Sony Innovation: Past, Present and Future

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Sony America is:

• A leading audio-visual electronics and information technology company in the US and worldwide • A leading music company in the US and worldwide • The co-developer of the CD, DVD, and SACD; the developer, manufacturer, and marketer of PlayStation • The inventor of a wide range of consumer audio-visual products

In the competitive electronics market within the United States, Sony has managed to dominate. Sony Electronics is the largest segment of Sony America. The company has seen almost constant growth since 1960.

Throughout the company’s time here in the U.S., it has introduced numerous products that have revolutionized the electronics industry. The Sony Trinitron television and the Walkman personal stereo have become the industry leaders. There are future products on the horizon, such as the VIAO, CLIO, and Sony’s line of digital cameras, which stand to once again raise the bar.

Developing and producing these products for Sony is a 21,000 person workforce. Sony encourages these team members to innovate, take risks, and exceed the customer’s expectations. The work these talented individuals did led to nearly $14 billion in sales this past year. In a 2000 poll, Sony was recognized as the number one brand name in America, beating out Ford, Coca-Cola, and Disney.

Sony also invests a great deal in the community and their relationship with both their customers and their employees. Corporate ethics play a big part in every day at Sony. They have developed an Ethics-in-Action program which is designed to train all levels of Sony workers in how to remain honest, trustworthy and fair.

DEFINITION OF AUDIT

The defining and analysis of past, present, and future systems, programs, and structures which influence creativity and innovation - all in order to define changes and opportunities in innovation to further company success in the market.

This audit