With an ever increasing plethora of distractions in our daily lives, it's no wonder catching others' attention has become difficult. Bigger and brighter - often means better. Enter NEXCOM's NDiS V1000 digital signage player, supporting high-definition graphics with superior bandwidth and processing capabilities, and bringing images to life with vibrant 4k resolution on multi-displays. Powered by AMD's V1605B APU microprocessor, the seamlessly integrated CPU and GPU result in a high performance yet lower-power device perfect for retail environments and even private uses.4k resolution is quickly becoming indispensable for quality graphic displays and not simply an option. The value-added and scalable NDiS V1000 supports individual 4K resolution for up to four simultaneous displays, ensuring that multi-displays pop with amazing clarity. In building the NDiS V1000 4k signage player, NEXCOM carefully selected AMD's Ryzen Embedded V1605 CPU and Radeon Vega 8 GPU SoC. The integrated SoC generates less thermal power than most others while achieving better graphic performance, all at a budget-friendly price point. With such outstanding capabilities, NDiS V1000 is tailored for retail businesses, such as shopping malls, department stores, and convenience stores. Yet output quality is so superb and processing so smooth that museums and business war rooms also love the signage player.The NDiS V1000 is the adaptable and suitable choice for a variety of needs. NDiS V1000's fanless design decreases excess noise to elevate customer satisfaction. The redesigned I/O layout is also simple and efficient, with all external connections located on the back panel. I/Os include a COM port for legacy devices, such as barcode scanners, so that they don't need replacing in order to connect to the most advanced computers. The digital signage player additionally provides four USB 3.0 ports for instances where connectivity speed is a priority, particularly factory automation and production monitoring/storage.Furthermore, two LAN ports are available for various tasks, perhaps one for transferring data and displaying information, and the other for private monitoring and security. The M.2 E key expansion slot is customizable to your specific needs but an excellent fit for a Wi-Fi module, which, for example, could help franchisees and stores send data to and receive data from a centralized cloud overnight. All of these redesigns have the added benefit of reducing power, thus saving potential expenses.NEXCOM-NDiSV1000

The petrochemical industry produces products of tremendous value through labor-intensive and complex processes. Any unexpected production equipment failure may result in production shutdown and significant losses. With Industrial 4.0 becoming a key development trend for manufacturing industries in recent years, the petrochemical industry is beginning to incorporate smart manufacturing and attach importance to data. Prowave, with three decades of experience in equipment vibration research, engaged in collaboration with ADLINK to develop a new machine condition monitoring system for a large petrochemical company in Taiwan to help ensure more reliable and safer production equipment operation.Concerns over cost and payback period no longer hinder adoption of machine condition monitoring solutionsProwave successfully helped a renowned petrochemical company in Taiwan incorporate a machine monitoring system operating across multiple production sites. The system not only enables the company to stay on top of the operating conditions of production line equipment but also generates additional benefits.Smartization in manufacturing remains in the initial stage, so many manufacturers hesitate to introduce smart systems into their production process. In particular, machine condition monitoring systems are not considered revenue-generating equipment. Moreover, in view of their high upfront cost and long payback period, manufacturers generally take a wait-and-see attitude toward their adoption. However, we will see a new side of things from a different perspective. If we look closely at current market developments, we will find market-leading manufacturers have long engaged in building up machine condition monitoring systems. This vouches for the value of these systems. From the use case of the petrochemical company in Taiwan, we see that the machine monitoring system has created four major benefits of machine condition monitoring as follows.Benefit 1: Maintaining reliable production line operationProduction equipment is the most valuable revenue-generating asset to manufacturers. A machine condition monitoring system helps ensure reliable operation of production equipment so that manufacturers can rest assured of their product quality and production yield. It can prevent unexpected equipment failure from resulting in production shutdown and shipment delay, which may damage business reputation.Benefit 2: Significantly reducing maintenance costA machine condition monitoring system will immediately issue an alert when detecting a warning sign of equipment failure. Factory managers can therefore take early action and root out the cause of the problem at minimal cost. Not only will it save manufacturers from the cost of replacing failed units but it can also effectively