With a new wave of smart energy vehicles entering the market, competition in the global automotive semiconductor industry is changing. In light of this trend, WPG Holdings, a leading global semiconductor component distributor, together with its subsidiaries—WPI Group, SAC Group, AIT Group, and YOSUN Group—successfully held the Automotive Technology Application Exhibition in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China. The exhibition provided insight into the changes occurring in the industry's supply-and-demand chain and highlighted the company's main strategies with regard to horizontal integration of chip manufacturers and vertical integration of automakers to optimize up- and downstream cooperation in the automotive semiconductor supply chain. These strategies will significantly maximize chip supply efficiency and create a win-win situation among automakers, chip manufacturers, and WPG Holdings.Evolving competition in the automotive chip marketEric Ho, Chief Marketing Officer of WPI Group, pointed out that smart energy vehicles are very diverse, creating demand for differentiated components. Additionally, the continuous upgrading of component specifications has prompted automakers to require a wider range of chip solutions. Kevin Lin, Vice President of CN Business Group at AIT Group, explained that in the past automakers mainly purchased components that complied with vehicle regulations. With the development of smart and electric vehicles, however, demand for components that do not need to comply with vehicle regulations has been growing in the past two years. As a result, chip demand among automakers and tier-1 suppliers has become more intricate.Due to this development, as well as an acute awareness of the importance of stable chip supply following the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry's chip procurement methods are undergoing changes. Andrew Man, Chief Marketing Officer of SAC Group, explained that some automakers have started to bypass tier-1 suppliers and directly collaborate with MCU suppliers to shorten the design process, ensure stable supply, and achieve cost reduction goals.In response to increasing demand and different procurement patterns of downstream customers, upstream chip manufacturers have begun consolidating in order to expand product lines and increase chances of winning orders from automakers. Indeed, the entire automotive semiconductor industry supply chain is experiencing drastic change.Optimizing supply chain to create a win-win situationIn order to continue its role connecting up- and downstream sectors in the industry, WPG Holdings is integrating the resources and capacities of its four subsidiaries to promote two integration strategies and optimize cooperation models in the global automotive chip supply chain.Integrating horizontally with chip manufacturers and deploying diversified solutionsEric Ho stated that automotive chips have a wide range of applications and that WPG Holdings has been actively involved in many of them for more than 10 years, providing customers with comprehensive solutions. Among WPG Holdings' 250 product lines, more than 50 are automotive-related, covering almost all automotive applications, including ADAS, controllers, EIC systems, passive components, connectors, and others.Among YOSUN Group's nearly 60 product lines, 26 are related to automotive chips, with extensive technology coverage, said Jerry Chen, CEO Special Assistant at YOSUN Group. He pointed out that in response to the booming development of the new energy vehicle market in recent years, YOSUN Group has initiated an EV project to meet the changing needs of the market and customers. By consolidating the EV strategies of the sales, PM, FAE, and solution teams, as well as combining various technologies and chip requirements inside and outside the vehicle, YOSUN Group provides customers with rich and complete solutions. In addition, with the global service layout of WPG Holdings, the results that the company has achieved so far are remarkable. It has gained widespread recognition from automakers, customers, and the market. This has underlined the value of WPG Holdings to automakers, tier-1 and tier-2 manufacturers, and OEMs in the EV market.Integrating vertically with automakers and tier-1 manufacturers to provide customized technical servicesAndrew Man stated that SAC Group established an automotive electronics business team seven years ago and a technical team five years ago. Today, SAC Group has nearly 100 employees who are well-versed in the automotive industry. Among all its subsidiaries, WPG Holdings now boasts up to 300 engineers. These engineers not only have ISO-26262 certifications but also possess special skills and certifications related to MCU. They delve deeply into the needs of automakers and tier-1 manufacturers and provide customized technical services.Using AIT Group's business as an example, Kevin Lin further explained that it has many tier-1 customers, each with different requirements. Therefore, AIT Group leverages the collective strength of WPG Holdings to deliver optimal services to automakers and tier-1 suppliers through diversified solutions and customized technical support capabilities. This ensures that all the processes of the chips handed over by WPG Holdings can be completed smoothly and efficiently, from assembly to components and complete vehicles.As the automotive industry is transforming, WPG Holdings continues to serve as a critical distributor, aiming to provide automakers with the most suitable and diverse chip solutions and services, help chip manufacturers establish clear advantages in the changing market environment, and gain favor from automakers.

