Sony's systems integration business on the up

One of these customers, BSkyB, announced that it has chosen Sony as the lead systems integrator for its new media centre in the UK.

Other systems integration projects the team has won in the last year include: building 15 HD OB vehicles, many of which represent the first investment in a longer term HD investment strategy; relocating Sky Italia's entire broadcast facilities; and integrating its advanced networked production products, SONAPS, into France's Canal+, Italy's RAI and most recently winning the contract to fit out Telecinco in Spain.

The team has also been involved in non-traditional broadcast installations, such as the delivery of video walls at Heathrow's Terminal 5; designing and developing a system to enable the UK's RaceTech to digitally record and archive more than 1,400 professional horse race days; and enabling France's La Poste to create Europe's largest digital signage network.

At IBC, Sony published its sales figures for its entire range of HD and file-based workflow products. As well as achieving 37,000 global sales of Sony's XDCAM family of professional disc camcorders and decks, Sony's HDCAM range and HDCAM SR line-up hit global sales of over 43,000.

Elsewhere, HD system camera sales reached 8,800, switcher sales hit 6,900 and Sony's professional LCD monitors, including the BVM-L230 launched at IBC 2007, totalled 210,000 units.