Sony facts for kids
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Headquarters in Minato, Tokyo
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Native name
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ソニーグループ株式会社
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Romanized name
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Sonī Gurūpu Kabushiki-gaisha |
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Formerly
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| Traded as | |
| Industry | Conglomerate |
| Founded | 7 May 1946 Nihonbashi, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan |
| Founders | |
| Headquarters | Kōnan,
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Japan
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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| Products |
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| Services |
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| Revenue |  ¥11.540 trillion (FY2022) |
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Operating income
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¥1.208 trillion (FY2022) |
| ¥943.622 billion (FY2022) |
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| Total assets | ¥32.041 trillion (FY2022) |
| Total equity | ¥7.288 trillion (FY2022) |
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Number of employees
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113,000 (2023) |
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| Footnotes / references Financials as of 31 March 2021[update]. References: |
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Sony Group Corporation (ソニーグループ株式会社, Sonī, /ˈsoʊni/ SOH-nee), often called Sony, is a huge Japanese company. It has its main office in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Sony is known worldwide for many things. It includes companies like Sony Corporation, Sony Semiconductor Solutions, Sony Entertainment (which has Sony Pictures and Sony Music Group), and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Sony started in 1946 as Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo. It was founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita. This electronics company made famous products. These include the TR-55 transistor radio, the CV-2000 home video tape recorder, the Walkman portable music player, and the CDP-101 compact disc player. Sony also bought CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989. They also created the PlayStation video game console. In 2021, Sony changed its main company name to Sony Group Corporation.
Sony is a leader in many areas. It makes most of the image sensors used in cameras and phones. It is also one of the biggest camera makers. Sony is a top brand for large, expensive TVs. In 2020, it was the third largest TV maker in the world.
Contents
History of Sony
How Sony Started
Sony began after World War II. In 1946, Masaru Ibuka opened an electronics shop in Tokyo. He started with a small amount of money and eight employees. On May 7, 1946, Ibuka and Akio Morita created a company. They called it Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (東京通信工業, Tōkyō Tsūshin Kōgyō, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). Their first product was a tape recorder called the Type-G. In 1958, the company changed its name to "Sony".
Choosing the Name "Sony"
The founders, Morita and Ibuka, wanted their company to be known worldwide. They needed a short and easy name for their products. They first thought of using their initials, TTK. But another company, Tokyo Kyuko, was already known as TTK.
The name "Sony" came from two words. One was the Latin word "sonus", which means sound. The other was "sonny", a slang term for a young boy in the 1950s. In Japan, "sonny boys" meant smart and cool young men. Morita and Ibuka thought this described them well.
The first product with the Sony name was the TR-55 transistor radio in 1955. But the company officially changed its name to Sony in January 1958. It was very unusual for a Japanese company to use Roman letters for its name back then.
Becoming a Global Company
Sony's TR-63 radio helped them enter the U.S. market. This started the new industry of small electronics for people to use. By the mid-1950s, American teenagers bought many portable transistor radios. This helped the industry grow hugely.
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In 1960, Akio Morita started Sony Corporation of America. He noticed that American workers often moved between companies. This was new in Japan. When he returned, he encouraged experienced Japanese workers to join Sony. Sony helped Japan become a strong exporter in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. They also improved how people saw "made in Japan" products. Sony was known for good quality.
In 1971, Masaru Ibuka passed the president role to Akio Morita. Sony started a life insurance company in 1979. In the early 1980s, electronics sales dropped. Sony's profits fell a lot.
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Norio Ohga became president. He supported the development of the compact disc (CD) and the PlayStation. Ohga bought CBS Records in 1988 and Columbia Pictures in 1989. This greatly expanded Sony's presence in movies and music.
Sony wanted to connect films, music, and electronics using the internet. But this expansion did not always make money. In 2005, Howard Stringer became the CEO. He was the first non-Japanese person to lead a major Japanese electronics company. Stringer helped improve the movie and music parts of the company. He also cut jobs and tried to make different parts of Sony work together better. In 2009, Sony introduced the slogan "make.believe".
In 2012, Kazuo Hirai became president and CEO. He started a plan called "One Sony". This plan aimed to help Sony recover from financial losses. Hirai focused on imaging, gaming, and mobile technology. He also worked to reduce losses from the TV business.
In 2014, Sony sold its Vaio PC business. They also made their TV division a separate company. In 2015, Sony bought Toshiba's image sensor business.
