Sony CEO: Nokia Doesn't Get It

from the it's-all-about-music dept

Always On has a remarkably open interview with Sony Chairman and CEO Nobuyuki Idei. In the first part of the three part series Idei makes a number of bold statements. First, he says he'd love to buy Palm's software business because he doesn't like paying their licensing fees. Second, he approved the Sony Ericsson joint venture because he didn't want to have to pay Ericsson licensing fees for their GSM patents. You quickly get the sense that Idei doesn't like to rent, he prefers to own. But the boldest statement is his take on Nokia. Idei thinks that Nokia, by focusing on the being the highest volume and lowest cost producer, is missing the real opportunity in the mobile phone business, downloading music to handsets. I guess if you own one of the largest integrated media and consumer electronics companies in the world that's a pretty natural conclusion. And it makes even more sense when you consider this quote from a recent Economist article about Sony:That Apple has come seemingly from nowhere to launch the Walkman of the early 21st century has shaken many Sony executives. Given Sony Ericsson's rocky start and Sony Entertainment's (as well as the whole music industry's) slow adoption of Internet distribution, it remains to be seen if Sony can deliver on this vision.

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