Not a rumor, but an exciting piece of news: Sony and Olympus announced yesterday, September 14th, that they have entered into exclusive negotiations to conclude a capital partnership:
- Olympus discussed with several potential partners but eventually chose Sony
- Sony will invest ¥50bn (i.e. €485m or $640m) in Olympus
- Olympus and Sony will set up a joint-venture to develop medical devices of the next generation, such as high definition endoscopes with video and 3D technology
- In order to leverage Olympus’s business of digital cameras, which is in a slump (literally: 不振), Olympus and Sony will promote cooperation and jointly develop some components
Both parties expect to sign a definitive agreement within a month.
Source (Google translator was failing on that site, thanks for the translation M.)