The organization behind the sustainability certification TCO Certified is TCO Development. TCO Development works globally towards a future where all IT products have a sustainable life cycle. The international team is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with team members working remotely at several continents around the world.Soren Enholm, the CEO at TCO Development, has, once again, been named one of Sweden's most influential people in sustainability. The list of 101 people is put together every year by the Swedish magazine Aktuell Hallbarhet.It is a great honor to be on the list to highlight the importance of more sustainable IT products. And with a record high interest in certified products it is satisfying to see that purchasers' demand for TCO Certified push the IT industry in the right direction. Together we drive progress toward sustainable IT products and circular solutions, says Sören Enholm.The story of TCO Certified began more than 30 years ago. Sören has led the work since 2009 and it is the second year in a row he is on the list. The sustainability requirements of TCO Certified affect how more than 100 million IT products are manufactured each year. The requirements are tightened every three years — towards a more circular design, safer chemicals, a reduced product carbon footprint and better working conditions in factories. To challenge the industry and drive the development of more sustainable IT products, the criteria go beyond legislation and industry standards.TCO Certified is available for 12 product categories, including computers, mobile devices, display products, imaging equipment and data center products. Compliance is independently verified, both pre- and post-certification. All product models can be found at Product Finder.

Taiwan's leading retail equipment manufacturer, DataVan (3521.TWO), has been actively implementing intelligentization strategies in recent years. By introducing new technologies, improving software and hardware integration, and expanding research and development capabilities, DataVan provides clients with comprehensive smart solutions for operation and management, presented at this year's COMPUTEX, one of the largest computer and technology trade shows in the world.In response to the surge in outbound tourism since the Chinese New Year holidays this year due to the lifting of travel restrictions, DataVan will create a "Smart Airport" on-site at COMPUTEX to optimize the travel and outbound experience with its latest AI retail technologies and equipment. According to DataVan, the reason for choosing "airport" as the scene to showcase its AI solutions is not only to respond to current events, but also because airports include areas such as travel information, duty-free shops, and lounges, which traditionally require a large amount of manpower for reception. By introducing more smart retail solutions with AI technologies, not only can the manpower shortage problem be effectively solved, but the shopping experience of passengers can also be highly optimized. In addition, it can provide store owners with more data analysis, allowing them to formulate more precise marketing strategies, and it is conducive to the successful implementation of more applications.DataVan states that the focus of smart airport is on the integration of hardware and software, highlighting three major features: The first one is DataVanGPT, an AI recommendation system that utilizes innovative GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) technology, combined with the latest slim kiosk "Genius" by DataVan, which provides travel, navigation, and recommendation information services through voice queries. It also incorporates e-commerce and membership management system applications, creating greater commercial value. Secondly, AI Vision, which utilizes AI eye-tracking analysis technology, can analyze the direction and time of customers' eye focus in front of the store shelves, and can convert the attention hot zone data into accurate marketing applications with advertising benefits. Thirdly, AI Waiter, a smart voice ordering service system that uses AI voice and intelligent recommendation systems, will be integrated with DataVan's kiosk "Venus", demonstrating an innovative interactive self-service ordering system that can simultaneously use voice recognition and touchscreen.In addition to the AI systems, DataVan will also showcase a variety of innovative retail application software and hardware, including several new platform-based desktop POS systems, mobile payment terminals, Kitchen Display Systems (KDS), smart beer dispenser, and the cloud POS management platform "DataVan Central" that supports both Windows and Android systems, providing clients with a one-stop-shop service to meet their diverse needs. Welcome to explore DataVan's solutions at K0802 booth.DataVan provides clients with comprehensive smart solutions for operation and management, presented at COMPUTEX 2023.

