Sony wants to grab a major share of the tablet market and is now announcing the first PlayStation certified ones. Apple’s success with the iPad has caused all manufacturers to want a piece of the pie and players like Motorola and Dell have already made themselves known. Now Sony enters the fray.

Sony’s first two tablets, currently know as S1 and S2, are based on Android 3.0. They are certified for PlayStation, addressed to mobile gamers, and will begin shipping in fall 2011. The stated goal for the Japanese company is to become a leading player in the segment. Sony has indicated that it aims to be number two after Apple within a year, says BBC News. A tough target because Sony does not have the advantage of being first (or even second) to market, say analysts.

On the other hand, Sony has the advantage of having a strong position in the gaming market with its PlayStation products and the company has a partnership with Ericsson, where together they can play a major role in the future. Frost & Sullivan estimates that 80 billion technology devices will be connected to each other within ten years.

- Given the expertise of Sony in the consumer market and Ericsson’s in mobile networks, they can have a major effect on connectivity within the segment, an analyst told BBC News.