Sony software czar's big challenge

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As Apple's fortunes waxed, Shaaff's effect on the industry grew. He was an early and strong supporter inside the company for supporting open industry standards and played a key role in driving the company to participate in the Moving Picture Experts Group's standards-setting process.

"Tim was convinced of the advantages of open standards," said Kevin Marks, a five-year QuickTime veteran who now serves as lead engineer at Technorati.com. "When QuickTime adopted MPEG 4 codecs and got the QuickTime file format adopted into MPEG 4, it was a big move towards open standards, which paid off for Apple."

Most of Apple's latest multimedia technology, including the QuickTime 7 high-definition video, and the audio and video formats used by the iTunes digital download store, is based now on those open standards.

To an extent rare inside Apple, Schaaff also played an active role in cross-industry groups and in working with outside partners. He helped found the Internet Streaming Media Alliance, which tries to help different online media technologies work together.

That work also brought him into close contact with a wide range of Sony's different divisions, which used QuickTime for products such as cameras, computers and other devices. That contact put him squarely in the company's sights.

Software czar at a hardware company
The software business at Sony will be very different than at Apple. Sony watchers say that the company has never put a high premium on software development, paying their programmers relatively poorly compared with many Silicon Valley companies, while putting more emphasis on the hardware itself.

Those divisions that have attracted good programmers, like the Vaio computer division, have held tightly to their staff rather than sharing with other groups, said Envisioneering analyst Richard Doherty.

"If you look at the want ads for Sony Electronics, you don't get the same kind of pay scale you get at Apple, or the same kinds of rewards," Doherty said. "They couldn't build up the kind of software infrastructure in America that Cupertino (Apple's hometown) could."

Perhaps Sony's biggest software black eye has been the initial release of the Connect music download service, launched in May 2004 as an iTunes rival. The service, and the associated software, drew criticism for being buggy and hard to use.

Other, smaller problems such as temporary incompatibility between Sony's different products have also plagued the company in recent years.

Some who know Schaaff predict that he will push the company toward an embrace of open standards, as he did at Apple. Others say he's just the kind of diplomat that can make the different divisions tie their software efforts together for the first time.

Early tasks will include some big product releases. The Sony PlayStation 3, one of the company's biggest launches in years, is coming out later this year. CEO Stringer also indicated that a new iPod rival is on its way.

For now, Schaaff is still settling into his role as American overseer of many Japanese divisions, however.

"He's a very good fit with Japanese executives, because he's measured and calm and very mature," Stringer said in early January. "We think of this as a very big deal. We're very excited."

[heystoopid]

Once bitten twice shy!

Once bitten , twice shy, for by employing this man, is but mere window dressing, to hide the numerous extensive problems, that is contained within the ailing empire of howard, and his yes men! For SONY BMG's illegal activities(which unfortunately will remain to plague us for decades as long as the defective audio cd's remain in circulation worldwide) was but the mere tip of the ICEBERG called SONY

For one man, no matter how talented, cannot turn around any organization that is customer last at all times!

Oh well, the GOTT theorem is now truly applicable, let the self destruction of SONY continue unabated!

[unknown unknown]

RE

A bit over dramatic.

[cagerattler]

Sony, a legend in its own mind

Sony needs to get over itself. Once it does, then maybe it will make a comeback.

Apple holds some key patents regarding software and hardware user interfaces that will make it difficult for anyone to challenge 'ease and elegance of use.'

For Tim Schaaff, I wish him the best. Howard Stringer's (CEO of Sony) seems to have laid a lot of expectations on him. If Stringer can lead Sony like Jobs leads Apple, then perhaps Schaaff can pull it off.

Also, Stringer's quote that "it's a myth the Japanese don't do software well," is relative. For the Japanese, I'm sure the software is great.

[WheelerCub]

SONY is great

With the PSP and the PS3 on its way out, Sony is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

[GrandpaN1947]

It won't make a difference

They can hire all the best people there are, produce the best products, and market better than anyone, and I still won't buy a Sony product. I don't trust them. After having my PC ruined by thir rootkit, I will not forget and I will not forgive. They have made it quite clear the character of the company. Anyone who buys their products could be making a big mistake. I will not forget.