in the post war japanese economy ibuka and morita made their living repairing radios and manufacturing small numbers of voltmeters whilst looking to develop a future in designing and manufacturing new electronics, their first electronic innovation was an automatic rice cooker, its success was limited but it was the first in a long line of innovations which continues today.
ibuka and morita were global thinkers, they realised the need for a global brand which crossed cultural and language borders in order to expand the business in the US and later, Europe.
TTK was already being used by another company so the new name 'Sony' was concieved, the name Sony derives from the latin word 'Sonus' meaning sound, and the english word Sonny-boy, a term used by americans in the 1950's to denote a bright youngster.
Although the name of the company was not officially changed to Sony Corporation until 1958, the first Sony branded product was the TR-55 transistor radio which went on sale in 1955.
This was shortly followed by Sony’s world first "pocketable" transistor radio.
Sony’s UK history began in 1968 when Sony United Kingdom was founded in London. Six years later Sony became the first major Japanese company to open a factory in the UK.
Today there are two factories, both in Wales, at Bridgend and Pencoed, which between them manufacture broadcast cameras, television sets and components for the UK and export to other countries around the world.
Indeed, Sony was awarded the prestigious Queens Award for Export on four occasions in the 80s and 90s.
Today Sony UK employs around 4,500 people in functions including Manufacturing, Sales and Marketing. Sony’s UK Headquarters are located at Brooklands, near Weybridge, in Surrey, on the site of the old Brooklands Racing Circuit, just inside the M25.
in 1950, Totsuko launched the 'soni tape', japans first magnetite-coated, paper based recording tape. this was soon followed by japans magnetic tape recorder, the G-type.
in 1954, the company won a licence to make transistors, a new technology that had been invented in america but had not yet applied to radios which were still bulky valve-driven appliances, in may of that year totsuko launched japans first transistor and then followed this with the worlds first all transistor radio in 1955.
ground breaking developments include the first trinnitron colour television in 1968, the colour video cassette player in 1971, the betamax VCR in 1975, the walkman in 1979, the world first CD player in 1982, the 8mm camcorder based on a universal standard in 1985, the first consumer use digital video camcorder in 1995, the next generation high capacity optical disc (blu ray disc) recorder in 2003, and the wolrds first consumer use digital HD video camera recorder conforming to HDV standards in 2004, just to mention a few Sony milestones.
in 1950, Totsuko launched the 'soni tape', japans first magnetite-coated, paper based recording tape. this was soon followed by japans magnetic tape recorder, the G-type.
in 1954, the company won a licence to make transistors, a new technology that had been invented in america but had not yet applied to radios which were still bulky valve-driven appliances, in may of that year totsuko launched japans first transistor and then followed this with the worlds first all transistor radio in 1955.
ground breaking developments include the first trinnitron colour television in 1968, the colour video cassette player in 1971, the betamax VCR in 1975, the walkman in 1979, the world first CD player in 1982, the 8mm camcorder based on a universal standard in 1985, the first consumer use digital video camcorder in 1995, the next generation high capacity optical disc (blu ray disc) recorder in 2003, and the wolrds first consumer use digital HD video camera recorder conforming to HDV standards in 2004, just to mention a few Sony milestones.
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