Akio Morita (盛田昭夫) was the co-founder of Sony Corporation together with his friend Masaru Ibuka. As Sony's leader, he changed accepted marketing concepts and focused on brand identification and brand responsibility, a concept widely used today but virtually unknown then. By insisting on producing high-quality products with cutting-edge technology, Morita transformed the reputation of the Japanese technology industry so much so that it was associated with higher-quality copies rather than cheap copies. As he himself said, "[They] made Sony the Cadillac of electronics." Background. Morita Akio, was born on January 26, 1921 in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. in 1944 he graduated in physics from Osaka Imperial University. He later joined the IJN (navy) during World War II. During his service, Morita met his future partner and lifelong friend, Masaru Ibuka, in the Navy's Wartime Research Committee. On May 7, 1946, Morita and Ibuka founded Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation, (precursor to Sony Corporation) with approximately 20 employees. In 1949 the company developed a magnetic tape and in 1950 a pocket radio in 1957 and in 1958 Morita and Ibuka decided to rename their company Sony (sonus Corporation is Latin for sound, and Sonny-boys is Japanese slang for "wizard boys"). Morita was a supporter of all products made by Sony Corporation. In 1960 it produced the world's first transistor television. In 1979, the Walkman was introduced, making it the world's first portable music player. In 1984 Sony launched the Discman series which extended the Walkman brand to portable CD products. In 1960, Sony Corporation of America was founded in the United States. In 1961, Sony Corporation of America was the first Japanese company to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Sony purchased Columbia Records and other CBS labels in 1988, and Columbia Pictures in 1989. On November 25, 1994, Morita announced his resignation as president of Sony, after suffering a brain hemorrhage while playing tennis. Leadership Arts Akio could be called the spiritual leader of Sony, while he is responsible for the areas of marketing, globalization, finance and human resources, Akio shows great leadership. Unlike other businessmen who become hostile to their ex-partner, such as John D Rockefeller, it is the friendship between Morita Akio and Masaru Ibuka that paved the way for Sony. —Ibuka, the engineering violinist, who disassembles gadgets on the floor of his office to see how they worked; Morita, the elegant manager, scion of an ancient family of sake producers, friend of the great and good of three continents.