Speculation is mounting that Sony Australia is getting ready to roll out a major online content network and that the Company will use this network to differentiate itself from other vendors selling into the consumer electronics market.
Speculation is mounting that Sony Australia is getting ready to roll out a major online content network and that the Company will use this network to differentiate itself from other vendors selling into the consumer electronics market.
Currently Sony Australia is switching their online operations to Singapore and in recent days their web site has been down on several occasions. Whether the move is part of a cost cutting exercise or a move to a new content network is unknown as Sony has been reluctant to talk about the changes.
Overseas Sony has had a lot of success with the Playstation Network which as of February had seen more than 380 million pieces of digital content being downloaded.
Attempts by Australians to download content are restricted as Australian credit cards are not accepted.
However the next generation of Sony Bravia TV’s will include Ethernet ports and access to content management software this will allow users to download movies and music to either a Sony Walkman, Bravia TV or a Sony Playstation or PSP handheld device.
Helping Sony is the inclusion of a Blu ray drive in the PS3. This has basically transformed the console into a set-top box that allows content to be downloaded to built in hard drive however in newer models this could well be a 1 terabyte SDX card that can be moved easily from one device to another.
What Sony is hoping to achieve in Australia say sources is to deliver a “knockout” blow” that will elevate them into a strong position in the content download market. “We have movie, music and gaming content that most of our competitors” don’t have said a source.
Sony Computer Entertainment who is responsible for the sale of Playstation’s in Australia but not the Sony Vio computer range believe that a content network in Australia will help them to sell more of the struggling PS3 gaming consoles not solely as a gaming console, but as a source of movie downloads.
“It’s a hit-driven business,” says Susan Panico, senior director of Sony’s PlayStation Network, which has more than 20 million subscribers. “It’s definitely driven by the content.” She recently told Variety Magazine in the USA.
.At the same time, its PlayStation Portable handheld device is being pushed as a way to watch movies on the go, with both music and video able to be loaded onto a PSP in minutes.
“Our goal is to deliver convenience through a single device for our consumer and make sure they’re having fun while doing it,” Panico told variety.
