http://192.168.2.6/music/外语区音、视频专用文件夹/SONY_由领头羊到“跟屁虫”.rm

The trouble with SONY. It's not a Hitchcock film, but the last few months had been a thriller for the world's number two consumer electronics firm, with battery recalls, product delays, and analyst in market disappointment. The creator of the walkman hopes to rebound under foreign CEO Howard Stringer, but brand analyst Martin Roar says SONY has lost its way.

"SONY fathom has a myth, but also laid the last couple of year that are being nowhere like by the...like the Ipods, the Samsungs, a lot of different competitors in different industries. And it seems like they have lost the touch in terms of the sign and innovation. They used to be a trend-setter, and now they had become a trend-follower."

Some say Stringer inherited in June 2005 a bloated conglomerate still reeling from its infamous SONY shard. It needed job cuts, a pairing of its diverse business, and a leader to do this quickly. An obvious detour has been the recall of nearly ten million PC batteries due to safety concerns, which will cost 530 million dollars, and combines with one and a half billion in loses at SONY's game unit that forces 62% percent cut in earning's forecast.

Much depends on the next generation PlayStation 3, which will compete with Microsoft's X-Box 360, an intent those upcoming WE unit from next months in Japan and the US, but miss the crucial Christmas season in Europe, due to a delay. Fitch analyst Tatsuya Mizuno says the delay and a PS 3 price cut even before the product reaches company's shelves shows management's confusion.

"On the game hardware side, they need high prices to recoup start-up investment, but on the software side, they want low prices to attract and lock in customers. In my view, SONY tried to compromise between the two, but the price cut was a half-baked approach."

Earlier this month, Fitch downgraded SONY's debt rating, saying the company renowned for innovation, had not brought such products to market for some time. Solutions for the blue-blue chip aren't easy, but Mizuho's C says less emphasis on the electronic division, responsible for 70% of revenues may help.

"I believe for the middle-to-long term, the only course for SONY to take is putting less emphasis on electronics manufacturing, which is happening in the global economy, and should be the approach for SONY. "

SONY's market value is about 50 million dollars. That's down about 7 percent since early September, and less than half rival Samsung electronics, which was smaller only five years ago. While no one at SONY blames Howard Stringer, many have asked what he intends to stem the bleeding, and put once the proud leader back in front.

Dan Sloan, Reuters, S.

I am glad to see   it

sony is in deep risk

some skeletons in the closet...
how could such a company like sumsung develop like this ?