Sony Corp. has bought a stake of about 10% in workstation and supercomputer sales and integration company SGI Japan, the companies said Thursday.

Sony took the stake at the same time as it formed an alliance to work with SGI Japan on sales of computer systems to broadcasting organizations. Sony is a major producer of professional equipment for the television broadcasting industry.

SGI Japan was the Japanese unit of Silicon Graphics Inc. until 2001 when NEC Corp. and NEC Soft Co. took stakes that when combined gave the NEC group a 60 percent shareholding of the company. Since 1998 SGI and NEC have cooperated on supercomputer sales.

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.