The global medical equipment market has been growing steadily in recent years, and the market size is now close to USD $100 billion; according to research, China's medical equipment market size has now become the second largest market in the world right after the United States. Taiwan's leading power supply company, Asian Power Devices (APD), participated in the CMEF China International Medical Equipment Fair held in Shanghai from May 14-17, and showcased a full range of highly reliable medical power supplies on-site (Hall 8.1/A02). During the exhibition, APD attracted the attention of leading medical equipment manufacturers worldwide by showcasing their products' quiet and efficient features, compact and portable design, as well as their exceptional product performances.Continual Innovation, R&D and Manufacturing Strengths Lead the IndustryCommitted to the power industry for almost thirty years, APD has now become the long-term strategic partner of many global leading medical manufacturers. APD obtained the "ISO 13485 Medical devices Quality Management System Standards Certificate" in 2015, has been certified with the "National Grade High-thech Enterprise" qualification year after year, and was even honored with the title of "Champion products in the Manufacturing Industry of Shenzhen City" with its medical power supplies in 2023. The General Manager of APD's Power System Business, Rax Chuang, stated that: "The China medical market is extremely important to APD; we have continually and actively invested resources in product R&D design and factory processes. Winning this honor shows that the manufacturing technologies and processes of APD has reached leading international standards, and this is one of the most important reasons why APD has continually won the trust of global customers."In order to ensure that its products comply with the latest standards of the industry in terms of safety, EMC, energy efficiency standard research and certification testing, APD invested large amounts of resources to establish laboratories for the highest levels of safety regulations in the industry, including the "UL safety lab" and "Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) lab", that can maximize the coverage and meet the certification standard requirements of power products by different customer industries to help customers launch their products into the market faster. Recently, with the enforcement of China's latest version of the GB 9706.1-2020 standard for medical power supplies starting from May 1st, APD also invested resources to study and interpret the differences in the regulations, and investigate the differences in product-related safety designs to ensure that its products comply with the latest version of the medical safety standard.Diverse Power Applications with both Safety and PerformanceAs the construction of medical facilities accelerate after the pandemic, medical application devices are becoming more diverse and are flourishing. APD's highly reliable medical power supplies are now widely applied on devices such as ventilators, oxygen generators, humidifiers, monitors, infusion pumps, in vitro diagnostics (IVD), endoscopes, ultrasounds, electric hospital beds and electric wheelchairs. In addition, due to the development of the medical aesthetic market in recent years, APD has also invested in the application of various medical devices such as beauty instruments and hair removal devices, continually developing power products that can meet the diverse needs of medical customers.Since medical devices have special usage environments, medical power supply products have more rigorous requirements for safety and reliability. All of APD's medical power supply series comply with global medical product safety regulations IEC60601 and UL60601 series standards, and provide 2 x MOPP insulation protection design; they also have extremely low leakage currents to maximize the safety of patients. The peak current of the power supplies is as high as 300% or more, able to provide a stable power supply even if medical devices have transient high current requirements. The best heat dissipation is also provided for the products; APD adopted CAE auxiliary simulation on the designs of its medical power supplies to optimize their cooling architecture and make sure the medical devices can operate safely and steadily. Optimized electromagnetic interference structure designs were also adopted inside the products to improve their anti-interference performances and safety. Meanwhile, APD medical power supplies also have high tolerances for electrostatic and fast bursts, as well as over-voltage, over-current, over-temperature and other protective functions, and are able to highly ensure the stability of medical devices and the safety of patients. They are also very quiet while operating, so are able to provide patients with a calm, peaceful environment while resting. In addition, APD's embedded power supplies can also be widely applied in other rigorous environments and still ensure safe and steady product operations; the safety of the products is outstanding.The Group Continues to Expand its Production Capacity and Increase its Operational Energy APD continues to grow and surpass the industry with an annual revenue growth of 15% using its profound R&D capabilities and stable and high efficiency power supply products. It has continually innovated its technologies, improved its production technology and optimized its processes actively, and the various plants of the Group have been fully equipped with highly automated production equipment, vastly improved its production efficiency and product quality. In order to ensure that the Group can continue to improve its production capacity, APD's new Shenzhen Pingshan plant was completed and began operation in September of 2022. This is APD's third largest production base in China after Shenzhen plant one and plant two, driving the expansion of APD's total production capacity to a new milestone. The General Manager of APD's Power System Business, Rax Chuang, stated that APD will continue to innovate its technologies and expand its global production capacities in the future, and use highly-efficient production services to provide the most competitive medical power solutions for its global customers.