In 2017, Sony sold its lithium-ion battery business. In 2019, Sony combined its mobile, TV, and camera businesses. On April 1, 2021, Sony Corporation was renamed Sony Group Corporation.
Sony's Technologies
Sony is known for creating its own standards for new technologies. They have introduced many popular formats. These include the 3.5-inch floppy disk, the compact disc, and the Blu-ray disc.
Video Recording
Sony launched the Betamax video format in 1975. They competed with the VHS format from JVC. VHS became more popular and became the worldwide standard for home video recorders.
In 1985, Sony launched their Handycam camcorders. They used the Video8 format. This format became popular for home camcorders.
Visual Displays
Sony had a special patent for its Trinitron TV screen technology until 1996.
In 2004, Sony introduced Triluminos Display. This technology made colors look better on their TVs. It was used in the first TVs with LED backlights. In 2013, Sony used quantum dots in their Triluminos TVs. This was the first time quantum dots were used in a commercial product.
Audio Recording
Sony used the Compact Cassette format in many of its players. This included the Walkman, the first portable music player. The Walkman changed how people listened to music. It let them carry music with them using lightweight headphones.
Sony introduced the MiniDisc format in 1992. It was an alternative to other digital audio tape formats. Sony also tried to promote its own audio compression technology, ATRAC. This was against the more popular MP3 format.
Audio Encoding
In 1993, Sony created SDDS. This was a new digital audio format for movies. It had more sound channels than Dolby Digital at the time. However, DTS and Dolby Digital became more popular in movie theaters.
Sony and Philips also worked together to create the SACD. This was a high-quality audio system. But it did not become very popular with most people.
In 2015, Sony introduced LDAC. This technology allows high-quality audio to be streamed over Bluetooth. It can stream music at a very high rate.
Optical Storage
In 1983, Sony and Philips together announced the Compact Disc (CD). In 1984, Sony launched the Discman series. These were portable CD players.
In the 1990s, Sony and Philips worked on a new high-density disc called MMCD. Another group, led by Toshiba, worked on the Super Density Disc (SD). Eventually, they all agreed on one format called DVD. It was introduced in 1997.
Sony was also a main developer of the Blu-ray format. This is the newest standard for discs that hold movies and games. Blu-ray became the standard for HD movies after competing with Toshiba's HD DVD.
Disk Storage
In 1983, Sony introduced the 3.5-inch floppy disk. This format became very popular and was used for many years. Floppy disks are now mostly replaced by newer storage methods. Sony stopped making them in 2010.
Sony still works on magnetic tape storage technologies with IBM.
Flash Memory
In 1998, Sony launched the Memory Stick format. These were flash memory cards for Sony cameras and music players. However, Secure Digital cards (SD) became much more popular.
Communication Technologies
Sony introduced FeliCa, a contactless smart card technology. It is used for contactless payment, like for train tickets in Asia.
In 2019, Sony launched ELTRES. This is a special wireless communication standard for low-power devices.
Video Gaming
Before 1991, Sony was not very involved in video games. They made parts for other consoles, like the sound chip for Nintendo's Super Famicom. Nintendo and Sony planned to make a CD-ROM add-on for the Super Famicom. But they had a disagreement about how to share the money. Nintendo then decided to work with Philips instead.
This made Sony's president, Norio Ohga, very angry. He told Ken Kutaragi to develop the PlayStation project to compete with Nintendo. Kutaragi showed a new system that played games with 3D graphics. Even though some people at Sony were against it, Ohga decided to continue the project.
Sony's Business Areas
Sony is famous for its electronics. But it also has many other types of businesses. These include financial services and entertainment.
Sony's main business areas are: Game & Network Services, Music, Pictures, Electronics Products & Solutions, Imaging & Sensing Solutions, Financial Services, and other areas. Each area has its own companies under the Sony Group.
Electronics Products & Solutions
Sony Corporation is the part of Sony Group that makes electronics. They research, design, make, and sell electronic products.
Audio Products
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In 1979, Sony released the Walkman. This was the world's first portable music player. It came with lightweight headphones. The Walkman changed how people listened to music. It let them take their music anywhere. The Walkman brand now includes digital music and video players.
Sony is a big maker of audio products. They are also leaders in noise-canceling technology.
Video Products
In 1959, Sony made the world's first all-transistor television. In 1968, they introduced the Trinitron brand for their TVs and computer monitors. Sony stopped making Trinitron TVs in most places by 2007. This marked the end of Sony's older analog TVs.
