Soni Ericsson.

Sony Ericsson is a joint venture established in 2001 by the Japanese consumer electronics company Sony Corporation and the Swedish telecommunications company Ericsson to make mobile phones. The stated reason for this venture is to combine Sony's consumer electronics expertise with Ericsson's technological leadership in the communications sector. Both companies have stopped making their own mobile phones.The company's global management is based in Hammersmith, London, and it has research & development teams in Sweden, Japan, China, Germany, the United States, India, Pakistan and the United Kingdom.While Sony Ericsson has been enjoying strong growth recently, its South Korean rival LG Electronics overtook it in Q1 2008 due to the company's profits falling significantly by 43% to €133 million (approx. US$ 193.6746 million [1]), sales falling by 8% and market share dropping from 9.4% to 7.9%, despite favourable conditions that the handset market is expected to grow by 10% in 2008. The situation is getting worse as Sony Ericsson announced another profit warning in June 2008[2] and saw net profit crash by 97% in Q2 2008, announcing that it would cut 2,000 jobs, leading to wide fear that Sony Ericsson is on the verge of decline along with its struggling rival, Motorola.[3]Sony Ericsson has, as of July 18, 2008, approximately 9,400 employees and 2,500 contractors worldwide. The company's current President is as of 1 November Hideki Komiyama (小宮山英樹), who has replaced Miles Flint, and the Corporate Executive Vice President is Ander Runevad.Ericsson, which had been in the cellular phone market for decades, decided to divest this business in 2001 following huge losses. Ericsson had decided to source on chips for its phones from a single source, a Philips facility in New Mexico. In March 2000 a fire at the Philips factory contaminated the sterile facility. Philips assured Ericsson and Nokia (the other major customer of the facility) that production would be delayed by less than a week. When it became clear that production would actually be compromised for months, Ericsson was faced with a serious shortage. Nokia had already begun to obtain parts from alternative sources, but Ericsson's position was much worse as both production of current models and the launch of new ones was held up.[4]In the United States, Ericsson partnered with General Electric in the early nineties, primarily to establish a US presence and brand recognition.Sony Ericsson is the global title sponsor of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA), and works with the Association to promote the Tour in over 80 cities.Sony Ericsson acquired UIQ Technology, a Swedish software company from Symbian Ltd. in February 2007. UIQ will remain an independent company, Miles Flint announced.[citation needed]On 15 October 2007, Sony Ericsson announced on Symbian Smartphone Show that they will be selling half of its UIQ share to Motorola thus making UIQ technology owned by two large mobile phone companies.Main Area's of Intrest:Sony Ericsson currently concentrates on the categories of: music, camera, business (web and email), design, all-rounder, and budget focused phones. Its four largest categories are:The Walkman-branded W series music phones, launched in 2005.The Sony Ericsson W-series music phones are notable for being the first music-centric series mobile phones, prompting a whole new market for portable music that was developing at the time. Sony Ericsson’s Walkman phones have previously been commercially endorsed by pop stars Christina Aguilera and Jason Kay across Europe.The Cyber-Shot-branded line of phones, launched in 2006 in newer models of the K series phones.This range of phones are focused on the quality of the camera included with the phone. Cyber-shot phones always include a flash, some with a xenon flash, and also include auto-focus cameras. Sony Ericsson kicked off its global marketing campaign for Cyber-shot phone with the launch of ‘Never Miss a Shot’. The campaign featured top female tennis players Ana Ivanović and Daniela Hantuchova. On February 10, 2008, the series has been expanded with the announcement of C702 and C902 phones.The BRAVIA-branded line of phones, launched in 2007 Japan market only.Now, two mobile phones (FOMA SO903iTV and FOMA SO906i) uses BRAVIA brand. BRAVIA branded phone are able to watch 1seg terrestrial television.The UIQ smartphone range of mobiles, introduced with the P series in 2003 with the introduction of P800.They are notable for their touchscreens, QWERTY keypads (on most models), and use of the UIQ interface Platform from Symbian OS. This has since expanded into the M series and G series phones.The Xperia range of mobile phones, heralded by the Sony Ericsson XPERIA X1 on February 2008 at the Mobile World Congress (formerly 3GSM) held in Barcelona Spain , had opened the door for integration of Windows Mobile Operating System into Sony Ericsson powerhouse smartphones. XPERIA was the first trademark promoted by the Sony Ericsson as its own and is designated to provide technological convergence among its target user base Lars Magnus Ericsson was, no doubt, the entrepreneur behind the early years of telephone manufacturing. There were others of course, but it seemed that Ericsson was intent to succeed. Australia adopted as its first standard wall telephone an Ericsson Fiddleback, which was built in Sweden to Australian specifications and after 1901 became known as the "Commonwealth Ericsson" (P.M.G. type No.1 - 131MW). These instruments date back to the mid 1890s, and many were still in operation in regional areas in the 1960s.Lars Magnus Ericsson opened his electro-mechanical workshop in rented premises in Stockholm in 1876. His assets were not