iCatch Technology, a leading Taiwan-based AI image processing IC design company, announced its innovative CR3 Automotive AI Imaging SoC for in-cabin sensing applications at the recent AutoSens InCabin Show held in Phoenix from March 15th to 17th, 2023. The event showcased the latest advancements in in-cabin technology and safety, including emerging trends in driver and occupant monitoring systems (DMS/OMS), and the future outlook for the industry and regulation.iCatch Technology delivered a presentation on smart cockpit monitoring with event-based sensor technology. Photo: AutoSens In-Cabin Phoenix, 2023During the event, iCatch Technology delivered a presentation on the topic of "Emerging Event-Based Vision Sensor Technology Enhances Driving Safety and Privacy in Smart Cockpit," to an engaged audience.The presentation highlighted the innovative use of event-based edge AI technology to monitor cognitive states in real-time, enabling quick responses to driver's distraction with privacy protection. iCatch Technology's in-cabin sensing technology was aligned with the increasing demand for in-cabin monitoring systems (DMS/OMS) in the automotive industry, which provide crucial data on driver and occupant behavior, enabling proactive safety measures and addressing privacy concerns. According to Euro NCAP assessment, DMS will be standard in all new vehicles by 2025, making it a key focus area for iCatch Technology."We are excited to unveil our CR3 Automotive AI Imaging SoC at the AutoSens InCabin Show," said Weber Hsu, CEO of iCatch Technology. "With our innovative event-based vision technology and sensor fusion solution, we are enabling advanced driver and occupant monitoring systems that enhance driving safety while ensuring privacy protection. We are proud to be at the forefront of driving advancements in in-cabin sensing applications and contributing to the future of automotive safety."The head pose and gaze detection results by processing event-based image data are shown with the corresponding normal color image. Photo: iCatch TechnologyIn addition to the presentation, iCatch Technology also showcased their latest advancements for Enhanced In-Cabin Safety and Privacy. The solution features their CR3 Automotive AI Imaging SoC, which enables real-time monitoring of driver behavior and reliable detection of distractions, using event-based AI algorithms and auto-switching RGBIR sensor with HDR technology. The CR3 is a comprehensive AI Imaging solution for in-cabin sensing applications, with its proprietary image processing pipeline, computer vision DSP, and Neural Processing Unit integrated into a single chip, empowering OEMs and Tier-1s to realize camera-based in-cabin sensing solutions with improved latency and privacy protection.

Avalue Technology, a global industrial PC solution provider and an associate member of the Intel Internet of Things Solutions Alliance, is bringing the new Intel Atom Embedded Industrial motherboards, EMX-EHLP, with Intel Celeron/Atom SoC BGA Processor (Elkhart Lake Platform 4.5~12W). This motherboard brings with huge improvement on performance and bug step ahead with Intel UHD Graphics target entry-level application market. With improved performance, I/O capability, and security features, EMX-EHLP is the ideal motherboard for gaming, retail, digital signage, ATM machines, surveillance, and parking management systems, etc.Thin Mini ITX motherboard EMX-EHLP features flexible I/O supports 2 x USB 3.1 Gen.2 and 2 x USB3.1Gen 1 at I/O, 4 x USB 2.0, 4 x RS-232, 2 x RS-232/422/485 with DC power input 12~ 24V. It supports one DP and one HDMI display and LVDS co-lay with DP for all kinds of applications.This motherboard design with two M.2 slot: M.2 B-Key SATA/PCIe/USB supports WWAN+GNSS or SSD and E-Key support Wifi module, PCI-e x1 and USB2.0 signal. Also, EMX-EHLP offers four Intel 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet with TPM2.0.Avalue EMX-EHLP embedded industrial motherboard

Veeam Software, the leader in Modern Data Protection and Ransomware Recovery, announced that it has been ranked the #1 global provider by International Data Corporation (IDC) in its latest IDC Semiannual Software Tracker, 2022H2 for Data Replication & Protection software. The tracker reports that Veeam, with a year-over-year growth rate (not adjusted for constant currency) of 8.1%, grew faster than the other top five vendors and the overall market average. According to the tracker, Veeam's revenue grew 8.4% sequentially over the first half of 2022."The proliferation and sophistication of cyber threats – and specifically ransomware – changes the question from whether your business will be attacked, to how often," said Anand Eswaran, CEO at Veeam. "The New Veeam Data Platform focuses on modern data protection and ransomware recovery, ensures that every business is resilient, and can recover rapidly and safely from ransomware and other cyber threats, across the customer's complete hybrid cloud environment. On behalf of our Veeam team, I want to thank our entire community of 450,000 customers and 35,000 partners for their support and trust. We look forward to working together to build a safer, more secure future."Veeam recently launched the New Veeam Data Platform , a single platform delivering more advanced data security, recovery and hybrid cloud capabilities across the entire IT environment – Multi-Cloud, Virtual, Hybrid, Physical, SaaS (M365, Salesforce) and Kubernetes. Veeam Backup & Replication v12, the foundation for the Veeam Data Platform, provides best-in-class secure backup