Sony used the LCD WEGA name for its LCD TVs until 2005. Then, they introduced the BRAVIA name. BRAVIA is Sony's brand for high-definition LCD TVs, home cinemas, and projectors. All Sony flat-panel LCD TVs in North America have had the BRAVIA logo since 2005.
In 2006, Sony lost its top spot in the global TV market. In 2007, Sony released the Sony XEL-1, the first OLED television. In 2013, Sony showed the first 4K OLED TV.
Sony has also sold many tapes, discs, recorders, and players for videocassette, DVD, and Blu-ray formats for many years.
Photography and Videography
Sony makes many digital cameras. Their point-and-shoot cameras are called Cyber-shot. Their DSLRs and mirrorless cameras are called Alpha. Sony also makes action cameras and camcorders. Their professional movie cameras are called CineAlta.
Sony entered the market for digital single-lens reflex cameras in 2006. They bought the camera business from Konica Minolta. Sony renamed these cameras to their Alpha line. Sony is the world's third largest camera maker.
In 2010, Sony introduced their first mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras, the NEX-3 and NEX-5. They also started a new lens system called the E-mount. Sony later combined the NEX series into the Alpha series. The α6000 became a very popular mirrorless camera.
Computers
Sony made computers in the 1980s. They stopped for a while and then re-entered the market in 1996 with the new VAIO brand. VAIO stands for "Video Audio Integrated Operation". These computers were known for their visual and audio features.
In 2011, Sony launched its Sony Tablet line of Android tablets. Since 2012, Sony's Android products have been sold under the Xperia brand, which is also used for their smartphones.
In 2014, Sony announced it would sell its VAIO PC business. This was due to low sales. Japan Industrial Partners bought the VAIO brand.
Healthcare and Biotechnology
Sony is looking to grow in medical, healthcare, and biotechnology. They bought companies that make flow cytometers and diagnostic tools.
In 2012, Sony announced it would buy all shares of So-net Entertainment Corporation. This company runs websites for healthcare professionals.
In 2013, Olympus and Sony started a joint company called Sony Olympus Medical Solutions Inc. They work together to develop new surgical endoscopes with 4K resolution and 3D features.
Mobile Phones
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In 2001, Sony teamed up with Ericsson to form Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications. They made mobile phones with multimedia features like cameras. In 2012, Sony bought Ericsson's share of the company. Now, Sony Mobile focuses only on smartphones under the Xperia brand.
Robotics
Since the late 1990s, Sony has made many robots for people to use. These include dog-shaped robots called AIBO, a music robot called Rolly, and a humanoid robot called QRIO. Sony stopped making robots for 10 years because of money problems. But they started again in 2016.
In 2015, Sony partnered with a company called ZMP INC. to make drones for surveillance. At CES 2021, Sony showed its own drone brand called Airpeak. It is the smallest drone that can carry a Sony Alpha camera.
Imaging & Sensing Solutions
Sony started in the semiconductor business in 1954. They were the first Japanese company to sell the transistor. In 1957, Sony employee Leo Esaki invented the tunnel diode. For this, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1973.
Today, Sony is the world's largest maker of CMOS image sensors. These chips are used in digital cameras, phones, drones, and self-driving cars.
Sony Semiconductor Solutions designs and sells many semiconductors and electronic parts. These include image sensors, image processors, and laser diodes.
Game & Network Services
Sony Interactive Entertainment is famous for making the PlayStation consoles. This line of consoles started after a partnership with Nintendo did not work out. Nintendo wanted Sony to make a CD-ROM add-on for their Super Nintendo. In 1991, Sony announced the add-on and a console called "Play Station". But a disagreement about software licensing ended the partnership. Sony then decided to continue the project on its own.
The first PlayStation launched in 1994. It sold very well and became more popular than Nintendo in the market. Sony then released the PlayStation 2 in 2000. It became the most successful game console ever, selling over 150 million units.
Sony released the PlayStation 3 in 2006. It was the first console to use the Blu-ray format. It was more expensive than its rivals, the Xbox 360 and Wii.
Sony also entered the portable games market in 2004 with the PlayStation Portable (PSP). They released a version without a disc drive, the PSP Go, in 2009. Their second portable system, PlayStation Vita, came out in 2011 and 2012. Sony launched its fourth console, the PlayStation 4, in 2013.
In 2014, Sony announced its new virtual reality technology called Project Morpheus. It was later named PlayStation VR. This headset brings VR games to the PlayStation 4. PlayStation VR was released worldwide in 2016.