extensive but consisted of an instrument-maker's lathe, a working capital of around 1000 Krona (A$50), and a twelve year old assistant. In the early days of his venture he was involved in the repair of telephone equipment and other electrical devices, but he soon began to produce improved equipment of his own design - designs such as a dial telegraph instrument for use in railway systems, and a fire telegraph system for small communities. Such developments won him recognition for his work in this field. Ericsson's reputation for quality work soon enabled him to obtain orders from a wide variety of public and private authorities in areas such as telegraphy, fire protection, police administration and railway systems.Not long after opening his workshop, Ericsson brought in a former workmate, Carl Andersson, as his first and only partner. Andersson, who had studied abroad with the assistance of Government grants, contributed 1000 Krona to the enterprise, which then became known as L.M. Ericsson & Co. Andersson continued as Ericsson's closest associate for many years, even after the partnership was dissolved and the founder regained complete control of the company.In 1878, at the age of 32, Lars married Hilda Simonsson. Hilda became an active colleague in the new and thriving business, and for a number of years the winding of electromagnet coils using silk insulated copper wire was given to Mrs. Ericsson, at first working alone and later with the help of assistants. It has also been recorded that at times when Mrs. Ericsson was confined to bed, she continued with the winding machine propped on her knees.The second major event of 1878 was the delivery of the first telephones of Ericsson's manufacture. American-made instruments had been introduced in Sweden the previous year, and some of them had already been in Ericsson's shop for repair. The experience gained from the repair work, and with studies Ericsson had undertaken after reading accounts of Bell's patent, enabled him to design and produce serviceable instruments. Other orders followed in close succession, and although the telephone continued to be regarded as a luxury, Ericsson intensified his efforts to improve his instruments. The breakthrough of telephony in Sweden occurred in 1880 when the American Bell Company, using American equipment, constructed the first telephone networks. The situation was critical for Ericsson, as he stood to lose virtually all of his home market unless he and Andersson could demonstrate convincingly that their equipment was equal, if not superior, to Bell's. The showdown came in 1881, when the city of Galve on the Baltic coast was to be equipped with a local telephone system. The Bell Company in Stockholm offered to install and operate a system for 200 krona per subscriber per year, which was to be based on a five-year contractual arrangement. Instruments from Bell and Ericsson telephones were set up for testing, it was agreed by the 'testers' that the Ericsson telephones were simpler, stronger and more attractive. There were also other contenders plying their interests in the project.Early in 1880 Ericsson had ten workmen on his payroll. By 1884, the number was closer to one hundred. The growth of the fledgling enterprise was to continue, albeit not without some setbacks, for more than one hundred years. One of Ericsson's important contributions was to give telephone instruments and their necessary components a light, attractive appearance without any degradation of technical performance. In this respect, Ericsson instruments differed substantially from the early equipment offered by other manufacturers. Ericsson instruments produced during the last two decades of the nineteenth century, widely imitated by other companies, are today collectors' items par excellence, throughout the world.Ericsson contributed substantially to the design of early telephone exchanges, designing and producing the first 'multiple desk' in Europe in 1884. Many of these switchboards were used for more than half a century. In the concluding years of his business life, Ericsson participated actively in the design and engineering of the then new central battery system. However, he still insisted on continuing product excellence and his standards were higher than those then considered necessary for foreign competitors. The solid quality of Ericsson's work and the elegance of his designs established his products as symbols of the finest available.By 1896 the company had approximately five hundred employees in nearly all countries. At that time, Ericsson transferred the business of L.M. Ericsson & Co. to a new corporation, Aktiebolaget L.M. Ericsson & Co., capitalised at one million krona. He served as Managing Director and Chairman of the Board in the new corporation. He retired in 1900, but displayed an active interest in the company until 1903, when he disposed of his shareholdings and severed all formal connections with the enterprise he had founded and guided to a position of international stature. He took up farming on an estate near Stockholm in 1906 and died in December 1926, at the age of eighty.Sony Ericsson Mobile Company Description:Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications wants to build a better voice trap. The joint venture between Japan-based consumer electronics maker Sony and Sweden-based Ericsson combines the cell phone operations of both companies. It was established to draw on the wireless technology of Ericsson, the world's leading maker of wireless network equipment, and Sony's expertise in developing popular consumer gadgetry; the companies phased out their separately-branded phones in favor of co-developed models. Sony Ericsson is squared off against such cell phone