Following Sesto Robotics' debut at Semicon Taiwan in 2016 and return to the show in 2017, the Singapore-based automated guided vehicle (AGV) and intelligent mobile robot (IMR) developer was again at the premier event of Taiwan's semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing industries in 2018, showcasing its new S200 with 7-axis Robot Arm IMR that is equipped with the company's newly developed features and innovations.Sesto CEO Michael Leong noted that in addition to the developments of technologies and robot systems, Sesto has also been devoted lots of efforts to the market's operation over the past 12 months. Sesto has been working closely with its clients to implement its IMR solutions into the clients' factories and during the process the company was able to receive many feedbacks from them, helping Sesto to further refine its products.Sesto's S200 with 7-axis Robot Arm IMR is designed for the transportation of semiconductor products especially silicon wafers and compared to the company's IMR showcased at Semicon Taiwan 2017, it features a much smaller size, but more carriage volumes for better efficiency.As for the machine's robotic arm, since Sesto's expertise mainly lies in its automated guiding vehicle controlling (AGVC) system, the company is mainly cooperating with outside partners for the related developments and is spending most of its effort and resources in the development and improvement of the IMR's guiding system and technologies.Sesto has already formed collaborations with several Japan- and Europe-based major robotic arm developers to make the S200 base compatible with their arms. However, Leong said that the default equipment of the S200 with 7-axis Robot Arm is by far the best setup that Sesto has come up with for the semiconductor industry after numerous testing. This is because the robotic arm from the default equipment has a loading capacity that is most suitable for semiconductor manufacturers.Compared to competitors in the robot industry, Leong said that Sesto's advantage is its ability to provide full solutions to customers. For an automation equipment provider, only having the ability to design and craft machines is not sufficient to cope with the industry's fierce competition. The ability to provide a complete set of robotic automation solution is the key to maintain competitiveness and Sesto is not only able to do that with flexibility, the solutions that the company offers also meet demand of Industry 4.0.To make automation equipment that can be easily integrated, chaining up different platform's hardware and software and connecting them up to coordinate with each other is essential and it is an area where Sesto has its niche.The concept of Industry 4.0 is mainly about system of system, meaning that a company needs to have its products link with those from others to form an even bigger system chain. This is a large advancement from the concept of the Industry 3.0 era, when most of the systems are designed to be operated independently.As for Sesto's upcoming plans or new products, Leong said that the company has been making new improvements to its products based on clients' feedbacks and will gradually release new IMRs featuring smarter guiding technologies and capability of handling more tasks.In addition to the semiconductor, Sesto will also begin tapping into new industries in 2019 as the company has already built up many case studies and prepared various of solutions to offer to customers, said Leong, adding that he believes the experience Sesto has learned from the semiconductor industry can also be applied to other manufacturing applications.Commenting on the robot market's status in 2018, Leong said the market is still on the rise and demand for robot products is increasing every year. This trend has to do with increasing demand from consumers worldwide for replacing their IT devices such as smartphones and wearables every year and it has already grown to a scale that requires a large manufacturing workforce to satisfy.With younger-generation workers showing less interest to work in the traditional manual labor production line, upgrading facilities to utilize robots for production has become an alternative way for IT product manufactures to maintain their output.As a result, the robot industry has seen rising demand for robotic devices from the manufacturing industries every year and because the trend is likely to continue, demand for robot products will only grow stronger, providing large business opportunities to players of the industry.As for Sesto's business goal for 2018, expanding the promotions of its IMRs is one of the key directions. For the long-term, Sesto is looking to transform its IMRs to perform more intelligent tasks such as becoming busboys of a restaurant to assist human workers to carry around meals or dirty plates, and help people in daily life.Currently, Sesto's main markets are China and Taiwan, but over the past 12 months, the company has received many inquiries from companies in Europe, Leong noted. However, Sesto will continue placing its attention on serving its clients in China and Taiwan given that a major portion of its products' demand is mainly coming from these markets.Sesto CEO Michael Leong and S200 with 7-axis Robot Arm IMRPhoto: Joseph Tsai, Digitimes, September 2018
