Suhit Gupta
06-20-2007, 03:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-sony-connect-to-close-music-video-services-focus-on-servicing-playstati/' target='_blank'>http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-sony-connect-to-close-music-video-services-focus-on-servicing-playstati/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"The Sony Connect experiment is about to get, well, disconnected: it will be winding down its music and video services in the next couple of months, and focus on servicing the Playstation group on the technical needs, paidContent.org has learned and confirmed. In an all-hands meeting yesterday in Sony’s offices in Los Angeles, employees were told that about 20-plus jobs are being phased out during this winding-down phase as a result of this closure. The eBooks division will remain however, as it will be servicing Sony Reader product. Steve Banfield, the head of the Sony Connect division, will be leaving in the next few weeks, and Tim Schaaff and Fumi Kanagwa from Sony corporate will now run what’s left of Connect engineering team. The remaining team of around 80 will be devoted support Playstation."</i><br /><br />Well, my first thought is that I doubt anyone will miss this service. It never took off as well as Sony probably expected. Reports indicated that the service by Sony suffered from internal politics, and lack of priority by Sony itself. And now it looks like Sony is going to be focusing more on the Playstation brand than Connect. But upon some more thought, I am sure this service will be missed by all of Connect's current customers. Will all their current DRM'd music cease to be useful?