<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"Sony said Thursday it would cut 1,000 jobs from its mobile division and move those operations to Tokyo, where Sony is based. Until now Sony Mobile was based in Sweden, a legacy of the electronics giant's partnership with Ericsson which ended last year.\nThe move is unsurprising given Sony's acquisition of Sony Ericsson in October 2011 as part of a strategy to assert control over its mobile operations. With Sony Mobile also based in Japan, Sony will be able to better integrate its smartphones with its PlayStation and other home-entertainment products.\nThe layoffs constitute about 15% of Sony Mobile's total workforce, Sony said in a statement, and include outside consultants. They'll be spread out through the next year and a half, finished by March 2014. The relocation of Sony Mobile's headquarters will happen in October this year.\nSince its acquisition of Sony Ericsson, Sony has worked to reinvigorate the Xperia Ion in January this year. It's also fully embraced Android (earlier Sony Ericsson phones ran their own operating system) and begun integrating PlayStation games on Android devices. The Xperia Play, unveiled last year, was the first so-called \"PlayStation Phone.\"\n\nSEE ALSO: Sony\u2019s Wes Anderson TV Spot Imagines Tiny Robots in Your Phone [VIDEO]\nDespite those moves, Sony Mobile's global market share hasn't yet seen an uptick. The most recent numbers from Gartner don't even show Sony in the Top 10 mobile manufacturers, with recent statistics pegging its share of the world market at about 1.9%.\nWhat do you think Sony Mobile needs to do to become a force in smartphones again? Share your thoughts in the comments."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2012/08/23/sony-mobile-cuts-jobs/>