SONY, TOSHIBA, HITACHI TEAM UP FOR NEW DISPLAY COMPANY

Sony, Toshiba and Hitachi officially joined forces today, cementing a government-backed joint venture that's been in the works for a few months, now. Together with the government-funded firm Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), the three manufacturers will now form an entity known as Japan Display Inc., slated to launch during the Spring of 2012. INCJ is providing the lion's share of the funding (approximately $2.6 billion), giving it a 70 percent stake in the newly formed venture. The other three, meanwhile, will each control ten percent of the company, which will encompass their respective small-display subsidiaries. The stakeholders are hoping that today's announcement will help revive their sagging display sales, with some extra help from Panasonic, which also announced that it's selling one of its biggest domestic factories to the freshly minted Japan Display, for an unnamed sum.

SAMSUNG SELLS HARD DRIVE BUSINESS TO SEAGATE

Reuters is reporting that Samsung Electronics has agreed to sell its hard drive business to Seagate Technology for $1.4 billion in cash and stock. The move is seen as two pronged: first, it will allow Samsung to exit an extremely competitive market and refocus its efforts on its successful memory-chip business. Secondly, it will allow Seagate to be more competitive with Western Digital — a company that has announced its intentions to purchase Hitachi’s hard-drive business for more than $4.3 billion. “The transactions and agreements significantly expand Seagate’s customer access in China and Southeast Asia,” reads a statement released by both companies. The deal will see Samsung become the second largest shareholder in Seagate — with a nearly 10% share worth over $687 million — and the assets should be transfered sometime in 2011.