■ The Social Significance of Sony's Businesses

In my first blog as President and CEO of Sony, titled "Sony and the Planet Earth," I wrote that for all companies, including Sony, being able to conduct our business depends on the health and safety of society and our planet.

As you all know, the order and way of life of our society and the planet are currently being impacted heavily.

Due to the spread of COVID-19 on a global scale, people around the world, including many of us at Sony, are being urged to stay at home. This is having a major impact on the Sony Group's businesses globally. In the context of the current global environment, when deeply contemplating our corporate direction of "getting closer to people" as well as our business portfolio, I believe that at Sony we have:

• Content and DTC businesses that "move people" by delivering kando (emotional) content from creators to users


• Businesses that "connect people" by providing the technology and hardware necessary for creators to make content and users to experience it


• Business such as automotive CMOS image sensors, medical, and financial services that "support people" by leveraging the technology and know-how we have cultivated over the years to contribute to safety, health, and security

Given the circumstances we face today, I believe that the social significance of each our businesses that "move people, "connect people," and "support people" is growing more and more.

For example, as people continue to self-isolate, the demand for content from creators such as movies, television, animation, games, and music is rising, and the importance of delivering digital content to users through services - seamlessly - is increasing. Although some parts of our businesses that "move people" are being impacted in terms of delays to the production of new content, operations such as sales and licensing of digital content are continuing due to the effort and dedication of everyone involved. And in the game business, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is doing its utmost to ensure that it can continue to offer access to its DTC gaming service without interruption.

Thanks to the contribution of everyone at EP&S, that is responsible for our electronics businesses that "connect people," and I&SS, which provides technology such as CMOS image sensors for a wide range of customers, we have been able to continue operations at all our sites (with the exception of our sites in Pencoed, Wales, and Malaysia where operations had been temporarily closed in keeping with the guidance of local authorities), while of course prioritizing everyone's health and safety.

Furthermore, our businesses that "support people" through the power of technology, such as automotive CMOS sensors, medical, and financial services, are taking on even greater societal importance than ever before in these challenging times.

I would like to once again offer my gratitude to each of you across all our businesses for taking measures such as working from home, while continuing your daily work to the best of your ability despite the unprecedented difficulties and constraints we now face.

■ Update on the Sony Global Relief Fund

Amidst these circumstances, as I detailed in my latest blog, Sony has established the 100 million US dollar "Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19" to support the three areas of "medical," "education," and the "creative community."

The fund is not limited to a specific country, region, or business domain, but rather was established with the intention of providing support around the world to medical workers, the children who represent the future, and members of the creative community that make and deliver kando.

In addition to the 10 million US dollars of the fund devoted to medical support, which was touched on in the press release, we also plan to donate 30 million US dollars to charity organizations and NGO/NPOs supporting the creative community that we are closely work with in businesses such as games, music, and movies.

The remaining 60 million US dollars of the fund will be allocated to support activities using Sony's unique technologies and businesses. I urge those of you with specific ideas for support initiatives to contact the Office of the Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19. Furthermore, our matching gift program is being set up in each country and business, so employees can actively contribute in this way too.

One such support initiative is the collaboration with M3, Inc. that we announced on April 16th. M3 offers a platform to its user community of 5.8 million medical professionals worldwide. Sony holds a 34% stake in M3, and I myself have been a director of the company for twenty years since its establishment. This collaboration will focus on efforts such as supporting medical professionals with the provision of a remote diagnosis service for suspected cases of COVID-19 based on chest CT scan images, and development and dissemination of related AI-based image diagnosis solutions. We will also offer online lectures to share knowledge and insight from doctors on the frontline of COVID-19 treatment to other doctors and medical workers . I believe there is much more that we can accomplish though the combination of M3's deep expertise in the medical field and the power of Sony technology, so I look forward to the introduction of many other initiatives going forward.

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In addition, even before the launch of this headquarters-driven initiative, many of you have been widely engaged in a variety of support activities across our group companies. These have included donating masks, providing free educational content and tools for children affected by school closures, broadcasting free entertainment content for children, and free online live performances by Sony artists.

Furthermore, Sony Global Manufacturing & Operations is now planning to support the production of ventilators in Japan as soon as possible . Also, SIE has started an initiative called "Play At Home" that includes the offer of two game titles for free for a limited time and provides funding for smaller independent game studios facing financial difficulties. I am extremely proud to see such initiatives being taken on so proactively across the Sony Group.

Let's all continue to work together to implement support initiatives as well as contribute to society through our businesses that "move people," "connect people," and "support people." And once again, I want to reiterate that your health and that of your family is our foremost priority, so please continue to pay the utmost care to your health and safety in these challenging times.

aibo encourages action to prevent the spread of infection through newly learned paw-washing and mouth-rinsing motion (recorded at home by one of our aibo software engineers)