Taiwan Edison Creative Technology has unveiled an LED street lamp independently powered by a PV module, a 1,150W mini wind turbine in combination with a 1,200W energy storage battery.The PV- and wind-powered LED street lamps are designed specifcially for use in remote areas where it is costly and difficult to lay power supply lines along roads.PV modules generate electricity during daytime while mini wind turbines can do so all day. At a power consumption rate of 50W/hour, such a street lamp consumes power of 600W for lighting for 12 hours a day and the energy storage battery, under normal conditions, has enough capacity to supply needed power.There are two choices of controlling lighting time, one is to set fixed length of lighting time, 12 hours for example, and the other is to use photo-sensitive resistors to sense ambient light to switch the light on and off. The former is suitable for populated areas while the latter is normally used in areas with fluctuating sunlight and weather conditions.Such LED street lamps are not connected for automatic monitoring of operating conditions for teh time being and therefore regular maintenence is necessary.Taiwan Edison PV- and wind-power LED street lampPhoto: Company
Switzerland startup WayRay has newly developed the world's first holographic AR (augmented reality) navigation system for cars, allowing drivers to focus on the road and make driving safer while also able to access navigation information.The firm's holographic AR technology utilizes windshield as a projection display to show navigation information just above the dashboard, and drivers can easily get the information without using any special eyewear or headgear. The technology has prompted automakers including Porsche and Hyundai to invest in the company.WayRay just completed its round C US$80 million fundraising program, with investors including Alibaba, China Merchants Capital, JVC Kenwood, and Consortium of Sovereign Wealth Funds, in addition to Porsche and Hyundai.The company intends to use the funds to establish an affiliate with a pilot production line in Germany, diversify its portfolio of applications in different sectors - from AR in transportation to AR smart glass in the smart home business and construction industry - and to expand its R&D team.WayRay plans to make its holographic AR solutions for cars available on the market within three years.
Through attending various commercial activities hosted by the World Information Technology and Services Alliances (WITSA), Taiwan information software and hardware firms can more easily tap global business opportunities, according to Yvonne Chiu, chairperson of both WITSA and the Information Service Industry Association of the ROC (CISA).In an interview conducted in Hanoi, Vietnam by Digitimes, Chiu said WITSA is an organization with global visions, and has a total of 83 member states, with all its activities highly supported by host countries.Chiu called for Taiwan makers of information hardware products, particularly industrial PCs, to join her association first and then actively attend commercial activities organized by WITSA in various countries to directly explore business opportunities though cooperation with integrators of software and hardware systems. At the ASOCIO Smart City Forum 2018 recently held in Hanoi, Chiu had the opportunity to discuss various smart city business opportunities with over 600 representatives from 10 member states, highlighting Taiwan's various smart city application solutions, especially those associated with mass rapid transit systems (MRT).Chiu said that Taiwan's MRT systems, long renowned for their clean in-train space and punctual services, managed to provide 4K live TV broadcast of the 2017 Summer Universiade held in August in Taipei. This can serve as a good reference for various countries in hosting large-size sports events. In addition, the electronic payment and fund transfer systems via MRT EasyCard now under promotion by Taipei City Government, as well as how to address related regulatory and financial issues can also serve as paragon models for other countries.Interest in working with Taiwan in ICT developmentChiu managed to arrange Colley Hwang, president of Digitimes, to give a talk at Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), and had dialogues with MIC's deputy minister and other officials.The Vietnamese officials expressed strong interest in creating opportunities for cooperation with Taiwan in ICT development. Possible cooperation projects include organizing municipal-level smart city forums, cultivation of IC design talent, information exchanges between Taiwan and Vietnam, and inviting Taiwan experts to serve as advisors in the government sector.Chiu also revealed that CISA will organize a delegation to attend a WITSA-hosted global directors meeting to be held in early October in Armenia, adding that she will recommend Taiwan experts to speak at the meeting and discuss business cooperation opportunities.At the moment, the world's leading EDA (electronic design automation) specialist Synopsys has a workforce of some 1,000 engineers in Armenia. Chiu said that if Taiwan can introduce ICT engineers from Armenia, its shortage of ICT talent can be significantly eased.As Synopsys has reportedly sent some talented Armenia engineers to Taiwan's National Chiao Tung University for advanced studies through an industry-academia cooperation mechanism, Chiu urged the government in Taiwan to use the channel to carry out smart city cooperation projects and tech talent exchanges.
