Sony 2007 Annual Report Download - page 16

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Yutaka Nakagawa
Corporate Executive Officer, Executive
Deputy President, Officer in charge of the
Semiconductor & Component Group
Yutaka Nakagawa entered Sony Corporation in
1968. After serving in various capacities in the
television, camcorder and other businesses, in
1998 he became President of the Personal &
Mobile Communication Company. He was
appointed to several posts over the next several
years, including President of the Storage & Device
Company and President of the Energy Company,
and in 2005 he was named NC President of the
Personal Audio Visual Network Company. In June
of the same year, he was named EVP and
Corporate Executive Officer. After heading up the
Digital Imaging Business Group and the Audio
Group, among others, in October 2006 he
became Corporate Executive Officer, Executive
Deputy President and Officer in charge of the
Semiconductor & Component Group.
Ryoji Chubachi
President and Electronics CEO,
Representative Corporate Executive Officer
Ryoji Chubachi entered Sony Corporation after
obtaining his Ph.D. in Resource Engineering in
1977. He was involved in developing recording
media, and in 1989 was transferred to Sony
Magnetic Products Inc. of America. Upon
returning to Japan in 1992, he was placed in
charge of the recording media business, including
magnetic tapes and optical discs. In 2002, he
was given command of the entire device/
component business. The following year, he
became NC President of the Micro Systems
Network Company. In 2004, he was promoted
to Executive Deputy President and COO (in
charge of the Device Business and Production
Strategy). He became Electronics CEO in April
2005, and subsequently President of Sony
Corporation in June, and currently serves in these
two capacities.
Strengthening the competitiveness of
product networks and proposing new
lifestyle options
Chubachi What measures have you formulated for the
Consumer Products Group and what do you see as the
principal tasks facing you?
Ihara Among individual products, we aim to grow
televisions into a highly profitable business by strengthening
our lineup, focusing on large-screen, high definition models.
In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2008, we expect to
carry out our eagerly awaited plan to commercialize our
first television employing an organic light-emitting diode
(OLED) display. Ensuring the success of this television will
be an important task for us.
For product networks, we strive to sharpen our
competitive edge both in terms of the enjoyment and
convenience provided by networks composed of Sony
products. Rather than simply augmenting our lineup of
applications for linking products, we are planning an
innovative marketing approach that involves staging
easy-to-follow demonstrations worldwide, to better
communicate the appeal of these networks.
Chubachi How will the linking of products change living
rooms at home? What changes will we see in kids’ rooms,
bedrooms and studies?
Ihara To give you an example, you will be able to operate
your television and your video and audio equipment with
one touch and one remote control. The Sony RoomLink™
function will allow you to operate equipment and access
content from anywhere in the house, no matter what room
you are in. Moreover, televisions themselves will evolve and
be able to view Web-based video content and use Internet
applications while watching television.
In terms of connecting with mobile electronics products,
we are offering consumers new ways to view photographs
taken on a digital camera on their televisions. What we’d
like to see is people enjoying high-resolution output from
their high definition-compatible digital cameras, Blu-ray
Disc players and video cameras on their BRAVIA
televisions. Enhancing linkage between products such as
these is another way we are reinforcing the “Sony United”
initiative within the group.