Sony entertainment plans to sell off its own share of the Sony/ATV Publishing, a partnership that was built in 1995. Reports indicate the company has outlined a strategy that would allow it to sell its share of the Sony/ATV Publishing.

Although no action has been taken, Sony’s proposed sale of its 50 percent publishing rights could result in a multi-billion dollar deal. At the same time, the company will no longer be focused on music publishing which could seemingly indicate a great loss for the company.

However, Sony’s CEO, Kazuo Hirai, had earlier divided the company into three groups based on their profitability. Devices, game and network services, pictures, music were grouped into ‘Growth Drivers’. Imaging products and solutions, video and sound were grouped into ‘Stable Profit Generators’. While TV and Mobile communications were grouped into ‘Volatility Management’.

Sony has also indicated its plans of targeting an operating profit of at least $4.3 billion for the 2017 fiscal year through the use of a goal of 10 percent return on equity (ROE) as the main indicator by which it will measure its profit target.

Sony decided it will not attempt to rule out a redirection of focus on markets with less intense competition. Sony believes the ‘volatility management’ which is focused on TV and Mobile communications, puts the company at a disadvantaged position competing with smartphone companies and manufacturers like Samsung, Apple, Huawei and Xiaomi.

The likelihood of that happening as well as the proposed sale of its publishing shares are all a part of Sony’s attempt at restructuring. While the publishing structure sell-off is yet to happen, experts believe Sony will merge with other companies to keep manufacturing televisions and smartphones so as to maintain the existing business structure.

Sony will likely shift focus to areas that are forecast as more profitable; these include camera sensors, video games and entertainment products, as earlier indicated.