While the partnership between Sony Corp. and Google Inc. announced last week appears a good match, some industry observers say it remains unclear what kind of business model they are aiming for with the Internet-based televisions they plan to produce.
Under the deal, Sony will be the first supplier of the device based on the "Google TV platform," which they say will seamlessly integrate the Internet and television. While several major companies have attempted this in the past, the concept has never really taken off.
Analysts say the key for Sony is whether it can create a new and profitable business model to make use of its huge software content, such as music, movies and DVD titles, in the Google TV platform, as well as creating other devices that closely work with the Google multimedia platform.