adminThe move comes as Sony has been restructuring its TV business, which has been making a loss for the past seven years.
Samsung, meanwhile, has gone on to become the world’s largest maker of TVs and flat screen panels.
“Under the agreement, Samsung will acquire all of Sony’s shares of S-LCD Corporation, the two companies’ LCD panel manufacturing joint venture, making S-LCD a wholly owned subsidiary of Samsung,” Samsung Electronics said in a statement.
The joint venture between the two companies was established in 2004, when a boom in the global economy saw a surge in demand for consumer electronics.
However, things have taken a dramatic turn in the last three years.
Triggered by the financial crisis in 2008, the subsequent global economic uncertainty has resulted in a slowdown in consumer demand.
At the same time, falling prices of LCD panels and flat screens have also hurt profit margins.
“In order to respond to such challenging conditions and to strengthen their respective market competitiveness, the two companies have agreed to shift to a new LCD panel business alliance,” Samsung said.
Sony will continue to get LCD panels from Samsung based on prevailing market prices, without having to operate a manufacturing facility.
For its part, Samsung said the full ownership of the venture will give it “heightened flexibility, speed and efficiency in both panel production and business operations”.
Analysts said the deal was the right move, especially for Sony.
“In terms of direction it is positive,” said Keita Wakabayashi, an analyst at Mito Securities in Tokyo.
“But if they are making a loss on the sale, one could ask why they didn’t make this decision sooner.” — BBC.
Online Reporter