extend equipment life and maximize manufacturers' return on investment.Benefit 3: Ensuring labor safetyA machine condition monitoring system can use smart monitoring solutions to detect the conditions of machines operating in hazardous environments such as at high altitudes or with toxic gas. It therefore eliminates the need for human inspectors and reduces the chance of labor safety incidents.Benefit 4: Driving smart transformation using big data analyticsEquipment condition data collected by a machine condition monitoring system can serve as the basis for analysis by backend platforms to help factory managers make production plans and drive digital transformation for the corporation.The high-performance system precisely captures equipment conditionIn light of all the above benefits, Prowave built the machine condition monitoring system for the petrochemical company in Taiwan using ADLINK's MCM-100 and MCM-204. Featuring high resolution and high bandwidth, MCM-100 and MCM-204 meet the system's requirements for machine vibration detection. Their built-in RJ-45 Ethernet ports significantly shorten cabling distance and therefore minimize signal interference. With 4-CH 24-Bit 128kS/s simultaneous sampling analog input, different machines can easily be connected to form an Internet of Machines. MCM-100, powered by Intel Atom x7-E3950, is suitable for use as workstations at manufacturing sites. MCM-204, featuring ARM Cortex-A9, can perform edge computing. Its small footprint also allows easy integration with the production equipment on site.ADLINK's high-performance hardware enables Prowave's vibration detection technology developed through long-term devotion to work at its best. In the use case, the machine condition monitoring system Prowave built for the petrochemical company analyzes data collected from on-site production equipment in real time. The vibration thresholds at which the system will issue warning or critical events can be customized based on user requirements. Furthermore, Prowave provides complete maintenance service. It will perform annual system calibration based on on-site operation condition after the system is put into place. Prowave will also build vibration models for the production equipment to enable more precise analysis and maintenance going forward.Professional manufacturer selects the system for its high quality and high performanceA slew of global machine condition monitoring solution providers took part in the tendering process of the petrochemical company, which is also an equipment manufacturer and production line system expert itself. The system jointly created by machine condition monitoring solution specialists ADLINK and Prowave was approved and selected by the tender project managers over the other competing systems from global leading firms. They are now working together to put the system in place at the petrochemical company's plants. Aside from the petrochemical industry, the system is also ideal for the semiconductor, display panel, pulp and paper and other large-scale manufacturing industries. With the system, factory managers will be able to leverage real-time machine condition monitoring to stay on top of production equipment health and take the first step to smart transformation.With Industrial 4.0 becoming a key development trend for manufacturing industries in recent years, the petrochemical industry is beginning to incorporate smart manufacturing and attach importance to data.

Askey, a Taiwan-based ICT solutions provider for businesses and service providers, announced plans to develop 5G mmWave and sub-6GHz small cell products for public venues and private networks, working with Qualcomm Technologies. Askey plans to deliver 5G NR mmWave devices for indoor applications, which cover enterprises such as offices, university campuses, hospitals, hotels, shopping centers, and more.With Qualcomm FSM100xx 5G RAN platform, Askey aims to provide powerful, concurrent beamforming, and other advanced features to support indoor environments. When deployed with Askey's LTE residential and enterprise small cell based on the Qualcomm FSM99xx 4G RAN platform, mobile operators are expected to rapidly deploy 5G NSA mode.With continuous efforts in research and development, Askey is able to provide the latest technologies to fulfill the highly demanding needs of small cell applications. "Askey has more than 10 years of experience in design and manufacturing of femto/small cells for mobile network operators," said Robert Lin, CEO of Askey. "Our experience in small cell design and customization capabilities will benefit customers. With the leading technologies and customization from Askey and Qualcomm Technologies, we aim to provide affordable 5G small cells for mobile network operators.""Since announcing the Qualcomm FSM100xx 5G RAN platform in 2018, we've seen continually increasing adoption from leading global infrastructure providers and manufacturers. We are proud that Askey has chosen us to work with them on their 5G small cell solutions," said Puneet Sethi, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Technologies. "Our 5G RAN platform aims to help reach new customers and speed deployments, and because of its form-factor it is designed to help address a variety of both indoor and outdoor scenarios."

