It doesn't matter if their market cap is a "mere $33 billion dollars", it would cost a lot more to buy the company out.
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Why I think Apple SHOULD buy Sony.
- Thread starter wikoogle
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It doesn't matter if their market cap is a "mere $33 billion dollars", it would cost a lot more to buy the company out.
Not at all.
It would be more akin to Apple buying Siri, mining them for technology, patents, expertise, and partnerships to use in their own devices, and yet leaving the original Siri brand alone and allowed to continue to operate autonomously under it's own Siri brand name.
That's exactly what Apple should do with Sony, use them to mine for tech, patents, licenses, expertise and partnerships to improve their own products, to expand into brand new areas, and yet leave the Sony brand and entity alone and under operation for the areas that Apple doesn't feel ready to step into quite yet.
Then whenever Steve Jobs does feel ready to make his own DSLR for example, or their own TV, or any other device, they would already have everything they need to do so.
Only if they try to do a hostile takeover.
If they instead opt to buy 30% of Sony's stock to get a huge amount of influence over every aspect of the company, Apple could probably manage that for a little over 10 billion dollars.
No I'm not. Read what I wrote.
I'm saying Apple should leave Sony as is, and use them as a stepping stone to enter new markets whenever they wish to. If two years from now, they wish to make an Apple Sound System, they easily can, using the expertise Sony already has in that area.
Meanwhile, they can use them to get Apple TV into hundreds of millions of living rooms, get Sony's music and movies streaming on the Apple store, and sort out the bag of hurt that are the licensing issues with Blu Ray on OSX, and use them to mine for tech, patents, licenses, expertise and partnerships to improve their own products.
Apple aren't qualified to buy Sony in that they have no experience in managing such a vast empire. Jobs has made a point of keeping things small and simple at Apple while Sony is the opposite, bloated and lacking imagination. Too many people would lose their jobs if Jobs took over. This is why Sony will never sell to Apple. It goes against the Japanese business culture. A 29% share or something in that region sounds much more feasible. Still reason enough to send the stock price up.
Apple's core business continues to be computer/OS integration. That has evolved to include Smart Phones and other portable devices running iOS. Taking over a company like Sony that makes hardware not up to Apple standards that run software not up to Apples standards is a bad idea. Apple would have to assimilate Sony and revamp it's products to bring them up to their standards. Apple won't allow itself to be associated with any "lower tier" product or company. It's just not what they do. Apple is on a mission to revamp the electronic lifestyle and they won't do this by buying a recognized brand and sticking an 
on it.
One thing that Apple does need to do is to start to look beyond Steve. The man is a true visionary, but Apple needs to prepare for a smooth transition to business with him on the sidelines. The best thing that has happened to Apple recently has been Tim Cook. He served as a great face for the company while The Steve was on medical leave.
Big Note to OP: Use the Multi-Quote button...
Dale
on it.One thing that Apple does need to do is to start to look beyond Steve. The man is a true visionary, but Apple needs to prepare for a smooth transition to business with him on the sidelines. The best thing that has happened to Apple recently has been Tim Cook. He served as a great face for the company while The Steve was on medical leave.
Big Note to OP: Use the Multi-Quote button...
Dale
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Apple repackages hardware and sells it at a premium with its own software. Sony can make that hardware from scratch which Apple cannot. Apple would own the entire chain of production.
Apple would get a huge record label which means they would get 100% of the revenue off of iTunes from that label.
They would acquire a ton of hardware patents which they may feel they could develop into products better than Sony's current management.
Apple repackages hardware and sells it at a premium with its own software. Sony can make that hardware from scratch which Apple cannot. Apple would own the entire chain of production.
Apple would get a huge record label which means they would get 100% of the revenue off of iTunes from that label.
They would acquire a ton of hardware patents which they may feel they could develop into products better than Sony's current management.
Sony is still a multi-national conglomerate with it's fingers in a vast number of businesses. This is not what Apple does. They will not dilute themselves by buying such a large company. There is nothing in it for Apple.
If you are passionate about this proposition, buy as much Sony stock as you can. Targets surge on acquisition rumors.
Dale
If you are passionate about this proposition, buy as much Sony stock as you can. Targets surge on acquisition rumors.
Dale
And after Apple buys Sony, Microsoft will buy Google and then Microogle will buy Applony.
To create Mipploogony.
I read somewhere that there's a PSP-phone with Android or something in the works. True or not, this sort of phone would be the only one able to compete with the iPhone, and if through buying Sony, Apple could prevent this from happening, I think they should. But I'm no expert.
