Sony sees software subscription as future for data-analysing image sensors

TOKYO (Reuters) - Sony Corp's image sensor business aims to replicate PlayStation's success to address its reliance on a handful of manufacturers in the fickle smartphone market: It plans to sell software by subscription for data-analysing sensors in situ.Transforming the light-converting chips into a platform for software - essentially akin to the PlayStation Plus video games service - amounts to a sea change for the $10 billion business, which built its dominance through hardware..