Pioneer To End Plasma Production

March 2008

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At its recent board of directors’ meeting, Pioneer planned a corporate restructuring in which it will end in-house production of plasma display panels, sourcing production to an outside company; increase the production and feature sets of in-vehicle and portable navigation systems; expand production of home audio speakers; and deepen its partnership with Sharp, particularly on flat-panel TV acoustics.

Pioneer will begin outsourcing production of plasma display panels sometime next year, after it completes the next series of models, the company reported. The company plans to book a loss on its plasma display production facilities March 31, the end of its fiscal year. Pioneer said it will shift resources from that business to growth areas, such as car electronics; professional AV, including DJ equipment; and the AV product business, including Blu-Ray Disc-related products.

To improve its navigation business, Pioneer said it will boost telematic functions within the devices, which integrates cell phone and Internet capabilities. The company is also developing new in-dash car systems with built-in AV functions that feature connectivity with peripheral electronics.

In the mobile AV department, Pioneer plans to shift focus from CD players to DVD players. The company also plans to focus on the production of Blu-ray Disc products, as well as its network and wireless AV products that link with displays, in the home products market.

On the speaker front, Pioneer said it will expand its mobile line, as well as models for mobile phones and flat-panel TVs.

Besides partnering with sharp on TV acoustic technology, Pioneer will outsource LCD production to the company, launching the first of those TVs this fall in Europe. The companies will also partner on the development of Pioneer’s popular Kuro brand TVs. They will also team up to develop new Blu-ray players/recorders.

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