Wiser Leaves Sony to Create Building B with Fellow Alum Pati

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Phil Wiser

Phil Wiser, B.S. '90 electrical engineering, has left his position as chief technology officer at Sony Corporation America (SCA) to become chairman and president of Building B, an early-stage, privately held company that seeks to simplify and unify the consumer home entertainment experience.

Wiser will partner with Building B Chief Executive Officer Buno Pati, a fellow ECE alumnus who earned his B.S. ('86), M.S. ('88), and Ph.D. ('92) at Maryland.

“[C]urrent. . . expensive technology and entertainment options in today’s home create unnecessary barriers to access and cause frustration for a large segment of consumers,” Wiser said in a statement. “Building B has developed a truly unique approach and made significant breakthroughs that will satisfy the rapidly evolving entertainment needs of consumers.”

Wiser said that the new company will provide customers with “a living room experience with IP video and communications.”

Wiser, a member of the ECE Advisory Board, brings a strong background in digital entertainment to his new position with Building B. At SCA, he created the Media Technology Group, which directed strategies for digital media standards across the Sony Group. He also oversaw the Sony Media Software division, which doubled revenue during his tenure. Prior to joining SCA in 2004, Wiser was CTO and head of Digital Businesses for Sony Music Entertainment. During his time at Sony Music, Wiser pioneered the mobile music business by focusing Sony’s efforts on the development and distribution of master ringtones, which did not exist at that time. That mobile music effort is now a highly profitable, several-hundred million dollar business for Sony. Before joining Sony, Mr. Wiser founded Liquid Audio, Inc., a company that helped pioneer online music distribution.

To learn more about Building B, visit www.building-b.com.

Published June 22, 2006