WSJ: Sony buying out Ericsson's end of mobile joint-venture
Sony's PlayStation Suite may be planned for more than just a few of Sony Ericsson's mobile devices, as the Wall Street Journal has heard from "people familiar with the matter" that Sony intends on buying out Ericsson's half of the two companies' joint cellular partnership. Sony and Ericsson came together in 2001 to create mobile devices, but Sony only got its PlayStation brand involved in the collaboration within the past year, with the launch of the Xperia Play and not-quite-launched PlayStation Suite.
Apparently the deal is also quite fragile at the moment, with one source indicating "the talks are ongoing and could break apart at any time." It's still unclear how much Ericsson might net from the deal, though analysts peg Ericsson's stake at anywhere between €1 billion and €1.25 billion ($1.3 billion to $1.7 billion).
The results of the purchase could be dramatic, with Sony taking full control of its mobile development wing -- a perfect pairing with Sony's PlayStation Suite. Whether the deal actually happens, however, remains to be seen.
