Sony using new technology for 'one-touch entertainment'
Sony Thai has announced a "one-touch entertainment" strategy as this year's business direction.
Through this strategy, near-field communication (NFC) is the key technology that Sony will embed in all its product categories, said Sony Thai managing director Toru Shimizu.
“This year, we will heavily promote the ‘one-touch’ function to allow our customers to enjoy seamlessly all our products – TVs, computers, digital cameras, tablets and smart phones,” Shimizu said.
The company is continuing to drive revenue with the high-growth mobile category of smart phones and tablets.
Sony Thai’s overall business this year is expected to grow by 10 per cent, Shimizu said. TV sales contribute 50 per cent, mobile phones 15 per cent, digital imaging 20 per cent, information technology 10 per cent, and accessories and others 5 per cent.
Pinyo Sanguansethakul, senior director of the consumer sales division, said Sony Thai planned to spend Bt500 million on marketing this year.
Sony expects the smart-phone market in Thailand to grow by 37 per cent to Bt54 billion from Bt40 billion last year. The digital-camera market is expected to grow by 30 per cent. Sales of Sony’s Xperia Z mobile phone are expected to double. Sony will also launch its first tablet, Xperia Tablet Z, to the Thai market next month; the price has not been revealed. The company plans to expand its service centres to support Sony’s smart phones and tablets.
The company plans to launch 16-17 smart-phone and tablet models to the Thai market throughout this year.
In the television category, Sony plans to launch 18 new Bravia models, all of which will support digital broadcasting. They will be imported from Malaysia, and will range from 32 to 65 inches.
“The first model will be available as soon as the digital TV service is launched officially,” Shimizu said.
Sony aims for the TV business to grow by least 15 per cent this year, compared with normal growth of 10 per cent.
Pinyo said: “Thailand’s TV market in the past few years was 2.7 million units.
This year is expected to be 3 million units.”
He added that consumer behaviour had been changing, forcing the electronics industry to change as well. Consumers now do not consider only price but care more about innovation.
“Sony has had to change. We are changing now under the concept of ‘be moved’, which means we are now ready to move to digital,” Pinyo said.