The PlayStation 5 was released in 2020. It is Sony's current game console.
Pictures and Music
Sony Entertainment has two main parts: Sony Pictures Entertainment (for movies and TV) and Sony Music Group (for music).
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. (SPE) makes and distributes TV shows and films. In 2011, it was the third largest movie studio. The company has made many famous movie series. These include Spider-Man, The Karate Kid, and Men in Black. They also produce popular TV game shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune.
Sony entered the movie business when it bought Columbia Pictures Entertainment in 1989. Columbia Pictures is now part of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. SPE's TV division is called Sony Pictures Television.
Sony Music Group and SMEJ
Sony Music Entertainment (SME) is one of the biggest music companies in the world. It is owned by Sony Corporation of America.
Sony bought CBS Record Group in 1988. This was one of its biggest purchases ever. This acquisition helped form Sony Music Entertainment in 1991.
In 1968, Sony and CBS Records had already started a joint company in Japan called CBS/Sony Records. This company was later renamed Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ). It works separately from Sony Music.
In 2004, Sony joined with Bertelsmann AG to create Sony BMG. In 2008, Sony bought out Bertelsmann's share. This created a new Sony Music Entertainment.
Besides its record labels, Sony also has other music businesses. In 1995, Sony combined its music publishing company with Michael Jackson's ATV Music Publishing. This formed Sony/ATV Music Publishing. This company owns the rights to many songs, including those by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Taylor Swift.
In 2012, Sony/ATV became the world's largest music publishing company. They bought most of EMI Music Publishing. In 2018, Sony bought the rest of the shares, making it fully owned by Sony.
Anime Business
Sony entered the Japanese animation, or anime, business in 1995. Its Sony Music Entertainment Japan (SMEJ) division created Aniplex. Aniplex then founded A-1 Pictures, Sony's first anime studio. Sony has become a strong player in the anime industry.
Sony's anime businesses are spread across its Pictures and Music units. Aniplex and its studios, CloverWorks and A-1 Pictures, are part of SMEJ. Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan (SPEJ) runs anime TV channels like Animax. Aniplex and Sony Pictures also co-own Crunchyroll, an anime distribution company in the U.S.
In 2020, Funimation (part of Sony) announced it would buy AT&T's anime business Crunchyroll. This deal was completed in 2021. This helps Sony compete more globally in entertainment.
Financial Services
Sony Financial Group is the part of Sony that handles financial services. This includes Sony Life (life insurance) and Sony Bank. This unit has been very profitable for Sony.
Other Ventures
Electric Vehicles and Batteries
Sony was involved in making lithium-ion batteries. They explored making them for electric vehicles. However, in 2016, Sony sold its lithium-ion battery business.
In 2020, Sony showed a concept electric car called Vision-S. They designed it with Magna International. Sony wants to develop technology for cars, especially for self-driving and in-car entertainment.
In 2022, Sony Group and Honda started a joint company called Sony Honda Mobility (SHM). They plan to make electric vehicles together. Their first electric cars are expected by 2026. They will be sold online, starting in the United States and Japan.
How Sony Helps Communities
- EYE SEE project
Sony works with UNICEF on the EYE SEE project. This project teaches children digital photography in different countries. - South Africa Mobile Library Project
Sony helps the South Africa Mobile Library Project. They give money and children's books to support mobile libraries in South Africa. - The Sony Canada Charitable Foundation
This foundation supports charities like Make-A-Wish Canada and United Way. - Sony Foundation and You Can
After natural disasters in Australia, Sony Music released benefit albums. The money raised went to the Sony Foundation. "You Can" is a youth cancer program by the Sony Foundation. - Open Planet Ideas Crowdsourcing Project
Sony launched this project with the World Wildlife Fund. It asks people for ideas to help the planet. - Street Football Stadium Project
For the 2014 World Cup, Sony partnered with streetfootballworld. They built Street Football Stadiums to support football-based education for kids in Latin America and Brazil. - The Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony created a fund to help people in medical, education, and entertainment fields.
See also
In Spanish: Sony para niños
- List of acquisitions by Sony
- List of assets owned by Sony
- List of libraries owned by Sony
- List of companies of Japan
Images for kids
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Sony Style store in Bangkok, Thailand
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Sony Store (after rebranding from Sony Style) in Markville Shopping Centre, Canada
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A historical Sony CMD-CD5 mobile phone