Winbond Electronics Corporation, a leading global supplier of semiconductor memory solutions, today announced a new version of QspiNAND Flash designed for use with the Qualcomm 9205 LTE Modem.The industry's first 1.8V, 512Mbits (64Mega Bytes) QspiNAND Flash from Winbond Electronics offers the right density for designers of New Cellular NB-IoT Modules."As the Internet of Things expands to 50 billion connected devices by 2020, Quad SPI-NAND adoption rate may increase 4-5 fold within a few years," said Alan Niebel, president of WebFeet Research, an independent market-research firm. "Winbond's 1.8V QspiNAND Flash is suitable for both Automotive and IoT segments. NB-IoT is poised to grow in this new connected world with shipments that may reach 685M units worldwide by 2023"."Winbond is proud and committed to innovate and differentiate by designing our QspiNAND Flash KGD solution for use with the Qualcomm 9205 LTE Modem from Qualcomm Technologies," said Syed S. Hussain, Director Segment Marketing, Winbond Electronics America Flash Business Group. "We continue to work closely with Qualcomm Technologies on the Memory components for the next-generation LTE Modem solutions for IoT applications."Winbond expands its reach from traditional QSPI-NOR Flash to QSPI-NAND Flash, giving customers the flexibility to choose their Code Storage Feature-Set to expand with minimal cost. This is done by using the same 6-pin signals and QSPI command-set for SLC NAND Flash densities without compromising performance by utilizing the new Continuous READ feature at 104MHz Read Speed."Qualcomm Technologies has tested and qualified the Winbond QspiNAND Flash as a stacked KGD solution with the Qualcomm 9205 LTE Modem, allowing our OEM customers to create extremely small form factor systems," said Vieri Vanghi, vice president, product management, Qualcomm Europe Inc. "We are proud of our long-standing collaboration with Winbond, and look forward to continuing to provide leading IoT technology solutions together."W25N QspiNAND Flash family devices are offered in space-saving 8-pin packages which was not possible in the past for typical SLC NAND Flash memory. W25N512GW is a 512M-bit memory array organized into 32,768 programmable pages of 2,112 bytes each. W25N512GW provides a new Continuous Read mode that allows for efficient access to the entire memory array with a single Read command that is ideal for code shadowing applications.Clock speeds of 104MHz allow equivalent 416MHz (104MHz x 4) speed for Quad I/O performance when using the Fast Read Dual/Quad I/O instructions. To provide better NAND Flash memory manageability, an on-chip feature is provided to perform bad block management.To ensure meeting the growing global demand for high-volume solutions, Winbond QspiNAND Flash memories are manufactured in the company's 12-inch wafer fabrication facility in Taichung, Taiwan. Winbond is expanding capacity to meet and to ensure support for new business growth anticipated in both Automotive and IoT Segments."Expanding the SpiFlash family to include QspiNAND Flash will benefit the NOR market and SLC NAND Flash conversion from both QSPI-NOR Flash and Parallel NAND Flash," said J.W. Park, Technology Executive of Winbond Flash Memory. "Winbond jointly-developed this new 512Mb QspiNAND Flash with Baseband Engineering-Team in delivering high performance with cost-benefit in mind."The 1.8V QspiNAND Flash memories feature:Low Power, Wide Temperature Range*Single 1.75V - 1.95V supply*25mA active, 10μA standby, 1μA Deep Power Down*-40 degree C to +85 degree C operating range, Industrial GRADE*-40 degree C to +105 degree C operating range, Industrial plus and Automotive GRADEUnique Memory Architecture*Page Read Time with ECC Enabled: 60μs*Page Program Time: 250μs (typ.)*Block Erase Time: 2ms (typ.)*Fast Program/Erase performance*Supports OTP Memory AreaHigh-Performance QspiNAND Flash*QSPI implementation in 46nm process technology*More than 10-years data retention*104MHz clock frequency that can support up to 52MB/S continuous data transfer rate*Space Efficient Packaging*WSON8 6x8mm*WSON8 5x6mm*TFBGA24 6x8mm*KGD (Known Good Die)W25N512GW is available now. For QspiNAND Flash specific details, please contact www.winbond.com.Winbond QspiNAND

