Financial Services
Sony aims to continue this stable profit growth in its Financial Services business by continuing the pursuit of high-quality service. At the same time, the Company will be working to grow its nursing care business, launched last year, into the fourth pillar of its Financial Services business.
Looks like Sony is putting themselves in a position to profit greatly from Japans aging nation. Life insurance has been a money maker for Sony and this nursing care business might compliment it in several ways as well as their other investments into medical technology.
Imaging Businesses
In the component device space, Sony plans to focus on batteries in addition to image sensors. These two key components are expected to be a driving force for Sony to deliver attractive products and new services. In the medical space, the development of surgical endoscopes incorporating 3D and 4K technology being carried out by Sony Olympus Medical Solutions, Sony’s medical business joint venture with Olympus Corporation, is proceeding as scheduled, targeting market launch in FY15.
I think going forward in mobile technology advances in battery technology are the most needed advances. Heat and capacity of batteries have been holding back the growth of mobile devices as is. The iPhone and iPad Battery life are indeed one of their highest measures of quality much like the old Game Boy.
Direction of New Technology Development
Specifically, in device technologies, Sony plans to concentrate on image sensors, batteries and low energy consumption technologies. In information processing technologies, Sony will focus on recognition, natural user interface and signal processing innovation. Sony will leverage these technologies to pursue its “Life Space UX” initiative, which will allow users to enjoy video or music or access information they need anywhere within the home, and “wearable” products in the mobile space.
Sounds alot like Kinect + wearables. If they can make Kinect cheap(I think Sony has the manufacturing and engineering expertise to do so) I can see how it might be very effective medically in Japan. Monitoring when old people have fallen and recognizing their cries for help. Also the ability to monitor them in the comfort of their own home instead needing to go to a medical facility in some cases. Seeing accelrated heart rate and mood etc. This would compliment their nursing and medical ventures well and provides some great applications for the device even if it isn't games.
As far as games go I do believe when it's not intrusive(or ridiculously expensive) Cameras can make life easier and work as an input. It's just at the current time information processing for camera data has been very high cost. Battery in particular on mobile devices and bandwith for processing the data on stationary devices(Kinect GPU reservations). If their information processing technologies can dissipate more of the lag from processing the data I think cameras would make a swell input for even for games and not just media and medical stuff.
If Sony can make a Kinect+ enabled Roku that plays/stream games for 99-149 I think that the device could be their first mainstream product in a while. Add a camera to an updated VitaTV chipset and the rest is simply software. They can make move remotes with better ergonomics with a light bar instead of the huge bulb or let it work with DS4.
