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BlackBerry adds ex-Verizon, Sony Ericsson chiefs to its board of directors
BlackBerry's resurgence doesn't just require spiffy new software and devices, it also needs business-types who can talk about things like "profit share" and "equity ratios." That's why the company has coaxed former Verizon VP Richard Lynch away from his golf clubs and onto its refreshed board of directors. He's the latest heavy-hitter to sign up, and is joined by Bert Nordberg, the former CEO of Sony Ericsson, who's been out of work since he was deposed as the chief of Sony Mobile last year.
Sony Mobile reshuffle sees Nordberg out, Kunimasa Suzuki in, business as usual
Major changes are afoot over at Sony. After rebranding its mobile division, the firm has also now moved aside the former Ericsson exec who initially came with it. Kunimasa Suzuki will replace Bert Nordberg as CEO of Sony Mobile on May 16th, after leaving his current role as Executive Vice President at Sony proper. Nordberg will still have a hand in the division, taking on the role as Chairman of Sony Mobile Communications' board. Sony's Xperia S might be fresh-faced, but it's soon to come up against stiff competition -- the handling of which will no doubt be Suzuki's first true test.
Sony Ericsson posts lower Q3 profits, will shift 'entire portfolio' to smartphones in 2012
It's been a rough couple of quarters for Sony Ericsson, but things are looking slightly rosier, according to its Q3 earnings report. Today, the company announced break even year-on-year results for the third quarter of 2011, blaming the outcome on lower profit margins and higher taxes, which rose from €12 million to €17 million over the course of a year. According to the report, net profits fell to zero this quarter after reaching €49 million ($67.26 million) during Q3 2010, while sales dropped to €1.59 billion ($2.18 billion) from €1.6 billion ($2.2 billion) last year. It's not exactly an encouraging trend, but it's certainly an improvement over the last quarter, when Sony Ericsson posted a net loss of €50 million. As far as its portfolio goes, the company says its Xperia smartphones now comprise 80 percent of all sales, with some 22 million handsets already shipped to consumers. President and CEO Bert Nordberg, meanwhile, confirmed that his company will focus on this market with even more intensity, next year: "We will continue to invest in the smartphone market, shifting the entire portfolio to smartphones during 2012." You can dig through the numbers for yourself, in the full PR after the break.
Sony Ericsson CEO says company 'should have taken iPhone more seriously'
Current Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg wasn't leading the company back when Apple introduced the first iPhone in 2007, but he still has some opinions about how it should have reacted to the phone's debut. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal today, Nordberg said, "it's safe to say that Sony Ericsson should have taken the iPhone more seriously when it arrived in 2007." He has nothing but praise for the company's commitment to Android, however, saying that "our Android strategy has been successful and the best choice we could have made," and that he "wouldn't feel comfortable investing in a platform that isn't as good as the one that we currently use." That last bit was in response to a question about Windows Phone, and it may sound like a complete slam if not for the fact that he went on to admit he is "quite curious" it. Exactly what that means isn't clear, but it sounds like the door still at least isn't completely shut for the OS it once toyed around with. Hit the source link below for the full interview.
Sony Ericsson CEO: we should have taken the iPhone more seriously
Sony Ericsson CEO Bert Nordberg talked with the Wall Street Journal about the company's mobile phone strategy. During the interview, the CEO confirmed that Sony Ericsson should have taken the iPhone more seriously when it launched. Nordberg doesn't elaborate on this comment, but it likely refers to the company's slow transition from a feature phone manufacturer with Symbian as its primary OS to a smartphone manufacturer that's placing all its eggs in the Android basket. This move cost Sony Ericsson. Instead of being the leader of the pack, Sony Ericsson is losing precious market share. According to Gartner, Sony Ericsson had a 4.3% share of the global mobile phone market in Q3 2009 and dropped to a lowly 1.7% in the second quarter of 2011. During that same period, Apple grew from an insignificant level in 2009 to 4.6% in Q2 2011. This is an astounding jump for a company that sells only the iPhone and not an entire lineup of smartphones and feature phones.
Sony Ericsson CEO suggests February reveal, perhaps the PlayStation Phone?
Plausible deniability seems to be Sony's strategy when it comes to the PlayStation Phone, and that apparently goes for Sony Ericsson as well -- once again, without actually confirming the existence of the Android-based gaming handset, its manufacturer is hinting strongly at an impending reveal. "There's a lot of smoke, and I tell you there must be a fire somewhere," CEO Bert Nordberg told the Wall Street Journal, adding that some sort of new Sony Ericsson product will be unveiled at Mobile World Congress this February. While that particular item could easily be the 4.3-inch Anzu slate rather than a PlayStation slider phone, the chief executive didn't seem to shy away from video games in a series of additional quotes. "I haven't dug into that history, but the future might be brighter," he said when asked why the company didn't make a PlayStation Phone years ago, and later suggested that gaming might be the ticket to help SE diversify its offerings. "Sony is of course a very strong brand, and why shouldn't we use that?" he asked the Journal. We can't think of a single compelling reason, Mr. Nordberg. Bring on the games.
Sony Ericsson's CEO promises 'big surprises in the next few months' (video)
The grand opening of Sony Ericsson's new Americas HQ in Atlanta isn't the sort of thing we spend sleepless nights thinking about, but a PSP Phone is. It's mighty encouraging, therefore, to hear the company's CEO Bert Nordberg tease "big surprises" coming from his team over the next few months. That revelation was accompanied by plentiful references to SE as an entertainment phone maker, a sly grin, and the usual disclaimer that "we never announce them in advance" -- though considering the gap between the Xperia X10 announcement and arrival to market, maybe Bert should reconsider that part. Either way, unless SE's big surprise is the delivery of a smartphone with an up-to-date OS and cutting-edge components on time (which would, admittedly, be a surprise), we're happy to take this as a sign that the Android 3.0-powered gaming platform-cum-smartphone is brewing nicely behind the scenes.
Sony Ericsson CEO: Google asked us to build the Nexus One, we refused
Aw, why don't these CEOs say stuff like this in press conferences? Sony Ericsson's head Bert Nordberg has shared with Swedish publication Sydsvenskan the rather salacious news that his company was asked to build the so-called Google phone before HTC... and it turned down the opportunity. Fearing brand dilution or something equally crazy, Nordberg states that Sony Ericsson is committed to building only its own-branded hardware and will not be a subcontractor to anyone. Haughty words from a company whose own Android device is still a good couple of months away from hipsters' pockets, but we're sure Bert knows best. After all, it's not like HTC got a ton of positive press and brand awareness out of its partnership with Google, and it's exceptionally clear that SE doesn't need a dime of additional revenue. Oh, wait. [Thanks, Michael N]