Global Market Insights estimated the size of the cybersecurity market will reach US$300 billion by 2024, due to increasing cyber attacks and unprotected IoT devices.Morgan Hong, GM of Onward Security, said, "The speed of time to market for connected products is now accelerating, but the quality of cybersecurity is often ignored. With the increasing demand for teleworking, using products with cybersecurity vulnerabilities will expose customers to losses caused by cyber attacks, brand and business damages, and even lengthy legal proceedings. IoT device manufacturers should introduce the Secure Software Development Life Cycle (SSDLC) immediately to meet the cybersecurity requirements of governments, cybersecurity standards, and buyers.Cybersecurity is the key to the development of the Internet of Things, including the US, Europe, and Japan, which have successively legislated IoT related security policies and regulations. In the 5G environment, enterprises will face more complicated security patterns. Onward Security is the authorized third-party lab for device testing and security assessment for Amazon AVS (Alexa Voice Service), and Asia's only CTIA Authorized Test Lab for cybersecurity. Besides, Its "Automated Product Security Assessment Platform" is assisting firms to implement DevSecOps procedures and effectively meet security compliance and industry standards.Onward Security sincerely invites you to participate in the webinar of "Realize the Security. Win More Opportunities" where you will take IoT/IIoT product security insights away, as well as opportunities in the Asian market.Onward secures the IoT to gain business opportunities with global partners

Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, announced that it has partnered with Truphone to bring cellular IoT connectivity services to manufacturers worldwide. The partnership will provide customers with connected cellular devices and a fully managed service.Digi-Key will use Truphone's state of the art SIM technology, allowing users to connect IoT devices to network providers from the moment they switch their device on. The technology requires no complicated activation process, it is simply connectivity from the touch of a button.The partnership will provide manufacturers of all sizes with industry-leading IoT connectivity services starting with device and application management. The Truphone network supports 2G, 3G, 4G and CAT-M1/LTE-M worldwide - with a single SIM card - and gives every customer access to its IoT Connectivity Management platform.Truphone's simple prepaid SMS and data plans (which provide coverage in multiple countries across a three-year period) simplify the connectivity process, so manufacturers can focus on what they do best - building their application."Both Truphone and Digi-Key share a common goal of bringing IoT into the mainstream," said Ralph Steffens, CEO at Truphone. "For us, the catalyst to spark the IoT starts with connectivity. The more we can streamline the process of connecting IoT devices, the easier it will be to reach its full potential. We're thrilled to be partnering with a business at the forefront of innovation, like Digi-Key, to make this happen." "We are excited to partner with a leader in cellular connectivity like Truphone," said Robbie Paul, director of IoT business development for Digi-Key. "The connectivity services industry is going through radical changes with the advent of 5G and the proliferation of IoT devices. Truphone allows for true worldwide coverage with one SIM card that can be purchased from Digi-Key along with the associated hardware, giving our customers the flexibility to monitor and manage their IoT devices in real-time, from anywhere in the world." For more information about Truphone and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website.Truphone SIM card

As manufacturers re-open after COVID-19 related lockdowns, economic and supply chain disruptions may be felt beyond 2020. How companies shift in the short-term and plan for the long-term will be factors in defining "new normal" for the component industry.The pandemic caused the world to shut down quickly and, just as quickly, changed buying sentiment. For example, McKinsey & Company reported that demand in cloud and server computing sectors spiked as people started to work from home almost overnight. In contrast, demand for luxury goods plummeted."The automotive and cellphone industry have taken a hit as the world sits at a standstill," said Luke LeSaffre, director of sales, Americas, at Fusion Worldwide. "People's buying habits are focused on essential goods and services now because there is so much financial and employment uncertainty."As we approach the second half of 2020 and re-opening, some companies are shifting production to try to meet the new consumer needs while also mitigating the almost inevitable 2020 financial losses. In other cases, companies may move components to end-of-life quicker to offset waning demand with more profitable components.Looking beyond 2020, there are a few areas that could see significant change. As companies look back to evaluate how to