stalwarts as Nokia and Motorola, as well as Samsung (a relative newcomer to the industry). Sony and Ericsson each own half of the venture, which was founded in 2001.BARCELONA—Sony Ericsson Sunday night announced its first Windows Mobile phone, the Xperia X1 – and it's coming to the U.S. soon."It's a truly converged device for entertainment and productivity. We're trying to avoid the use of the term 'smart phone,'" said Suzanne Cross, head product marketing manager for Sony Ericsson North America.The Xperia line signals a new focus on innovations in 'user experience' for Sony Ericsson, said Rikko Sakaguchi, the company's head of portfolio and propositions."What is tomorrow, what's the vision?" he asked. "A very simplified view is mobile communication with a rich, enriched environment with the Web ... it's not about a great-looking phone or nice design, it's more about appealing to the senses."Whatever it is, the X1 is smart. The 0.68-inch thick, 5.2-ounce device slides open to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3-inch, incredibly high-res 800 X 480 touch screen. Yes, that's a higher pixel density than the iPhone.The X1's specs include, basically, everything. Quad-band EDGE plus quad-band HSDPA 7.2 with HSUPA? Check. Wi-Fi and GPS? Check. A 3.2-megapixel camera with DVD quality video playback and capture? Check. FM radio, Bluetooth stereo, and GPS? You bet. It's all powered by a 520-MHz ARM11 processor running Windows Mobile 6. In short, this thing screams.To navigate around the X1, you can use the touch screen, cursor keys, or an optical trackpad that works a little like a laptop trackpad.Sony Ericsson has been making their own effort at fixing the Windows Mobile interface, too, with a new desktop design they call "Experia panels." Panels are essentially large, finger-friendly blocks that sit on your home screen and let you quickly access various applications. Because of the Xperia's ridiculously high-res screen, they look like zoomed-out entire screens of information. Like other maverick Windows Mobile devices such as the HTC Touch and T-Mobile Shadow, though, once you get below the home screen you're back to the old Windows Mobile interface.The X1 may appear on either AT&T or T-Mobile. Interestingly, Sony Ericsson is producing different variants with AT&T's 850/1900 MHz high-speed frequencies and with T-Mobile's new 1700-MHz high-speed frequency, which they haven't even launched yet.The X1 will be available during the second half of the year, and don't expect it to be cheap, Cross said."It's going to be high-end," she said.This won't be the only Sony Ericsson Windows Mobile phone, said Pieter Knook, Microsoft's senior vice president of mobile communications."While this is the first, initial product, clearly the anticipation is that there will be a family of products over time," he said.Sony Ericsson's choice benefits Microsoft, helping Windows Mobile in the consumer space, Knook said."Core to our strategy is to expand out from just being business or personal productivity focused," he said.But the X1 announcement wasn't the only news in a very busy Sony Ericsson press conference. Sony Ericsson also released two new camera phones, a music phone, two ExpressCards and two Symbian UIQ-based smart phones.The Cybershot C702 and C902 camera phones are both coming to the U.S. in mid 2008, and they each have something not seen in this market before. In the C702, it's a combination of a 3.2-megapixel camera with basic ruggedization, what Sony Ericsson calls splash and dust resistance. In other words, you can drop it in a mud puddle without fear, but not dunk it in a swimming pool. It's also covered with a grippy, rubbery surface."This phone is really designed to allow you to take more pictures in more places," said Sven Totte, head of imaging marketing for Sony Ericsson.The C702 also comes with built-in GPS and Google Maps for Mobile software, and tags your photos with the locations they were taken. A full Web browser, email client, FM radio and Bluetooth round out the feature set.The C902 is a slim 5-megapixel camera phone with a true Xenon flash, but similar other features to the C702. It's more metallic and skinnier, though, at only 10.5 mm thick. You activate the camera by snapping the top part of the phone up, and then manipulate it with eight dedicated camera settings touch keys studded around the screen.Both Cybershots are quad-band EDGE phones, which means they could turn up on either T-Mobile or AT&T. Sony Ericsson says they will arrive in mid 2008.Sony Ericsson hasn't played much in the ExpressCard space here in the U.S. in years – though they do have one ancient card selling on T-Mobile – but the EC400 and EC400g might change that. Both cards are HSDPA 7.2 with HSUPA on the 850/1900/2100 bands and quad-band EDGE – in English, that's AT&T's latest and fastest technology. Both have drivers on board for Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X so you don't need to download separate drivers. The EC400g adds a GPS unit to your PC, as well. Expect both mid-year.Sony Ericsson's three other releases will not make it to North America any time soon, company reps said. They include two candy-bar-style Symbian UIQ smart phones, the G700 and G900, which have a neat feature that lets you essentially write sticky notes and tack them to the phone's touch screen to remember things. The Z770i is a midrange clamshell phone with a Web browser and European high-speed networks. Finally, the W980 Walkman music phone is a clamshell phone with 8 GB of built-in storage and an FM transmitter; Sony Ericsson trumpeted this phone as the first of its kind, but the LG Fusic did it in mid-2006.Sony Ericsson's new phones impressed a packed crowd at their press conference.