February 05, 2014

JIP Reportedly In Talks To Buy Sony's PC Business, Only A Week After It Bought NEC BIGLOBE

Today it was reported that Sony is in talks to sell personal computer operations to Japan Industrial Partners. The transaction value is said to be JPY 40 to 50 billion. The sale may be announced as early as tomorrow Feb 6th, as Sony is scheduled to report its earning results tomorrow.

Just a week ago, Japan Industrial Partners announced the acquisition of NEC Biglobe from its 4th fund.

The below is NEC's press release on the sale of NEC BIGLOBE to Japan Industrial Partners.

January 30, 2014
NEC Corporation
Japan Industrial Partners, Inc.
NEC BIGLOBE, Ltd.

Tokyo, January 30, 2014 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE 6701) and Japan Industrial Partners, Inc. (Japan Industrial Partners) today announced an agreement to transfer all of NEC's shares in NEC BIGLOBE, Ltd. (NEC BIGLOBE), an NEC subsidiary, to a special purpose company owned by Japan Industrial Partners Ⅳ Investment Limited Partnership and others in order to achieve further business expansion for NEC BIGLOBE.

Under the agreement, the transfer of all of NEC's shares in NEC BIGLOBE will be completed by the end of March 2014, and business operations will be carried out under a new organizational structure beginning in April.

In 1996, NEC initiated BIGLOBE as an internet service provider (ISP), then established NEC BIGLOBE in 2006 as a separate spin-off business. Since then, NEC BIGLOBE has expanded its business with the growth of the Internet and has contributed to providing stable earnings for NEC.

This agreement will enable NEC BIGLOBE to receive financial and management support from Japan Industrial Partners in order for it to realize further business growth.

NEC's enterprise system integration and service business will continue to collaborate with NEC BIGLOBE's knowhow and services in support of current and future customers.

Japan Industrial Partners has invested in a wide range of business divisions and subsidiaries of major corporations and has extensive experience in strategic initiatives that maximize business value. The combination of NEC BIGLOBE's competitiveness in the ISP business and its knowhow of Internet service platform operations with Japan Industrial Partners' management support knowhow is expected to result in further growth for NEC BIGLOBE.

Making the most of its more than three million broadband and mobile subscribers, its highly reliable Internet service platforms, and its knowhow in operating them, NEC BIGLOBE aims to activily expand its business while creating new value added services through the combination of broadband and mobile communications.



The below are Today's Nikkei article on the possible sale of SONY's PC unit.

TOKYO -- Sony is in talks to unload its sluggish personal computer operations to investment fund Japan Industrial Partners, part of a business overhaul designed to shift focus to smartphones, The Nikkei learned Tuesday.
     Under the plan, the fund will establish a new company to which Sony will sell its entire PC business. The sale price is estimated at 40 billion yen to 50 billion yen ($391 million to $489 million).

     The new entity would continue to sell PCs under the Vaio brand and also handle after-sales service. To facilitate the transfer, Sony will take only a small stake in the firm, which will try to solidify its business base at home. While the company may maintain operations in overseas markets where the Vaio brand is well-known, it will withdraw from most countries and regions.

     Sony's PC business has a staff of roughly 1,000. Many of them, including executives, will be taken on by the new firm, but some others will be transferred to other departments within Sony. The parties are discussing having Sony's PC site in Nagano Prefecture continue handling R&D and production under the new company.

     The sale of the PC business will result in disposal losses, pushing Sony into a net loss for the first time in two years for the year ending March 31 -- a reversal from the projected 30 billion yen in profit. With TV and digital camera operations languishing, its electronics business is performing below expectations.

     The Japanese consumer electronics titan made a full entry into information technology equipment by launching the Vaio brand of PCs back in 1996. Its annual PC shipments peaked at 8.7 million units but are now projected to fall to 5.8 million units this fiscal year. Sony was the ninth-ranked PC maker in the world with a 1.9% share of all PCs shipped during the January-September period of 2013, according to U.S. research firm IDC. Although Sony does not disclose earnings for the PC business, the segment is believed to be bleeding red ink.

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