So yes it's only a change in the name.

On February 8, 2012, your “PlayStation®Network account” will be renamed a “Sony Entertainment Network account” or a “SEN account” in conjunction with Sony Computer Entertainment’s PlayStation®3 system software and PlayStation®Vita system software updates. (Note, this change will not be applied to the PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system at this time.)

For general purposes, this account change is a change in name only. Your username or password will not change, nor are we asking you to change them. In accordance with this transition, some necessary naming changes will be made to the TOS and Privacy Policy.

This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering. As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation®Network will be aligned with “Sony Entertainment Network.” This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account.

Thank you for your continued loyalty and support during this transition.

Sincerely,
The Sony Entertainment Network Team

So I still can't change my date of birth...

PlayStation Network/PSN sounds better.

Where did you get this info from?

If this is true, I think it is a great idea. Bringing the Sony brand together in on place will help us and Sony share content and bring all different Sony users together. If this is what I think it is, we may even get to use certain games we have bought, like PSone classics, on other devices devices like the Sony phones and tablets without have to re buy the same content like we do now.

Personally I would be much more incline to buy Sony branded phones and tablets if I knew the stuff I bought on one device, like the PS3 or Vita, carried over to the other Sony devices. I would even start buying movies from the Sony store.

This move would bringing them closer to why I find apple products very appealing. I buy an app from my iPod, then i decided to change my cell phone to a iPhone, and from there I switch to a iPhone5 and I still get to keep my app. With Apple you can keep all your content in one place (iTunes), on one account and this system makes digital content for me much easier to manage.

Is this Sonys way of slowly getting rid of the playstation name or is PSN (SEN) going to become the backbone of more Sony Products outside of the playstation brand?

I find this odd to say the least, wonder what's their purpose for this.

I think I read an article the other day specifically complaining about Sony constantly competing with itself due not having a unified service, so this is a good change.

As Panama said, it's bringing together a unified service.

One thing to stop and consider, Sony only ever said it would never charge for PlayStation Network, it never said it wouldn't charge (or hasn't yet) for Sony Entertainment Network.

I think this is a sly way of setting up a new subscription-based service.

PSN sounds better. Although I'm currently enjoying Uncharted 3/ Killzone 3 online and with Starhawk and Twisted Metal releasing soon I don't really care.