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Aug 7
US optical transceiver ban risks slowing AI data center build-out
A proposed US ban on new Chinese optical transceivers could disrupt the build-out of AI data centers before Western suppliers have enough capacity to replace Chinese production, raising the risk of higher costs, delayed cluster deployments and stranded GPU capacity.
Quanta Computer posted its second-highest monthly revenue on record in July, as strong AI server demand sustained growth even as notebook shipments fell nearly 38% from June.
The 2026 OCP APAC Summit will take place in Taipei on August 11-12. Ahead of the event, Lightmatter founder and CEO Nicholas Harris spoke exclusively with DIGITIMES about the company's advantages after joining the Nvidia NVLink ecosystem, its technology roadmap and the importance of close collaboration with Taiwan's supply chain.
Clevo president Simon Tsai said AI is extending from infrastructure to consumers, boosting not only the PC industry but also traffic at IT malls. At Clevo's Buynow retail chain, humanoid robots from Unitree Robotics have become hot attractions, helping reshape the product mix in IT retail.
IT panel demand weakened in the third quarter, with both monitors and notebook panels facing a demand correction after early restocking in the first half of the year. But with chip and other component costs remaining high and panel makers seeing limited room for profit, suppliers are showing little willingness to cut prices, while brand customers have not intensified pricing pressure, leaving August IT panel prices likely to stay flat.
Taiwanese touch controller maker Elan held an earnings call on August 5 and said overall operations in the second quarter of 2026 were still solid, but the PC market in the third quarter and second half could be tougher than in the first half. The company said component shortages are disrupting customer shipments because of imbalances in parts supply, though it will stay in close contact with customers and remain ready to handle rush and urgent orders.
Taiwan's hardware manufacturing sector leads globally, but the country's level of investment in cybersecurity software and identity governance still ranks in the back half of the Asia-Pacific region, SailPoint Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau managing director Simon Tai told DIGITIMES in an interview. As the tech industry speeds up digital transformation, remote collaboration, outsourced workflows, and AI agents are increasingly common in enterprise operations, shifting the focus of corporate cybersecurity defenses.
Chenbro Micom reported consolidated revenue of NT$7.82 billion (US$242.4 million) in the second quarter of 2026, up 10% quarter-over-quarter and 43.7% year-over-year. The server chassis maker also posted gross profit of NT$2.55 billion, operating profit of NT$1.93 billion, and net profit attributable to the parent company of NT$1.38 billion, with earnings per share of NT$11.1.
Accton Technology Corporation said demand for high-end networking gear remained strong as AI data center buildouts continued, lifting July consolidated revenue to NT$39.473 billion, up 71.69% year-on-year. The networking equipment maker said cumulative revenue for the first seven months reached NT$205.131 billion, up 62.36% year-on-year, and it kept a cautiously optimistic outlook for full-year 2026 operations.
Ching Chan Optical Technology said second-quarter 2026 earnings per share reached NT$0.96, up 12-fold year-on-year, as shipments of high-end optical sorting machines for passive components and LEDs lifted results. Gross margin climbed to 53%, up 6 percentage points year-on-year.
Integrated Service Technology (iST) reported consolidated revenue of about NT$1.184 billion in the second quarter of 2026, up 9.24% quarter-over-quarter but down 1.7% from a year earlier. The Taiwan-based validation and analysis services provider said gross margin improved to 26.13%, while net profit after tax fell to NT$89 million and earnings per share declined to about NT$1.03.
WinWay Technologies said orders from AI customers and stronger demand for advanced testing products lifted shipments in the second quarter of 2026, with revenue rising for a fourth straight quarter on a sequential basis. The semiconductor test interface maker said it expects momentum to continue into the third quarter of 2026 as order visibility improves and new capacity comes online.