Sony sells VAIO PC business to Japan Industrial Partners

Sony has reportedly decided to sell its VAIO division to Japan Industrial Partners, which will bring aboard between 250 and 300 of Sony employees from the PC side of its operations.Sony opted to make the move as part of a larger overall shift towards a focus on gaming, mobile, and other non-PC product types. By the end of Sony’s 2014 fiscal year, the company reportedly plans to lay off some 5,000 employees.

Sony expects to conclude the sale of its PC division by this March. The company will cease to make and sell PCs once their spring roster hits the market, and it will stop planning and designing PCs once the agreement between Sony and Japan Industrial Partners is finalized.

This doesn't come as much of a shock, as the company has not been able to keep up with its competitors over the past years. According to a report posted by market research firm Gartner, Lenovo, Dell, HP, Acer and Asus held the top five positions for global shipments of PCs during the fourth quarter of 2013. Gartner grouped the rest of the competition into an “Others” category, which suffered a collective decrease in shipments totaling an 11.1 percent drop when compared with the fourth quarter of 2012.

While the VAIO brand will likely live on in some form, many fans will be disappointed not to have the Sony brand associated with their next PC.

Press Release