be better prepared for future shocks, increasing efficiency and flexibility may be the themes.With factories starting up again, the "new normal" may result in permanently implementing the operational changes that were required to continue conducting business during the pandemic. For example, changes made to comply with work from home and social distancing mandates may continue as manufacturers see more benefit in keeping these changes for the long-term.One such area is the use of robotics and remote monitoring, which has allowed companies to gain more control of their operations and processes. According to Omdia, by incorporating the use of automation in various steps of the manufacturing processes, companies have the ability adjust their production and shipping schedules immediately.Diversification of the supply chain to avoid similar disruptions is another area to mitigate future risk. Because manufacturers often depend on a single region to produce components or a single product in a buildout, it has hindered their ability to weather the pandemic. This practice has resulted in multiple supply chain gaps, possibly resulting in far reaching impacts.Paul Romano, COO at Fusion Worldwide, said, "With the technology industry, expect to see work done to help build foundations in other areas, like Vietnam, India, and the Philippines to support highly increased production. This, however, is a long-term solution and will be a challenging shift."The United States, in particular, is looking to jump-start the development of new chip factories throughout the country. The creation of cutting-edge factories in the U.S. could reshape the industry as companies' source less from Asia.However, it will be nearly impossible to eliminate the reliance on China in manufacturing - at least for the foreseeable future. The country's size, raw material access and prominence is unparalleled. These fundamentals will prevent any large-scale shift away from China any time soon.A medium-term tactic, however, is diversifying vendor partnerships. With reliance on an exclusive vendor and limited alternative products in builds, companies are left scrambling to fill shortages or reduce excess in tumultuous times. Mitigating this risk by having partnerships in the open market will make for a healthier supply chain.Tobey Gonnerman, EVP of trade at Fusion Worldwide, says "The OEMs and sectors that approach the open market as a 'last resort' are the ones most severely impacted when supply chains are disrupted. Just like any financial planner likes to point out, if you wait until it starts to rain to start thinking about your rainy-day fund, then it's too late. You're going to get wet."While the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on the world, many manufacturers will be able to benefit, in the future, by taking the lessons they've learned as an opportunity to enhance their supply chains.Reshaping production post COVID-19

Winbond Electronics Corporation, a leading global supplier of semiconductor memory solutions, today announced the introduction of new HyperRAM products with WLCSP, which reaches an unprecedented thin form factor in embedded applications.HyperBus technology was first published by Cypress in 2014. Compared to the transmission and control interface of other memory, one of the characteristics of the HyperBus interface is the low pin count, which makes the circuit board layout simpler and the wiring area relatively small. Several IC design service companies have launched HyperBus related IP, which makes it easier for main chip manufacturers to design memory controllers, and there are more and more main chip manufacturers whose products support this interface. In response to this trend, Winbond Electronics has successively launched related HyperRAM series products.Comparing to the existing 3.0V HyperRAM products operating at 100MHz / 200Mbps and 1.8V HyperRAM products operating at 166MHz / 333Mbps, Winbond HyperRAM 2.0 products can operate at a maximum frequency of 200MHz and provide a maximum data-transfer rate of 400Mbps with either 3.0V or 1.8V operation voltage.In terms of memory density, Winbond provides four product lines of 32Mb, 64Mb, 128Mb, and 256Mb for different customer applications.In terms of package type, Winbond also provides a variety of options, including:*24-ball, 8mm x 6mm TFBGA for automotive and industrial applications *49-ball, 4mm x 4mm WFBGA for consumer applications *15-ball, 1.48mm x 2mm Wafer Level Chip Scale Package (WLCSP) *Known Good Die (KGD)Wafer Level Chip Scale Package refers to the technology of packaging an integrated circuit at the wafer level, instead of the traditional process of assembling individual units in packages after dicing them from a wafer. The key advantages of the WLCSP are the minimum inductance of die to PCB, enhanced thermal conduction, reduced package size, weight and smaller foot print. These characteristics make WLCSP the best solution to meet the requirements of mobile products like cellular phones, smart watches, and other wearable electronics. Winbond HyperRAM series products with WLCSP will be the best memory solution for these applications.HyperRAM products with WLCSP, which reaches an unprecedented thin form factor in embedded applicationsWinbond provides four product lines of 32Mb, 64Mb, 128Mb, and 256Mb for different customer applications

