Ford is one of the largest producers of cars and trucks in the world. The company's automotive vehicle brands include Ford, Mercury, Lincoln, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Aston Martin. It also owns a 33% controlling stake in Mazda. The company operates two core businesses: automotive and financial services.

The automotive business consists of the design, development, manufacture, sale and service of cars, trucks and service parts. Through this sector, Ford produces a wide range of vehicles including cars for the small, medium, large and premium segments, trucks, buses/vans (including minivans), full-size pickups, sport utility vehicles and vehicles for the medium/heavy segments. The company�s automotive sector is organized into two primary segments: Americas and International.

The Americas segment includes primarily the sale of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury brand vehicles and related service parts in North America (the United States, Canada and Mexico) and Ford-brand vehicles and related service parts in South America.

The International segment includes primarily the sale of Ford-brand vehicles and related service parts outside of North and South America and the sale of Premier Automotive Group brand vehicles (Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover and Aston Martin) and related service parts throughout the world (including North and South America).

In addition to producing and selling cars and trucks, Ford also provides retail customers with a range of after sales services and products through its dealer network. The company provides services such as maintenance and light repair, heavy repair, collision, vehicle accessories and extended service warranty. In North America, the company markets these products and services under several brands, including Genuine Ford and Lincoln-Mercury Parts and Service, Ford Extended Service Plan (ESP) and Motorcraft.

The financial services business of the company includes two primary segments: Ford Motor Credit Company and The Hertz Corporation.

Ford Credit provides vehicle-related financing, leasing and insurance services in 36 countries to about 12,500 automotive dealers. Its primary financial products fall into three categories: retail, wholesale and other financing. In retail financing, Ford Credit purchases retail installment sale contracts and retail leases from dealers, and offers financing to commercial customers, primarily vehicle leasing companies and fleet purchasers, to purchase or lease vehicle fleets. Ford Credit makes loans to dealers to finance the purchase of vehicle inventory, also known as floorplan financing through its wholesale financing segment. Under other financing, it makes loans to dealers for working capital, improvements to dealership facilities and the acquisition and refinancing of dealership real estate.

Hertz leases out cars, light trucks and industrial and construction equipment. The Hertz Corporation and its affiliates, associates and independent licensees maintain a substantial network of company-owned car rental locations both in the US and in Europe. Hertz, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation (HERC), also operates an industrial and construction equipment rental business in North America. HERC leases out a range of earthmoving equipment, material handling equipment, aerial and electrical equipment, air compressors, pumps, small tools, compaction equipment and construction-related trucks. Other activities of Hertz include self-insurance operations for both its car rental and industrial and construction equipment rental businesses, the sale of its used cars and equipment and third-party claim management services.

Sony is engaged in the development, design, manufacture, and sale of various kinds of electronic equipment, instruments, and devices for consumer and industrial markets. The company operates in seven main product areas: electronics, video/online games, music, movies and television, robots, Internet services/applications, and business solutions.

The electronics segment consists of products such as computers, handhelds, peripherals, portable audio, mobile phones, recordable/storage media, and other electronics. The company's mobile communications division operates through the Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications subsidiary. It produces a range of mobile phone handsets and offers professional communications solutions such as smartphones with corporate communications capabilities.

The video/online games segment is primarily made up of the Sony Computer Entertainment subsidiary, which controls the development and production of Sony's flagship video games console, the Playstation. The Playstation 2 accounts for 70% of global sales in the console market. Another unit, Station.com, produces the company's online games, which include EverQuest and Champions of Norrath.

Sony's music division consists of Sony Music, which owns and operates music labels worldwide. These include Columbia, Epic, Legacy, Sony Classical, and Sony Nashville in the US, as well as divisions such as Sony Music UK Repertoire in the UK and Europe.

The movies and television segment includes Sony Pictures, a specialist in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home video acquisition and distribution, operation of studio facilities, development of new entertainment technologies, and distribution of filmed entertainment. The division also incorporates AXN, a producer of action and adventure television programs.

The company's robot division encompasses the QRIO (Quest For Curiosity) robot and AIBO, an entertainment robot.

Sony's Internet services/applications include World Event Village, an on-demand streaming service for broadband. It also provides other broadband services through Sony Broadband Solutions.

The business solutions segment include broadcasting and professional services, computers, semiconductors, storage solutions, manufacturing solutions, network business solutions, audio compression technologies, and music publishing.

Internationally, Sony operates a holding company for its US operations, Sony Corporation of America, which owns several businesses including the US branches of Sony Electronics, Sony Music Entertainment, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Other Sony subsidiaries include Sony EMCS, Frontage, Sony Chemicals, Sony Life Insurance, Sony Semiconductor, Sony Finance International, Sony Marketing, and Sony Manufacturing Systems.