The Origin of Sony

THE ORIGIN OF SONY

Founded by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita in 1958, the Sony Corporation has come a long way since its first transistor radios. Being innovative thinkers, the founders realized a need for a global brand with mass appeal. Hence, as the company grew, it was simply logical to establish production facilities in their respective regions. Since its inception, very few have been able to match Sony's track record for invention and innovation. These include the first Trinitron color television (1968), the color video-cassette (1971), the renowned Walkman (1979), the world's first CD player (1982), the 3.5-inch floppy disk (1989) and many others.

THE GUIDING VISION

The origin of Sony goes way back to May 1946. Back then, its original name was Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo K.K. (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation). The founders, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, wanted a name that can be easily remembered by the world. This was essential to achieve success in the global market. Their vision was for Sony to become an endearing household name across the globe. With this in mind, Morita came up with the term 'global localization' in 1988. He said, "In this day and age, many companies are pursuing globalization, but instead, we should move ahead with a policy of global localization, meaning that we set down roots and truly become an integrated member of the local community."

Sony's mission is to establish an 'ideal' factory that puts emphasis on the spirit of freedom and open-mindedness. A place where designers and engineers can work out their creative and technological skills to the highest potential.

THE ESSENCE OF SONY

Sony's assets are neither its buildings, nor its land. Sony's greatest asset is the image of the four letters: S-O-N-Y. Just as in the past, for Sony to succeed in the future, it must raise its brand image and create innovative products.

Innovative ideas are the most important aspect of creating Sony products. Technology supports those ideas afterwards, but the ideas must come first. To create products that alter the industry, we must have the ability to foresee future trends and the unlimited imagination to dream up new products.

Most important of all, we must not only think of today, instead we must think three to five years from now. We must be very perceptive to what our customers want. We want our customers to say, "I am glad I purchased a Sony product," so we must create products that pull at their heartstrings.

1951-1955

The Dawn of a Technological Revolution

In 1955, Sony developed the world's first transistor radio. Small and extremely functional, the transistors heralded a new technological era with its potential.

1956-1960

The World is Our Market

In 1958, the company officially changed its name to Sony Corporation and this marked a new beginning for the company. As global markets began to grow, products stamped with the Sony trademark were widely gaining acceptance and popularity. During this period, revolutionary technologies and the world's first transistor televisions were developed, paving the way to an electronic revolution and the video tape recorder.

1961-1965

Sony, the Guinea Pig

During this period, Sony was often referred to as a corporate guinea pig, an experimental animal likely to be gobbled by the big companies that follow behind. Despite this risk, Sony continued to develop new products using transistor technology and led the way to capture the attention of the world.

1966-1970

Just Another Company?

Sony entered a difficult period. Competitors from around the world were nipping at Sony's heels. Sony had just spent a huge amount of time and money developing the color television, the video tape recorder, and the SOBAX calculator. Despite the economic downturn in Europe and many daunting challenges, Sony finally created a new color television, dubbed the Trinitron.

1971-1975

Manufacturing Closer To The Market

As big corporations around the world began relocating manufacturing facilities to places like Taiwan and Southeast Asia, Sony promptly began setting up a series of overseas manufacturing facilities closer to the consumer market. This was a significant first step towards truly becoming a world enterprise.

1976-1980