and fast reliable recovery from every cyber threat including ransomware, to keep business resilient and running. Through this platform approach, every environment however complex, can be secured and recovered rapidly when it counts most, defeating ransomware attacks.Veeam invites every company, administrator and user to join VeeamON 2023, the community event for data recovery experts, which will take place May 22 – 24 in Miami, Florida and online. Designed by and built for the backup and recovery professional, attendees will expand their skills, celebrate with the community, and share industry knowledge with exclusive content from AWS, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and more. Registration for the in-person event and the virtual option is now open.For more information, visit www.veeam.com.Veeam named the #1 data protection and recovery solution worldwide

Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) Co., Ltd., in collaboration with ENNOSTAR and Unikorn Semiconductor Corporation, announced at "Touch Taiwan 2023" the development of a new 0.12-inch micro-display with a pixel density exceeding 6,500 PPI and a blue light brightness of 200,000 nits, using Micro LED technology. The purpose of this collaboration is to improve Micro LED efficiency by optimizing the structure of Micro LED chips and adopting a new thin film protection technology, successfully reducing surface defects, improving external quantum efficiency, and increasing product reliability.Considering the high brightness requirements of AR applications, Unikorn Semiconductor Corporation, which has rich experience in III-V semiconductor manufacturing and advanced process technology, was responsible for optimizing the Micro LED chip efficiency in this joint development to ensure a balance between brightness and chip power consumption during subsequent full-color conversion. Hon Hai, on the other hand, used its own developed color conversion technology to further achieve full-color display effect at 3,600 PPI.For general high-PPI full-color displays, the small pixel pitch cannot provide enough quantum dot optical density, causing leakage of blue light in high-brightness scenes, resulting in blue halo and color shift among pixels. Hon Hai's Micro LED manufacturing technology, built on a semiconductor process, uses high-efficiency quantum dot color conversion and a self-developed reflective inter-pixel light shield technology to provide sufficient optical density of quantum dots and prevent color shift among pixels, producing high-purity red and green light for full-color display effect.Hon Hai collaborated with ENNOSTAR and Unikorn Semiconductor Corporation for blue Micro LED process development and foundry services, and to enhance the development of high-efficiency blue light pixel process with 4um pitch. The long-term goal is to invest resources in applications with growth potential to achieve differentiation and technological innovation. This product can be widely used in smart glasses, AR/VR devices, and Hon Hai will strive for collaboration and technological innovation to expand business opportunities in the fields of virtual reality, augmented reality, and other metaverse applications.

NexCOBOT and its ecosystem partners, will announce the launch of a new functional safety robot control solution in Hannover Messe 2023. NexCOBOT's PC-based robot control platform-SCB100, coupled with Synapticon's smart servo drive and safe motion module form the next generation modularized collaborative application robot control ROBASafe solution, building the world's first x86 SIL 2/SIL 3 robot control solution. Enhanced for IoT embedded and industrial applications, the SCB100 adopts the Intel Atom x6427FE processor and Intel Safety Island (Intel SI) with integrated functional safety capability, making it the best processor to develop a control system for robots and machines.The process of manufacturing has become more automated than ever. With robots highly involved in production and in close contact with human counterparts, worker safety becomes a critical topic.Human robot collaborative applications need to reach safety performance up to SIL 2 according to IEC 61508 or Cat.3 PL=d according to ISO 13849-1. As the leading robot control and motion control solutions provider in Taiwan, NexCOBOT offers the ROBASafe SIL 2 / Cat. 3 robot control solution which shortens the overall development life cycle for customers and provides faster time-to-market solution. ROBASafe also delivers the performance needed to support both computing and safety-related workloads on the same board, which can help reduce hardware components in any given deployment. The SCB100 offers comprehensive safety interfaces, real-time operating system and APIs to detect hardware platform failures. NexCOBOT General Manager Jenny Shern states "NexCOBOT is committed to being your trustworthy partner in building open and modular intelligent robot control and motion control solutions. The market demand of functional safety in human robot collaborative applications is promising. It's our pleasure to collaborate with our partners Intel, Synapticon, Fraunhofer IWU, RTS, and Sysgo to equip robot builders with the tools to build safer, high-performance robotic solutions in shorter time frames."Synapticon develops and produces innovative software and hardware for sophisticated motion control in robotics and advanced machinery. Featuring a circular shape and hollow shaft, SOMANET Circulo's all-in-one servo solution is ideal for fully integrated hollow-shaft actuators