2014/09/23 Holding The Ground: Sony Mobile Riding on Mother Ship's Strong Media Assets
Though It Still Needs Improvements in Other Areas to Meet ChallengesBoston, MA - September 4, 2014 - Facing stiff challenges in the smartphone market, Sony Mobile has sharpened its content and service strategies to compete, especially riding on Sony’s strong position in music, games and movies. However, Sony Mobile must improve its integration with those media assets while enhancing its participation in location and payments to assist its stated ambition to become the number three global smartphone vendor.
Strategy Analytics has evaluated the different content and service assets of Sony Mobile in its latest Wireless Media Strategies report, “Handset Vendors' Content And Service Strategy: Sony Mobile”. We view the efforts Sony Mobile has put into its mobile ecosystem, especially those related to media, as positive, although it continues to lag behind Apple and Samsung.
Click here for the report
"We believe content and services alone will be insufficient to move smartphone consumers from one Smartphone brand to another. But the competitive landscape has changed so much with content and services viewed as table stakes, and importantly, remaining a key differentiator for device OEMs" said Nitesh Patel, Director for Wireless Media Strategies. "We think Sony Mobile has made the right choice to focus its efforts in providing content and services on media discovery and consumption, riding on Sony Corporate’s strong assets in these areas. However, it’s clear that Sony is not investing in its content and services ecosystem as much as rival vendors Apple and Samsung"
"We also advise Sony Mobile to be more active in partnering, for example to work with more ambitious carriers to offer customized music streaming services, to differentiate from the rest of the pack," said Wei Shi, Senior Analyst for Wireless Media Strategies. "We see these focused areas well aligned with Sony Mobile’s overall strategy. Meanwhile, we think it will help if Sony Mobile can strengthen its offerings in other areas, e.g. e-payment and location, by borrowing experience from its competitors’ moves in the market lately. Again, we recommend a partnership approach with leading providers, rather than building or acquiring these capabilities."
Source: Strategy Analytics
