14 DAY TRIAL // 2012 is proving to be a harsh year for everyone on the PC and consumer electronics market, except Lenovo at any rate. Sony is the latest to become a symptom of this fact.
We've only just brought an update on AMD's poor financial situation, and the layoffs that will result from it. Though fewer than previously implied, they are still many.
As it happens, Sony has also decided to fire people in the thousands by the end of the year.
The estimate is 2,000. Most of the ones taking their leave have “support functions” at Sony EMCS Corp, and “other major consolidated electronics subsidiaries.”
Sony is also closing a camera component manufacturing plant at the Minokama Site in Japan, and won't be transferring the workers to other departments.
There is more though. This round of layoffs is just part of the overall business downsizing plan that Sony has cooked up.
The IT player means to reduce its workforce by 10,000 by the end of March 2013, 3,000-4,000 of which will be from Japan only.
We've heard of so many layoffs by now that they do not come across as surprises anymore. Sharp is deep in its own restructuring process, HP is firing 8,000 of its European employees, even Panasonic is letting go of 6,850 workers at its Japanese headquarters.
It all goes to show that the so-called recession still hasn't completely passed, and that the interests of those who still have money have changed.
That brands continue to stubbornly hold onto high price tags isn't exactly helping matters.
Then again, makers of memory have tried the “cheap yet powerful” product strategy for the whole past three years, yet it has failed rather spectacularly (RAM will improve more slowly from now on). At least Sony isn't in danger of collapsing like Kodak and Elpida did.