多角化企業ソニーの苦悩

　「健全な内部競争(healthy internal rivalry)」が、ともすると「組織の無秩序(organizational disarray)」になるという危険性について、ソニーの音楽配信事業の例を参照する。

　興味深いのは、同じ音楽配信をめぐって同社が10年以上前にも同様の分裂を経験をしていること。再生端末、ソフトウェア、ダウンロード・サーヴィスという３段階の境界は、実は聴取者にとっては関係ない。この境界を消したことがiPodの成功要因であることを、ソニーの事例が裏付けているかに見える。

　引用はしなかったけれど、これにはソニーの製造業ソニーの職人気質も関係しているようだ。米国の配信事業がハード・ディスク方式の端末を要求する一方で、日本の技術者側はミニディスクとATRAC形式にこだわった。ウォークマン事業のトップは「誰にでも作れるハード・ディスク端末は面白くない」と言っている。（hard-drive gadgetsare interestingbecauseanyone can make them.��

　聴取者にとって、記憶媒体とか記録方式だとかは、実はそれほど関係なかったりする。現に、iPodはハード・ディスクとフラッシュ・メモリーの両方を採用しているけれど、その差異を強調しない。記録媒体がカセット・テープからCDに移行した時に、ソニーは「ウォークマン」から「ディスクマン」に製品名を変更したのと好対照だ。ここにソニーの強い技術志向が感じられる。

6月29日付WSJ「At Sony, Rivalries Were Encouraged; Then Came iPod」

As early as 1998, when college students were starting to load music files onto their computers and exchange them over the Internet, Sony had considered bringing out digital-music devices and online services. But there were big differences of opinion: The PC and Walkman groups each had their own products and technologies they wanted to push. And Sony’s U.S. music unit - formed with the purchase of CBS Records in 1988 - was afraid its sales would be hit by free music downloads.

Some Tokyo engineers say privately that they remain wary of listening too closely to Sony’s entertainment units, whom they blame for obstructing new electronics products by worrying too much about piracy.

Even within the electronics division, various arms worked at cross-purposes. Both the Walkman and PC groups launched their own hard-drive music players within a month of each other - without coordinating on product-planning or marketing. At the time, some executives said such duplication was part of Sony’s tradition of healthy internal rivalry.

Mr. Tsujino agreed to help with Connect. But he had one condition: He needed control of both software and hardware to make it succeed, people close to Connect say. Mr. Idei promised to move all the necessary divisions into the Connect company, and appointed Messrs. Tsujino and Wiser as co-presidents.

Sony’s new flash-memory Walkmans, fashioned to look like little perfume flasks, have been top sellers in Japan - beating Apple’s equivalent iPod - since they were launched in April. Its latest line of hard-drive Walkmans is starting to take share from hard-disk iPods in Japan as well, according to sales tracking service BCN Inc.

People close to Connect say Sony is pushing hard to roll out in the fall a fully revamped version of the Connect service, complete with jukebox software, a retooled Walkman and a video-download service. Connect is also working with the videogame and cellphone groups, in a stab at true cross-company cooperation.