that are mainly used in robot arms with zero mess cabling. With compact and efficient, high-performance, decentral servo drives, OEMs such as robot manufacturers and machine builders can utilize Synapticon's advanced motion control technology to realize better products in less time. The optional Safe Motion Module for Circulo allows for SIL3 PL e level safe motion functions over FSoE (FailSafe over EtherCAT). Synapticon Founder & CEO Nikolai Ensslen says " Synapticon partners with NexCOBOT to launch the collaborative application robot control ROBASafe solution. It is expected to define the future for true human robot collaboration with disruptive innovation and ALL-IN-ONE integration. NexCOBOT's robot safety controller, as an EtherCAT slave device, connects to the SOMANET Circulo servo drives through FSoE to command precise and safe motion control."The ROBASafe solution also can be integrated with a dynamic 3D working area monitoring system – Dynasafe, developed by Fraunhofer IWU, the leading institute for resource-efficient production in Europe. Dynasafe is able to form safe areas through multi-angle streaming video, dynamically monitoring collaborative robot's safety and significantly reduce the difficulty for robot manufacturers to develop functional safety function in collaborative application.NexCOBOT invites you to visit us at Hall 9, H19, and learn more about our ecosystem partners' solutions and applications.NexCOBOT Collaborates with Ecosystem Partners to Build the First x86 Functional Safety Robot Control Solution.Photo: NexCOBOTNexCOBOT's PC-based robot control platform-SCB100, coupled with Synapticon's smart servo drive and safe motion module form the next generation modularized collaborative application robot control ROBASafe solution, building the world's first x86 SIL 2/SIL 3 robot control solution.

FIDO Alliance, an international authentication standards organization, hosted its first Member Plenary in Taiwan in February 2023. As part of the event, the FIDO Taipei Seminar was held on February 6 under the theme of "Authentication as the Cornerstone of Security for Smart Countries and Digital Industries." More than 300 guests from Taiwan and abroad attended the event, marking the first wave of international conference attendees after the reopening of Taiwan's borders.FIDO Alliance, an international authentication standards organization, held its first Member Plenary in Taiwan in February 2023. Christina Hulka, Executive Director and COO of FIDO Alliance (front row, third from right), Andrew Shikiar, Executive Director and CMO of FIDO Alliance (front row, first from left), and Karen Chang, Chair of FIDO Taiwan Engagement Forum (front row, fifth from left) attended the conference and invited speakers and guests from Taiwan and abroad to the event. Photo: DIGITIMESBrenda Hu, Executive Secretary of the FinTech Innovation Center of the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC), pointed out in her speech at the FIDO Taipei Seminar, "On August 27, 2020, FSC included in its FinTech Development Roadmap 'the research and development of a standardized mobile identity authentication mechanism for financial services (Financial FIDO)' and outlined a plan to adopt the FIDO authentication standards, so that in the future, users of financial services will no longer need to tediously authenticate themselves with physical cards or account passwords."Horn-Jiunn Sheen, Deputy Executive Secretary of the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the National Science and Technology Council, said, "With the increasing importance of information security issues, passwordless authentication has become an important technology for strengthening the security of identity authentication. We hope to maintain a close working relationship with FIDO and utilize the FIDO authentication standards to reinforce the overall security of Taiwan's digital environment."The FIDO Alliance illustrates, "The global outbreak of data breaches is expected to cost the world US$343 billion in online payment fraud over the next five years, primarily due to weak or stolen passwords. In the post-pandemic era, using the Internet for shopping, online payments, social interactions, and access to various business and government services have become a new norm for the majority of people.In recent years, hackers have been using techniques such as social engineering and phishing to steal personal information and trade secrets on a massive scale. This poses an unprecedented challenge to corporate sustainability, government trust, and the peace of mind of the general public.As a result, the zero-trust security model has taken hold in the marketplace, and identity verification is another step toward its further implementation. Various government agencies and enterprises are playing an active role in understanding the purpose of the FIDO Alliance and joining this comprehensive digital industry and government ecosystem that encompass chips, devices, software, services, and more to create a more secure and convenient service experience for users."FIDO Authentication Standards Mechanisms Are Recognized as the Best Solution for Passwordless AuthenticationMinister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang said, "As the engine of Taiwan's digital development, the Ministry of Digital Affairs (moda) is committed not only to developing ideas on how to respond to rapidly-changing digital technology but also to keeping up with the times and building a more comprehensive digital trust infrastructure environment. In