Sony, who last year moved to third party manufacturers to make their TV’s and notebooks, is now outsourcing the design of its Vaio notebooks in a move that will result in the only thing “Sony” about their PC products is the logo.
Sony, who last year moved to third party manufacturers to make their TV’s and notebooks, is now outsourcing the design of its Vaio notebooks in a move that will result in the only thing “Sony” about their PC products is the logo.
In a statement yesterday Sony, business deputy president Ryosuke Akahane said that Sony had stopped designing all of its VAIO PCs. Instead the Company is now outsourcing the design and manufacturer of the products to others in an effort to return to profitability.
He admitted that a contractor would simply attach the VAIO name to the design and that the product would still be sold as a Sony Vaio notebook despite Sony having nothing to do with the manufacture or design of the product other than supervision and marketing.
The new Vaio notebooks will have a Sony help button, however calls to a Sony help centre will be diverted to a third party supplier.
The Japanese executive insisted that they would be of the same quality but admitted that the newest technology would always go to the first tier, with the outside contractors getting many parts second-hand.
Akahane said that Sony’s strategy was aimed at beating market share leader HP and Apple.
He also said that Sony was set to ramp up production of their notebooks in an effort to get more products into the market than Apple who last quarter saw a 34% jump in sales of their notebook and PC range.
He said that Sony’s new line up will allow a VAIO PC to sync with a PS3 or a Sony Ericsson phone. He also said that the notebooks will also link with the Sony Network to access content like movies and music.
In the TV market Sony is selling Bravia TV’s that are made by third party manufacturers with both the manufacturing and the video processors supplied by third party Companies.
Sony Australia is refusing to comment.