Vietnam has a population of near 100 million and there are over 70 million handset and Internet users, providing a good foundation for stable development of the country's information and communications technology (ICT) industry, according to Phan Tam, deputy minister of Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).He was making the remarks during a meeting with Digitimes president Colley Hwang.MIC statistics show that Vietnam's aggregate ICT industry production value amounted to US$91.59 billion in 2017, shooting up 35.3% from US$67.69 billion in 2016, with the growth numbers indicating a booming development of the country's electronics industry. Samsung Electronics' handset production base in Vietnam has been the major source of Vietnam's ICT exports, but the company has just unveiled its plant in India and is also likely to face growing competition. This has prompted Vietnam to show much interest in diversifying industrial production and cultivating tech startups.Vietnam customs statistics also indicate that the country's exports of diverse electronics hardware devices including handsets came to US$81.60 billion in 2017, representing a sharp annual increase of 38%, much higher than the corresponding growth of 11% registered in 2016. Of the total exports, handsets commanded US$45.27 billion, up 13.2% on year; and exports of computers and peripherals soared 36.8% on year to US$26 billion. These electronics products alone had contributed trade surplus of over US$20 billion in 2017.More investments in IC design, 5GPhan Tam is well aware that Vietnam can hardly develop a solid footing in the market should its technologies fail to catch up with international standards. At the moment, Vietnam's electronics industry highly relies on export trade and on contribution by Samsung. And therefore the MIC hopes for more investments in the development of IC design and 5G technologies to enhance industry diversity, and also shows great concerns about whether smart city applications can bring more opportunities for local industries.On another front, MIC estimates total annual production value of Vietnam's software industry at US$3.8 billion for 2017, up 24% from 2016. In terms of ICT applications, 60% of elementary schools and 80% of middle schools have provided computer and online teaching programs; all commercial banks have offered electronic payment services, and 96% of financial transactions can be done online; and mobile banking penetration rate stands at 34.5% while up to 99% of enterprises can pay taxes via electronic channels.Vietnam's information service industry had managed to maintain a high annual export growth of 30-40% during 2013-2017 while also keen to provide business process outsourcing (BPO) services for software programs, with Japan being the largest export outlet and service recipient. Vietnam is now Japan's second largest supplier of information services and also a favorite partner for Japan enterprises. In recent years, Vietnam has been active in developing digital content and gaming industries, with the 2017 production value of the former rising 8% on year to US$800 million and the latter surging 27% to US$370 million.Talent groomingTalent is fundamental to ICT development. Vietnam now has a total of 250 universities and colleges, able to foster over 50,000 ICT personnel per year. The country's ICT sector now has around 900,000 employees, with the number increasing at an annual rate of 7-10%. Statistics show that the starting monthly pay for ICT employees in Vietnam now averages US$288, and their annual incomes average US$7,000.Now in Vietnam, young people command a high portion of its population, and more young people are moving to urban areas, providing a major advantage for ICT development in the country. Vietnam will not rule out ICT talent exchanges with foreign countries, so as to allow its new generation to experience the latest tech and industry developments.Phan Tam pointed out that along with stable economic development in Vietnam, many business sectors have produced many successful private enterprises. But this is not the case with the ICT sector, which has not seen many successful private firms, with the exception of FPT and telecom operators. Vietnam holds Taiwan's ICT industry in high regard, and is willing to learn from Taiwan about how to inspire the private sector to foray into the ICT industry.Phan Tam, Vietnam's deputy minister of information and communicationsPhoto: Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications
HP Enterprise (HPE) has recently been said to have recommended its partners adopt its server products using AMD's platforms to avoid the impact of Intel processor shortages. But Digitimes sources from the upstream supply chain have indicated that no other server players have seen issues with supply of Intel's server processors.HPE's reported message to its partners could be an indication of its strategy change.According to IDC's latest server shipment figures for the second quarter of 2018, Dell surpassed HP to become the largest server brand worldwide with a market share of 19.5% and an on-year shipment growth of 16.6%. Third-placed Lenovo also saw an impressive 53.9% on-year growth in its second-quarter shipments. However, among the major server players, HPE was the only one with an on-year shipment drop of 12.4%, with its market share slipping from over 20% previously to only 15.1% in the quarter.HPE had partnered with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry) to cross into the cloud computing datacenter server market, looking to offset the losses of orders from clients turning to use public cloud systems. But the two firms still parted ways after three years of cooperation without significant results. HPE has since been working alone in the cloud server market, but such a market is becoming competitive because of the arrival of many ODMs.HPE has changed its focus to supplying solutions and services to second-tier cloud computing service providers. But with growing competition from several Taiwan-based ODMs, HPE, which has never been good at pricing competition, is likely to experience pressure.But HPE has also been adjusting its server business direction: Instead of pushing shipment growths, the company is now more focused on creating added values to its server products to enhance its competitiveness. This partly explains why HPE's shipments dropped on year in second-quarter 2018.Intel is currently the largest server CPU suppliers with a 95% market share. With such dominance, the CPU giant may adjust its supply priority to its partners according to their sales volumes, rather than the added value of their products offer.It remains to be seen whether HPE's weakening performance has indeed resulted in the reported issues with supply of Intel CPUs.But there have been attempts by others to break Intel's dominance, such as Qualcomm, AMD and IBM. HPE has recently partnered with the US Department of Energy to develop a new super computer, the Astra using Arm-based processors. And HPE's recommendation of AMD-based servers could very well be in line with such attempts.
The ASEAN market sees fast growth in e-commerce, with total transaction value increasing by about 20% annually, according to ASOCIO (Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization) chairman David Wong Nan Fay.Wong, who is also founder and CEO of Malaysia-based logistics service provider SnT Global, was speaking to Digitimes on the sidelines of the ASOCIO Smart City Summit 2018 that took place in Hanoi, Vietnam, during September 18-19.The e-commerce transaction value in ASEAN takes up about 10% of its total retail and wholesale market currently, and the proportion will keep rising to 30% eventually, Wong said.Wong noted that chain convenience stores function as places for e-commerce customers to collect purchased items in Taiwan.He said this is a delivery model very suitable for densely populated cities in ASEAN, and SnT Global is setting up networks of delivery spots as part of its logistics services for e-commerce operators in the ASEAN market.In the Malaysia market, SnT Global has set up about 2,000 delivery spots and plans to expand the network to 10,000 in two years, Wong said, adding that the goal is to ship the goods within three hours of receiving orders.The Malaysia government in 2017 decided to develop a Digital Free Trade Zone in Kuala Lumpur through cooperation with China's e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, in a bid to help Malaysia-based small- to medium-size enterprises export products via e-commerce, Wong said.David Wong Nan Fay, ASOCIO chairman and CEO of SnT Global Photo: Digitimes staff
Vietnam is a young country with more and more people ready to swarm into urban areas, and Hanoi will become an iconic place for promoting the country's overall smart city projects highlighting energy resources, water resources and transportation, Nguyen Duc Chung, chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee, said when opening the ASOCIO Smart City Forum 2018 on September 18 for a three-day run in the capital city.Acting on the instruction from the central government, Hanoi has set the goal of achieiving 100% clean water by 2020, and in line with the urbanization trend, Hanoi will serve as a role model for the implementation of smart city projects.At the opening session, David Wong Nan Fay, chairman of the Asian-Oceanian Computing Industry Organization (ASOCIO) that organizes the forum, said that the attendance of 500 representatives from more than 10 member states of the organization shows the great expectations for fast urbanization and smart city solutions among emerging countries in Asia.Yvonne Chiu, chairperson of the World Information Technology and Services Alliances (WITSA), also noted that with Bhutan joining as a new member, WITSA now has a total of 83 member states from around the world, with those in Asia particularly abounding in business opportunities. Chiu called for Hanoi to partner with Taiwan in the development of smart cities.Vietnam now has a population of nearly 100 million, with 60% of them being young people. This, coupled with an annual GDP expansion of over 6%, will turn Vietnam into a star of tomorrow in Asia. Statistics show that Vietnam has over 70 million handset users including 64 million smartphone holders, indicating that the country has developed good infrastructures for digital transformation.ASOCIO Smart City Forum 2018 takes place in HanoiASOCIO chairman David WongPhotos: Digitimes staff, September 2018
