly competitive markets characterized by continual new product introductions, rapid development in technology and subjective and changing consumer preferences. (iv) Sony's ability and timing to recoup large-scale investments required for technology development and increasing production capacity; (v) Sony's ability to implement successfully business restructuring and transformation efforts; (vi) Sony's ability to implement successfully its hardware, software, and content integration strategy and to develop and implement successful sales and distribution strategies in light of the Internet and other technological developments; (vii) Sony's continued ability to devote sufficient resources to research and development and, with respect to capital expenditures, to correctly prioritize investments; (viii) Sony's ability to maintain product quality; (ix) Sony's ability to secure adequate funding to finance restructuring activities and capital investments given the current state of global capital markets; (x) the success of Sony's joint ventures and alliances; (xi) the outcome of pending legal and/or regulatory proceedings; (xii) shifts in customer demand for financial services such as life insurance and Sony's ability to conduct successful asset liability management in the Financial Services segment; and (xiii) the impact of unfavorable conditions or developments (including market fluctuations or volatility) in the Japanese equity markets on the revenue and operating income of the Financial Services segment. Risks and uncertainties also include the impact of any future events with material adverse impacts.