Sony hangs up on EMEA videoconferencing market

Professional solutions division to withdraw from EMEA videoconferencing in March

Sony is dropping its videoconferencing play from March

Sony Professional has confirmed it will give up on the videoconferencing market in EMEA from the end of March, citing tough times.

The company was not available for interview but has issued CRN this official statement: “In the past months, we have been operating in an unprecedented economic recession in Europe, which is putting increasing pressure on business across the entire EMEA zone.

“In light of this ongoing economic situation, Sony Professional Solutions Europe (PSE) has decided to discontinue its videoconferencing business in EMEA with effect from 31 March 2010.”

According to mid-2009 analysis from Wainhouse Research, the total online collaboration and conferencing market globally is set to hit $7.1bn (£4.4bn) by 2013. That includes audioconferencing and web conferencing.

“While global unemployment - which has limited and will continue to limit the number of user accounts - individual account usage has grown. Average prices for audio conferencing – which have dropped severely in recent years – will decline at a slower pace and will more likely be bundled with new services,” the researcher said at the time.

“Web conferencing use will rise dramatically, but revenue will grow at slower rates as new pricing models are adopted.”

Wainhouse Research added that hosted video bridging services revenue, which had previously grown strongly, will flatten as those services are bundled up into larger video managed services portfolios from video specialists, carriers and operators.