Facing the great waves of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Vietnam is keen on promoting e-government projects, and the government there has selected five main cities, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and Danang, as pilot sites for smart city development, covering clean energy, environmental protection and transportation, according to Truong Gia Binh, chairman of FPT Group, the largest information technology service company in the country.Binh told Digitimes in a recent exclusive interview that the information technology service market scale in Vietnam is estimated at US$16 billion a year, with an annual growth of 13% seen in 2017.FPT just marked its 30th anniversary on September 12. Binh said that he founded FPT from scratch 30 years ago, when Vietnam was just beginnig to introduce reform and open up. After returning to Vietnam following 11 years of studies in the Soviet Union, Binh decided to venture into the country's information service market, which at the time hardly seemed promising.But now, the FPT Group, dedicated to information services, 3C channel distribution services, and computer education and training services, has a total of 35,000 employees and annual revenues of US$2 billion. The group has extended its software contract services and call-center business to 33 countries, maintaining business ties with at least 100 out of the world's top-500 enterprises.Speaking about Vietnam's future development prospects, Binh pointed out Vietnam has 65% of its population aged under 35, with the average age of its people at only 27. In addition, Vietnamese students have very good mathematical skills, frequently winning prizes in international math contests, which has prompted FPT to engage in computer education as a major business.Furthermore, the FPT Group has over 600 franchised partners in Vietnam for 3C products distribution, and it has also set up a joint venture with Taiwan's Synnex Technology International to develop local 3C distribution business in Vietnam.But Binh still has a lot of concerns about whether to foray into production of consumer electronics devices including handsets.At the moment, Samsung Electronics undoubtedly is the top vendor in Vietnam's handset market, bolstered by its volume production capability there. Also, chances are also not high for Vietnam makers to outperform China handset brands in the market.Accordingly, Vietnam is inclined to produce network communication products associated with national security, and develop local information service business.Truong Gia Binh, chairman of Vietnam's FPT GroupPhoto: Digitimes staff, September 2018
Many tech startups are actively applying newly emerging technologies to carry out smart wealth management services amid the ever-expanding financial investment portfolios. Among them, Taiwan's Leadin Technology is dedicated to offering AI-driven wealth management solutions through its social trading platform named TradingValley.Company co-founder Jerry Peng said that TradingValley is cooperating with securities houses, investment trust firms and investment consulting firms in Taiwan to offer smart B2B wealth management services to financial institutions by leveraging algorithm-driven prediction technologiesIn the US, TradingValley is zeroing in on the massive B2C market, providing individual users with customized wealth management services associated with ETF (exchange traded funds) and listed shares, through the application of AI and quantitative models, Peng continued.Peng disclosed that his company is also applying for related operating licenses for its own wealth management app products initially targeting Chinese financial investors in the US market.Peng indicated that TravingValley hopes to provide retail investors with the optimal and customized investment portfolios and render them smart and convenient wealth management services at low costs.He disclosed that based on the ensemble learning concept, TradingValley can collect massive financial data and then use multiple machine learning algorithms to predict the performances of global stock exchange markets, so as to work out the best dynamic assets allocation effects and boost the gains from financial investment portfolios.He added that the firm's algorithm engines can offer precision market analysis, with the winning rate already reaching 70%.Leadin Technology co-founder Jerry PengPhoto: Mark Tsai, Digitimes, Spetember 2018
