Sony and Bosch Combine Forces

Unfortunately 99% percent of customers don't want to pay for Fort Knox security technology, we can't compete with the quality low cost cameras.

The fact remains - Sony have stagnated their range for approx 18 months. The prices have only gone up and they still retail 720p at almost 4 times the cost of the lower brands. People will pay for a premium but not that much and its hard to justify a huge increase in price for a huge lack of pixels. The range is limited by internal mini dome cameras and external PTZ's with no IR. The R and D have focused entirely on very high end low light products and therefore they have lost the lower end. It seems Sony have lost their way. I don't know too much about Bosch but from the outside they seem to have similar strategies. Such a shame to see it go this way.

Been thinking more Sony moving to Bosch seems like a soft exit from the market with a passover of technology and products to Bosch - designed not to rattle Sony shareholders. Seems a lot like Axis taking over Canons range..

Well it will come down to if Bosch can deliver on their end, Sony Has hardware chips and imagers that make most of the rest of the market look like cheap imitations. but dont really "care" about putting together a security solution because like Samsung they make their money in other markets.

the problem is other companies like Samsung have hurt Sony's market shares in those areas so for them if Bosch can take Sony's hardware and make high quality Security equipment and sell the hell out of it Sony can make some more money to make up for losses in other areas.

Best deal for the both of them is if Sony gives Bosch hardware at cost Bosch makes 1080P cameras with more functions than an algebra book ( low end $250-400) and 4K cameras Standard ($500 - 800) with a wide variety of extra functions in it and finally a $1000 PTZ . Question comes down to VMS platform which I dont think Bosch should worry with. they just should just focus on cameras and encoders and maybe some NVR servers. if they do this they will stomp out alot of the mid tier competition and some of the higher end cameras. they will make it ONVIF compliant I am sure, so ride that pony for VMS/PISM manufacturers to save money. they will still make a fortune at those prices if they can deliver a solid product.

Keep in mind most what they will be able to offer wont appear, regardless of what they will actually offer till late 2017.

This deal may work out for them both. To me it is just muddy. Just reading the article explaining how this deal works made my eyes cross. Imagine being a customer conducting final interviews to decide between Bosch and Sony.

I did not think anyone could obfuscate their business plan more than Canon.

Similar to the Canon/Axis merger.

I think we will see more of this as there are simply too many players in the market place.

Canada has over 35 camera mfg's and OEM's so with HIK and Dahua coming in from China with low prices and big marketing buckets some are going to disappear and some will merge as they see the market shrink!

Sony has a brand rep with end users, Bosch has a decent brand rep with integrators.

Sony has good cameras, Bosch has PSIM, VMS, fire panels, alarm panels and a wide product base. There is a good synergy.

The only weird part is the go-to-market strategy of Sony and Bosch sales people fighting for the same business.

But as they say more hooks in the water will catch more fish.....

Bosch + Sony = Bony

Sony + Bosch = Soch

Better branding ideas?

Very little impact to our industry. Both companies lost their way a long time ago.

As a major Distributor of Bosch with great success in playing in the top "tier" market place, I think its very positive as Bosch cost base will be so much lower.

This feels like a bit of a last gasp to me. Two companies that used to be pretty good, desperately clinging to each other as they sink.

Was there any mention of combined manufacturing capabilities? I saw combined design and sales, but I would think any true benefits would also need them to merge their manufacturing to be maximized fully

I think it's sad. Like others here have commented on, Sony has pretty much absent in anything new for over a year and they had a history of being late. And they're just too expensive. I never dealt with Bosch, but I get the same impression. Like Eddie said, it could be awesome, but my fear is it will be disappointing. No unified manufacturing? Reps still segregated by brand? The train is leaving the station and they seem worried about who gets the window seat and who gets the aisle seat. Seems like half-hearted  commitment and half stepping. But I'm not a professional business analyst, so I could be perfectly wrong.

Update: The agreement is now finalized. Bosch notes:

We will be working under a dual branding strategy, and our dealers will continue to receive exceptional service and support from both the Bosch and Sony lines going forward.

Update: Spring pre-announcement:

In March 2017, Sony will launch eight new Full-HD (1080p) video security cameras within its sixth generation (G6) range of network cameras, meeting the ever-increasing demand for greater image clarity within the video security market. New G6 cameras’ high sensitivity capabilities ensure that the color integrity of images is maintained even in extreme lowlight situations. At the same time, Bosch is updating its portfolio concerning video analytics and bitrate management. Starting as of May 2017, all network cameras from the IP 4000 series will be equipped with built-in video analytics as a standard as well as latest bitrate management techniques combined with H.265 video encoding, reducing bitrate by up to 80 percent.

New interview with the new Bosch head of the Sony Video Security group. Notable details:

• "As part of the distribution and marketing cooperation, we have taken on around 60 Sony employees worldwide."
• "We are making steady progress on our developments and the first jointly developed products are expected to be launched in 2018."
• "There will be no co-branded or dual branded products mentioning both brand names on one product."