Sony Electronics to Manage U.S. Sales and Distribution for Professional Audio and Video Production Software

PARK RIDGE, N.J., - Sony Electronics' Broadcast and ProductionSystems division will now manage the U.S. sales and distribution ofSony Media Software's professional video and audio production tools inthe pro A/V, music industry, and government channels.

These products encompass all of the former desktop software assetsof Sonic Foundry, which were acquired by Sony Pictures Digital in July,and include such tools as Vegas, Vegas + DVD, Sound Forge and ACID.

"The capabilities of these software tools complement and strengthenSony Electronics' professional audio and video equipment," said SteveJacobs, senior vice president of Sony's Broadcast and ProductionSystems division.

"Under this new arrangement, the combined availability of bothhardware and software through our sales and marketing channels nowprovides professional customers with a complete and unprecedented'one-stop' Sony-based A/V production workflow from acquisition toonline editing to display."

The integration of the media software line into Sony Electronics'sales and distribution channels also underscores the importance of twokey customer segments: the rapidly growing "pro-sumer" field and theestablished professional audio and video market.

Jacobs said that the growth of the pro-sumer market has been enabledby a wider range of access for users to performance levelstraditionally associated with high-end, and higher-priced,technologies.

"Just as today's $4,000 DVCAM camcorder performs on a par with the$40,000 camcorders of the recent past, Sony Media Software givespro-sumers the capabilities of several racks worth of high-endprofessional gear, all on their PC," he added.

The acquisition of the Sonic Foundry software line was a significantpart of Sony Pictures Digital's ongoing effort to maximize its digitalservices capabilities and infrastructure, which not only makeinformation and entertainment available anytime on any enabled device,but also enable individuals to take more control over how they enjoy,and manage, their media.

"Sony is committed to delivering entertainment to consumers throughmultiple channels," said Patrick Kennedy, executive vice president ofSony Pictures Digital Networks, a business unit of Sony PicturesDigital. "As broadband access has become increasingly more pervasive,the options for consumers have expanded, creating new markets andopportunities. Working across all Sony divisions, Sony Pictures Digitalwill provide the technological know-how and the infrastructure todeliver our content deeper into the marketplace."

The Sony Media Software Group offers a software engineering teamwith expertise in media software development. It also gives SonyPictures Digital a strong line of business with award-winning andmarket-proven software.

"Sony Pictures has expertise in the sales, marketing anddistribution of packaged entertainment media like DVDs," Kennedy said."Sony Media Software and Sony Electronics have the combined sales andmarketing expertise in pairing hardware and software solutions thatbest serve the products, the channel and our customers."