COVID-19 is changing everything about our lives, seriously threatening our health and safety. It has also redefined business and thrusted the economy into a recession. Despite the disruptions, the market is seeing a significant increase in demand for some products, including medical devices, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators and respiratory humidifiers, as well as network equipment to meet the needs arising from the stay home economy and work-from-home lifestyle.Having been committed to the development of customized power solutions for medical devices and network equipment for years, APD is exerting all efforts to meet the urgent needs of global medical device and network equipment suppliers to help make their products available to markets, doing its part in the global fight against COVID-19.The expert in customized power solutions with critical technologiesAccording to Mark Tang, sales vice president, APD's power system business group, manufacturers impose rigorous requirements on medical power supply systems as medical device quality is a matter of life and death. They must maintain a long-lasting, uninterrupted and stable power supply. Building high-performance and high-reliability power solutions is the goal that APD has insisted on in its decade-long efforts toward strengthening its capabilities on critical technologies.Citing ventilators currently with a surging demand as an example, Tang noted that there is a risk of overvoltage due to backfeeding during peak load operating conditions, especially when a ventilator for critical care pumps air with a high pressure into a patient's lungs. In view of this, power supply units (PSU) must be able to support higher peak loads for longer periods to ensure the system maintains stable operation. APD's unique peak power design can effectively reduce power loss, lower PSU operating temperature and boost reliability. Moreover, its patented overvoltage protection circuit safeguards the system and PSU from damage caused by excess voltage from PSU output.APD's medical power solutions are compliant with IEC 60601 Safety Requirement for Medical Equipment. They have also been certified to meet Radio Frequency interference requirements in accordance with Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics DO-160G for Airborne Equipment, which is more stringent than medical equipment standards. This means their leakage current is minimal even under normal operating conditions so the PSU is protected from failure resulting from high-frequency 4G/5G signal interference.More importantly, APD has abundant experience in designing power solutions for medical ventilators. Its customized power solutions for global medical ventilator suppliers fully meet their EMI, temperature and peak load requirements.Leading network equipment manufacturers opt for APD for its expertise in addressing peak load and heat dissipation challengesWorking from home, online conferencing and distance learning have become the new normal in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. This has spurred a surge in network use and an urgent need to expand switch and router capacity, giving rise to burgeoning stay-home economy opportunities. APD underwent business transformation in 2008, shifting target from general-purpose power supply market to niche segments with higher technological barriers. Apart from medical power solutions, APD is also focusing efforts toward network equipment power solutions. In other words, APD has developed robust capabilities in network equipment power solutions. It specializes in designing high-performance and high-reliability open frame power supplies for leading network equipment manufacturers, providing strong support helping them tap stay-at-home economy opportunities.Commenting on the critical technology to network equipment power solutions, Tang pointed out the ability to sustain peak loads remains crucial. On top of that, the miniaturization trend of power supplies imposes great challenges