Panasonic reorganizes business fields, places more focus on energy-related biz

[kristopher]

Panasonic reorganizes business fields, places more focus on energy-related biz
Kyodo

OSAKA — Japan's major electronics maker Panasonic Corp. launched its new group structure Sunday, reorganizing its business fields and two wholly owned units into three main groups as it places greater emphasis on energy-related businesses.

Panasonic's business fields are now divided into three groups — consumer, components and devices, and solutions — after it restructured five business segments that included operations of the two subsidiaries, Sanyo Electric Co. and Panasonic Electric Works Co.

The 16 business divisions were consolidated into nine divisions including appliances, energy and healthcare under the three business fields. The company is also proceeding with a reduction in the group's workforce, aiming to reduce the number to less than 350,000 by the end of the current fiscal year in March from around 360,000 employees as of Sept. 30.

The move is aimed at expanding Panasonic's energy-solutions business by selling energy-saving products such as solar batteries and LED lighting as a package to owners of homes, retail shops and buildings, an operation that the company is trying to establish as one of the pillars of its group amid the slumping television business...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nb20120102a1.html

Is this is the new face of future, our new "energy giants"?

Considering how available consumer electronics are, it sounds to me like a big improvement over the large utilities built around large scale centralized generation.