This post over on Bloomberg discusses very, very low ratings for Sony’s stock. Sony, for as big a company as it is, is facing some of the same troubles that plague Microsoft. As consumer technology moves into the devices and services sector, Sony has had trouble keeping up since their flagship products have been in audio, video, digital cameras, and traditional PCs. All of those are being hit hard because of massive marketplace shifts and so much new competition. Their entertainment division isn’t doing so well either, although it’s on much better footing than electronics.

To be fair to Sony, they are a huge organization and not designed for agile shifts in direction. Additionally, their products, while outstanding in terms of build quality and design, are premium. Apple can afford to do that, Sony can’t. They have already scaled back production of TVs, and sold their spectacular building in NYC for over $1 billion. Even with that massive sale, it’s a short term solution.

I have faith in Sony. They need to shift into the D&S much more heavily than they are now, and really push their tablets, phones, and even laptops. They’re all top-tier products but the company is too big to be kept afloat by TVs and consoles alone.