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46
Sony Corporation Annual Report 2002
VAIO
The VAIO W, shown to the right, represents a new concept in PCs: a computer as easy to use as a home appli-
ance. The innovative design, including the choice between black or white color schemes, integrates the main
unit, LCD monitor, and keyboard. The wide screen and large speakers make the VAIO W ideal for enjoying
television broadcasts, DVDs, and music.
On the left is the compact, lightweight, and stylish VAIO SR. Equipped with various communications
capabilities, including a wireless LAN, and boasting an extended battery life, the VAIO SR meets all the require-
ments of a full-fledged mobile notebook PC.
Of the computers running on Microsoft® Windows® XP, the VAIO U is especially small and lightweight. Its
sleek model is designed for the greatest possible ease of use.
By offering new forms of usage, these models exhibit the way in which VAIO represents a new concept. VAIO
users can easily enjoy images and sound as a result of a plethora of installed Sony audio and visual technology
and as a result of the convergence of that technology with information technology. At the same time, the use of
networking, Memory Stick, and other technology facilitates interaction with other devices and people. With its
ability to alter lifestyles and provide new forms
of entertainment, VAIO, in the year
under review, created new markets
and posted sales growth at a time
when the global PC market declined
compared with the previous year.
Sony Communication Network
Since its January 1996 inception, Sony Communication Network Corporation (SCN) has provided Internet service
to customers in Japan under the name “So-net.” SCN provides an enjoyable Internet connection environment
including unique and captivating content such as the “PostPet” e-mail software.
The year under review was a period of even more rapid progress as SCN utilized funds procured from the sale of
Subsidiary Tracking Stock, issued by Sony Corporation in June 2001, for investments in such new Internet access
channels as ADSL and FTTH (fiber-to-the-home). SCN also used the funds to supply more broadband content
through the So-net Town, So-net Broadband Mega-Channel, and other means. In addition, more links were built
with Sony’s hardware such as PS2 and the Network Handycam camcorder. In October 2001, WebOnline Networks
Ltd., provider of the JustNet service, became a wholly owned subsidiary of SCN. Operations of the two companies
were subsequently integrated, giving SCN a base of 2.24 million subscribers at the end of March 2002.
SCN will continue to deepen ties with other Sony
Group companies as it introduces PostPet Version 3
and other content designed for broadband networks
with the goal of becoming the number-one broad-
band service provider.
http://www.postpet.so-net.ne.jp/