on suppliers' caliber in heat dissipation and component selection to effectively address the heat problem of network equipment. These are right up APD's alley."We are committed to sustainable growth and aspire to become a technology pioneer as well as market leader in niche power solution markets," highlighted Tang. APD set the goal to target power solutions for medical devices and network equipment and later was able to successfully win heavyweight customers in these fields. The enablers of APD's success include its ability to do custom-design and offer leading-edge technology at continuingly lower costs, its supply chain stability, as well ‎as its collaborations with top academic institutions. It is also distinguished by its high-quality production and R&D capabilities built through the Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) initiative. All these are what allow APD to engage in long-standing partnerships with global network equipment and medical device suppliers.Mark Tang, sales vice president, APD's power system business group

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a key operation strategy across different industries. With the wide-ranging possibilities of AI application, enterprises have difficulty finding system developers that meet their needs and system developers can hardly have sector-specific expertise to develop platforms to suit individual customer needs. To bridge the gap, Touch Cloud partners with WPI and Intel to build a solution that has been certified by Intel's Market Ready Solutions (MRS) program. Also through WPI's help, Touch Cloud has successfully marketed its AI Application Box in Singapore.Founded in 2016, Touch Cloud is a startup focusing on AI technology development, including cloud architecture, machine learning and deep learning. Its AI-based image analysis technology has been put to use in smart manufacturing, smart city and construction site safety. Touch Cloud's AI Application Box that it brings to Singapore through collaboration with WPI and Intel is a construction site safety solution. It leverages AI-based analysis of images captured on surveillance cameras to check if workers are wearing required protective gear, such as helmets and safety boots, to ensure labor safety.In addition to construction sites, Touch Cloud's image analysis technology can also be used in smart manufacturing and smart city applications. For example, for COVID-19 prevention, employers can use it to track employees who have just returned from overseas business trips to find out where they have been and whom they have come in contact with. It can also detect whether people maintain 1.5-meter social distancing in group gatherings.Thanks to the partnership with Intel and WPI, Touch Cloud's AI Application Box has been put to practical use. Touch Cloud has been engaged in project-based development to customize systems for customers. However, this was challenging during the company's early stage development. First of all, it requires industry-specific know-how and repeated testing to build tailored systems for specific use scenarios. Furthermore, despite the slew of AI software and hardware platforms available on the market, it is not easy to find an optimal software and hardware combination. Last but not least, customers may not have sufficient AI knowledge, so a lot of back-and-forth communication is needed to figure out their pain points and needs. To address all these challenges requires tremendous time and effort and thus the development cycle can easily go over six months.Touch Cloud turned to Intel for help in addressing these challenges. Intel has long committed to AI research and has introduced OpenVINO - an AI inference platform for image analysis. Based on OpenVINO, Touch Cloud developed its hardware-software integrated AI Application Box. Featuring an optimal combination of hardware and software, AI Application Box can be installed and ready to use in 10 minutes without compatibility issues. Moreover, OpenVINO allows Touch Cloud's AI-based image analysis program to run on customers' existing Intel x86 platforms. There is no need for customers to purchase additional hardware to build the AI system, thereby increasing their return on past investment.Having long engaged in the high-tech sector, WPI has built a broad and deep industry ecosystem in Southeast Asia and Northeast Asia. It is able to help Touch Cloud quickly find suitable users for its products. Going forward, Touch Cloud, Intel and WPI will continue to work together to replicate the success with Singapore in additional markets and sectors while bringing more applications to reality.Simon Lee, Co-founder and CEO, Touch Cloud