Toshiba Supports Digital Video Disc Business with New Organization
TOKYO - February 27, 1995 - Toshiba Corporation today announced that it is setting up a dedicated organization to promote its business in digital video discs (DVD). The new SD Division* will start operation on March 1, 1995 under Toshiba Vice President, Mr. Kenichi Mori, who will take the post of general manager. It will be integrated into the company's Information Equipment Group.The new division will promote standardization of SD, the DVD format proposed last January by a group of leading U.S., European and Japanese companies, and develop and commercialize applications for both read-only and rewritable high-density, high-capacity optical discs based on the format. The new division covers consumer and professional products in applications ranging from video equipment to personal information equipment, computer peripherals and cable television systems.
The division has an initial staff of approximately 100, covering all aspects of DVD planning, marketing and technology. It will take the lead in Toshiba's introduction of home-use DVD players and the start of their mass production in mid 1996.
Last July, Toshiba established Advanced-I Group to promote its business in next-generation information, communications and visual media. The SD Division is an outgrowth of the group's operations, intended to position DVD at the heart of the company's multimedia business and promote its active development.
* Note: The Super Disc Division. SD is also provisionally used to mean Super Density Disc, in reference to the format of the DVD.