Sony Corporation of Tokyo, Japan is celebrating its 35th anniversary in 1981. Since its early beginnings in a bombed out Tokyo department store in 1945, Sony has grown to become a worldwide leader in transistor and integrated circuit technology. From an initial capitalization of $500, Sony now employs over 33,000 people worldwide, with sales during 1980 of over $4.2 billion.
Sony manufactures products that cover the entire range of consumer and professional electronics—from color television receivers to office equipment to state-of-the-art broadcast equipment. The company has manufacturing facilities in eleven countries including two factories in the United States that employ over 3,000 people.
In the course of its relatively short history, Sony has repeatedly caught the attention of consumers and industry experts the world over by introducing spectacular new products of great innovation. Some of these include: the first tape recorder made in Japan (1950), the first Japanese transistor radio (1954), the world’s first fully transistor- ized television set (1959), the world’s first home video tape recorder (1964), the first portable VTR (1966), and the first PCM audio unit for home use (1977). The Trinitron color television tube was awarded an Emmy by the American Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 1973.
Sony's Betamax system made a substantial impact on the world- wide popularity of home video recording.
The co-founders of Sony, Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita, still direct executive policy decisions for the entire Sony group. Mr. Ibuka is Honorary Chairman and Mr. Morita is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Kazuo Iwama, President, joined the company during its earliest days and is responsible for the overall operations of Sony.
Philips/Sony press kit 27 May 1981 New York