addition, as a member of the FIDO Alliance, the moda will participate in the development of standards that meet the needs of Taiwan and its like-minded global partners. The moda will be instrumental in introducing them to government agencies, civil society, and various industries to realize the plurality of 'interoperable co-presence.' The moda will accelerate digital transformation across sectors and safeguard national information security to promote the development of digital resilience for all."Andrew Shikiar, Executive Director and CMO at the FIDO Alliance summarized the morning session by saying, "Digital services should not be decoupled from personal information security. As data breaches continue to rise, fundamental changes are needed to prevent these incidents. FIDO authentication uses public-key cryptography, which enables simpler and more powerful authentication methods to develop the relevant standards." Furthermore, as the number of Internet of Things (IoT) devices grows worldwide, so does the range of applications for FIDO authentication. In the absence of IoT security standards, devices, and network services are vulnerable to various attacks. Therefore, the FDO Authentication promulgated in April 2021 is expected to be promoted in 2023 to protect the security of IoT devices and services.Influence and Impact of FIDO on Global PoliciesKi-Eun Shin, SK Telecom Principal Software Development EngineerPhoto: DIGITIMES"Since accounts and passwords can be easily copied and backed up by hackers, leading to various information security incidents." Ki-Eun Shin, Principal Software Development Engineer at SK Telecom, said, "FIDO technology provides passwordless authentication methods that help improve the security of various web application services. The application of passkey certified method recently allows users to access websites at anytime and anywhere by binding a private key to the synchronization mechanism of a device or platform, thereby ushering in a passwordless era."Paul Heim, FIDO Alliance Director of CertificationPhoto: DIGITIMESPaul Heim, Director of Certification at the FIDO Alliance, pointed out, "The successive adoption of FIDO authentication standards by various industries and government organizations also shows that the market demand for FIDO identity verification is growing rapidly. Manufacturers of equipment or components seek to get FIDO functional certification as soon as possible in the hope of differentiating themselves from their competitors. This allows them to up their competitiveness and take advantage of rare market opportunities. The FIDO Alliance has comprehensive authentication schemes and experts, which can help companies pass certification one step at a time."Jeremy Grant, Advisor of Public Policy at the FIDO Alliance; Teresa Wu, Co-Chair of the FIDO Government Deployment Working Group and Vice President of IDEMIA North America; and Wei-Chung Hwang, Deputy General Director of the Information and Communications Laboratories of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (From left to right)Photo: DIGITIMESJeremy Grant, Advisor of Public Policy at the FIDO Alliance, admitted, "Identity authentication is critical to the ability of governments in promoting various services and helps protect their digital assets. This will provide higher-value services to the public, and secure critical assets and infrastructure. FIDO identity authentication mechanism offers a newer and better option for governments. However, the prerequisite is that some policies need to be adjusted and revised in response to the characteristics of the technology."Teresa Wu, Co-Chair of the FIDO Government Deployment Working Group and Vice President of IDEMIA North America said, "To accelerate the adoption of FIDO in global enterprises, the FIDO Alliance will work hard to build a modern identity authentication ecosystem. The Government Deployment Working Group (GDWG) will act as a subject matter expert and internal advisor in the FIDO Alliance to help governments, enterprises, and others accelerate the adoption of FIDO solutions."Wei-Chung Hwang, Deputy General Director of the Information and Communications Laboratories of the Industrial Technology Research Institute, said, "With the rapid development of digital technology and increasing awareness of the importance of information security, Asian countries such as Taiwan, Korea, Japan, India, and Thailand have adopted FIDO standards in government, business, and consumer applications to improve service security and user experience. However, from a broader perspective, FIDO standards can be extended to manufacturing, supply chain, healthcare, and other sectors so that more people and industries can reap its benefits."FIDO Authentication Standards and Technology Gains Recognition and Attracts Attention of Governments and EnterprisesHan-Chieh Sun, Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories ManagerPhoto: DIGITIMESIn the face of various hacking techniques, governments of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, and other countries have adopted FIDO authentication technologies to develop numerous government applications and provide secure services to the public. The Ministry of the Interior (MOI), for example, has been promoting the Citizen Digital Certificate for many years. Despite its benefit of high security, the main drawback is that it must be used with a card reader, which many people find inconvenient.As such, MOI has launched the TW FidO app, with FIDO authentication at its core. The security of TW FidO meets international standards. After downloading the app and completing registration on their mobile devices, users can use biometric authentication methods such as fingerprint or facial recognition for authentication or online signature, and then apply for government services such as filing tax returns without having to use cards or account passwords. This makes the app very practical.Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories Manager, Han-Chieh Sun pointed out, "The latest TW FidO app not only brings the Citizen Digital Certificate to your mobile phone, but also integrates authentication functions of its older versions, eliminates limitations imposed by physical IC cards, card readers, and desktop computers. In addition, the TW FidO app has passed the Mobile Application Basic Security Level 3 of the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), and the FIDO2 international standard. It also meets the Digital Identity Level of Assurance 3 (LoA3). The app takes into account usability, security, and next-generation mobile authentication and signature mechanisms."Masao Kubo, NTT DOCOMO Product Design Department ManagerPhoto: DIGITIMES"NTT DOCOMO has been changing the world with FIDO authentication technology, replacing traditional account password mechanisms. On May 27, 2015, we launched the first phase of our project, introducing FIDO UAF to provide members with simpler and more secure usage mechanisms." Masao Kubo, Manager of Product Design Department at NTT DOCOMO, further explained, "In the second phase, iris and fingerprint recognition technologies were introduced to provide members with a more diverse user experience. In the third phase in 2020, NTT DOCOMO d Account members were provided with a passwordless authentication service."Zake Huang, AuthenTrend Vice PresidentPhoto: DIGITIMESZake Huang, Vice President of AuthenTrend, pointed out, "According to a well-known international research report, more than 25% of multi-factor authentication (MFA) will be performed by FIDO authentication mechanisms by 2025, which is a testament to their stability and reliability. FIDO technology can be used not only in web applications but also in the internal environment of enterprises to prevent unfortunate breaches of important data due to password theft by hackers."FIDO in IoT: FIDO Device OnboardDavid Turner, Director of Standards Development at the FIDO Alliance, pointed out, "Today, the number of IoT devices in use around the world has grown to more than tens of billions. Yet, most devices lack adequate information security protection mechanisms. Applying traditional methods to strengthen the protection capabilities of IoT devices would not only take several years or more, but also gives rise to concerns about the effectiveness of information security protection. Therefore, FIDO Alliance has promulgated the FDO standard, launched the FDO authentication program, and conducted functional and security tests in the hope of improving the security of IoT devices."During panels at the 2023 FIDO Taipei Seminar, such as "The Imperative for a More Secure IoT" or "Global Perspectives on Passwordless Authentication," experts also pointed out that FIDO devices will be an important element in improving the security of the IoT, offering the best solution for implementing passwordless authentication in the post-pandemic era.David Turner, Director of Standards Development at the FIDO Alliance; Simon Trac, CEO and Founder of VinCSS; Giri Mandyam, Chief Security Architect-IoT and Automotive at Qualcomm; and Rolf Lindemann, Vice President Products of Nok Nok Labs (From right to left)Photo: DIGITIMESChristina Hulka, Executive Director and COO of the FIDO Alliance; Koichi Moriyama, Chief Security Architect, Corporate Evangelist, and H Head of Security Innovations Management, Corporate Strategy and Planning Department of NTT DOCOMO; Pamela Dingle, Director of Identity Standards at Microsoft; Nat Sakimura, Chairman of OpenID Foundation; Vittorio Bertocci, Principal Architect at Okta; and Paul Grassi, Principal Security - Identity at Amazon Web Services (From right to left)Photo: DIGITIMESKaren Chang, Chair of FIDO Taiwan Engagement Forum said "Like other advanced countries, Taiwan attaches great importance to authentication security. In addition to corporate members, many government agencies around the world have also joined the FIDO Alliance. The moda, for example, applied for membership in FIDO the same year it was established to create a highly secure application environment using FIDO authentication.Moreover, the TW FidO app, developed many years ago by MOI, has successfully connected to the Ministry of Finance's tax payment query system." Given Taiwan's key global position in the semiconductor, and information and communications industries, the FIDO Taiwan Engagement Forum was established in 2021 under the leadership of Egis Technology to more closely support and interact with the domestic community.In addition to keynote speeches, several FIDO members and partners presented various FIDO certified-based demos, such as Zero-Trust Strategy Solution by ITRI, FIDO Mobile Public-Key Solution by TWCA, Keypasco FIDO Multi-Factor Authentication Solution by Lydsec Digital Technology, FIDO Passwordless Zero-Trust Approach Solution by WebComm, FIDO Security Authentication Platform by GoTrustID, FIDO Product Series by WiSECURE Technologies, and FIDO Biometrics Solution by FIME Asia. The demos showcased the relevant application solutions, attracting much attention and offering first-hand experience to guests.