Updated on
Summary Kazuo Hirai said it's not clear when the alliance's first products will become available.
Sonys new alliance with scandal-tarnished Olympus will focus on producing endoscopes and other surgical tools packed with the Japanese electronic makers three-dimensional imaging and super-clear 4K display technologies.Sony Corp. President Kazuo Hirai said its not clear when the alliances first products will become available. He acknowledged that medical equipment requires special regulatory approval that will take longer and be a learning curve for Sony whose expertise is in gadgets and movies.This is a challenge in a new sector, Hirai told reporters at the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce in a joint press conference with Olympus Corp. President Hiroyuki Sasa. There was a lot of talk on whether we could go at it alone. But Sony decided it couldnt and felt that risks could be lowered if the two Japanese companies joined forces in the effort to turn medical equipment into one of the pillars of Sonys sprawling business, Hirai said.Sonys empire includes consumer electronics, movies, music, games and banking. The companys sheer size and its apparent inability to produce long promised synergies among its divisions have often been criticized.Technology such as 3D and the futuristic displays known as 4K have not yet produced big results in consumer electronics products such as TVs. TV sets with 3D images require viewers to wear special glasses and havent caught on. Sony has shown a 4K TV image, which is more fine and dazzling than high-definition TV, but it is unclear whether such an expensive product will catch on.
