The Young and Elder Consumers of SONY in the United Kingdom - Essay Example

Several Sony products have been released in the market for the elderly. Some of these are as follows:
(1) A Sony product has been designed for old people and the disabled is the BRAVIA LCD television series for the European market, that incorporates standard features such as an audio description function providing the consumer with a narrative soundtrack for the visually challenged and impaired, and digital video Teletext for those who have a loss of hearing function.
(2) Sony’s Reader digital device, another product made available in the US, Canada and Europe, stores hundreds of books in one unit, but allows readers who have difficulty with their vision to adjust the size of the text on the screen.
(3) All Sony TVs also come with adjustable headphone sets that may be used simultaneously with the speakers to be able to enjoy the television program with their non-hearing impaired family and friends.





2. The competition environment, (you can choose three companies) to the older people, you find some resources on what new products these companies developed targeting at older people in recent years. (150-200 words)


REFERENCE:
Teh, J 2009 “Make-in-Singapore Phone, iNO Mobile, for Elderly to Debut in PC Show,” TechieLobang 11 June 2009. Accessed 18 June 2011 from http://techielobang.com/blog/2009/06/11/make-in-singapore-phone-ino-mobile-for-elderly-to-debut-in-pc-show/

Foresight Technologies of Singapore, making iNO Mobile, for elderly and young children. The phone is described as simple, with the basic features and a large number keypad, which will serve the uses of the elderly and young who are not tech-savvy but need to get only the fundamental functions. Called the CPO9, the mobile has a Candybar design and will sell for a very reasonable price.



REFERENCE:
Conrod, J & Szwaykowska, K 2007 “Competitive Strategy in Game Consoles” 7 May 2007 Accessed 16 May 2011 from http://www.docstoc.com/docs/15515484/Competitive-Strategy-in-Game-Consoles

Nintendo is producing a Wii for women and the elderly. Unlike Sony which produces the PlayStation as only one of a diverse range of products, Nintendo is primarily geared towards the production of video games. The Wii was conceptualized in 2001 and first released in 2006. It features a wireless controller that could detect its position in space, and that could be pointed or swung in much the same way as a racket or sword. With the Wii, gamers are able to indulge in simulations of outdoor sports activities indoors, thus providing the elderly and infirm a safe method of engaging in physical activity in the safety of their homes without having to go outdoors.


REFERENCE:
Saenz, A 2009 “New Panasonic Robots to Assist the Elderly.” Singularity Hub: Science, Technology, and the Future of Mankind. Accessed 18 June 2011 from http://singularityhub.com/2009/10/23/new-panasonic-robots-to-assist-the-elderly-video/

Another significant global electronics manufacturer is Matsushita (MEW), internationally known as Panasonic Corporation, which offers a wide variety of electronic and electrical products that include lighting products, information devices, wiring products, home appliances, automation controls, and so forth. The company is presently engaged in an aggressive new line of IT-related products and services that include care for the elderly and support care products and services. The company views this as a strategic objective achievable in the next four years, in time to meet the growing demand by Japan’s increasingly ageing population and present low birth weight.
Among other things, the company has already developed a bike for the elderly with special amenities and capabilities from shifting from manual to automatic to power mode for inclined roads. It is also in the process of perfecting a robot to assist the elderly



3.New recommendation (150 words)

The increasingly ageing population worldwide presents both disadvantages and advantages; disadvantages in that the greater proportion of resources channelled to this segment of the population will create a heavier load for the less numerous members of the succeeding “baby bust” generation, but also advantages, in that these resources will support greater demand for goods and services and spur demand-led economic growth.
As early as the beginning of this millennium, Sony competitors such as Panasonic have been developing products to assist the elderly through new designs in electronic gadgetry. Even gaming company Nintendo, traditionally associated with the young, has produced a popular device that could significantly contribute to the betterment of life for the elderly.