AU Optronics (AUO) has leveraged its display technologies and teamed up with Space4Money, the company's wholly-owned subsidiary specializing in smart retail software and hardware integration solutions, to deliver interactive Smart Collection Wall and Information Wall displays, officially unveiled at the Orientation Gallery of Taiwan's National Palace Museum.Following the successful completion of smart retail spaces for domestic telecommunications companies, restaurant chains, creative arts and department store brands, AUO leads Space4Money to wield its expertise in product technologies and smart interactive solutions to offer a brand new experience for visitors to the National Palace Museum.To meet the new trends of smart showcasing and digital creative arts, Space4Money has partnered with animation studio Digimax to achieve a melange of technology and humanities with its interactive smart showcase integrating the National Palace Museum's digital archive of artifacts in the Orientation Gallery.Among the installations, the Smart Collection Wall, measuring at 12m in width, is currently the largest of its kind in Asia. The interactive wall uses 20 pieces of AUO's 55-inch high spec video wall displays, boasting high resolution, low reflection, and appealing extreme narrow bezel design.The bezel with displays assembled is a mere 1.8mm wide, forming an almost seamless single large screen for viewers to see a full spread of images. The Smart Collection Wall has an intuitive and friendly user interface and infrared sensor design to allow several users to select, drag and swipe pictures, videos, animations, 360-degree digital models, and writing interpretations of over 300 artifacts at the same time.After accessing the virtual artworks, visitors are encouraged to explore further the actual collections in the museum. On both sides of the Orientation Gallery, the Information Walls, each composed of four 55-inch video wall displays, showcase the latest museum exhibitions and events information for visitors to get a sneak preview.The Smart Collection Wall designed by AUO's groupPhoto: Company

ASM Pacific Technology's (ASMPT) Back-end Equipment Segment has been renamed to Semiconductor Solutions Segment. The other two segments - SMT Solutions Segment and Materials Segment remain unchanged.To stay ahead of the industry curve, we have proactively diversified our product portfolio and technologies into the mid-end deposition space and more recently into data analytics.The acquisition of NEXX on Oct 2018 with their full line-up of deposition tools uniquely positioned ASMPT to offer total interconnect solutions for Advanced Packaging, making ASMPT a leader and preferred partner for Heterogeneous Integration packaging as Moore's law slows down.To provide a pioneering total solution for TCB to customers, ASMPT has embarked on a strategic partnership with a high speed X-ray inspection/ metrology provider to offer an industry's first closed loop TCB-AXI (Thermo Compression Bonder-Automatic X-Ray Inspection) solution that utilizes the power of AI data analytics to achieve faster NPI, improved yields, better reliability and BIC (Best in Class) process control for Heterogeneous IntegrationWe also entered into a strategic collaboration with SAS and by leveraging ASMPT's Industrial IoT solutions, we expect to deliver the most advanced and holistic data analytics solution to our customers with the value of higher productivity, quality and reliability in their manufacturing operations.The renaming to Semiconductor Solutions Segment marks ASMPT's ambitions and continuing quest to deliver the best integrated customer value by strengthening our offering of adjacent products and solutions.We look forward to deepen our long-term partnership with our customers by continually delivering higher value to our customers.Lim Choon Khoon, Senior Vice President of ASM Pacific Technology, Business Unit CEO (IC/Discrete & CIS), Semiconductor Solutions

Industrial PCs (IPC) have been the driving forces for various industries. With the global smartization constantly trending up, businesses resort to digital transformation for sustainable growth, which is highlighting the increasing importance of the role that IPCs play.According to Jerry Chang, Senior Director of DFI Product Planning Division, the new trend spurs new demand, which traditional architectures can no longer keep up with. Smart systems today require IPCs to meet stronger AI computing power, more comprehensive network capabilities, and smaller footprint.IPC designs can be highly industry-specific and purpose-driven, such as healthcare, recreation, and transportation. What distinguishes IPCs from consumer electronics is that various essential specifications greatly factor in when designing and/or customizing IPC products. Nonetheless, Chang told Digitimes that, based on his observation of the market development, there are still some essentials shared by both business and customer settings, which are exactly the above-mentioned three: AI computing power, network capabilities, and smaller footprint.The demand for AI computing and networking emerged on the account of recent years' Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) trend, and it seems that IPCs' computing power hasn't yet stepped farther enough outside general data processing. The ubiquity of AI will bring edge computing to light, and today's IPCs are still not decent enough for that or for the performance level that aligns. Network capabilities on the other hand have become a must in IPCs. OT systems - mostly used in standalone systems - may require network connections, internally at most, with a few cases externally. But the tide has changed. Under the AIoT paradigm, enterprises are now stressing more on the importance of networking to external cloud and servers, which has already shifted the course for IPC design.Despite the importance of the above, IPC downsizing also seeks improvement. "IPC looks for maximum flexibility, and has to be the computing power inside miniature architectures in edge devices, so we will have to optimize that, especially in small form factors, without a question," Chang said. He also showed Digitimes that DFI already on the market has an array of products with the performance level of AI computing, robust network capabilities, and miniature design. Take GHF51 - it recently received major marketing efforts - for example, the 1.8-inch SBC form factor and AMD Ryzen R1000 processor make GHF51 a high-performance unit to support image processing and robotic arm control. For network connectivity, GHF51 also provides multiple high-speed, reliable and secure I/O interfaces to enable flexible expansion and connecting external devices.GHF51, in addition to business and industrial applications, also seems to catch academic attentions for its performance and footprint improvements. Raspberry Pi, academia and research institutions' favorite, is built on ARM-based processors, whereas GHF51, using x86-based AMD Ryzen processors, provides an upgraded alternative. We will see how this breakthrough affects the market.In addition to GHF51, each of DFI SBC series products has its own features respectively, such as ALF51 powered by Intel Atom platforms, "palm-sized" EC90A-AL, AL05P featuring Power over Ethernet (PoE), Freescale-based and "palm-sized" EC900-FS6 with "ultra-wide" operating temperatures, "mini-sized" EB100-KU powered by Intel Core i processors, CS551 with -30 degree C to 80 degree C operating temperature and smart heater triggered below -30 degree C, and a COMe Mini board, WL9A3, with Core i processors. As a tactic move, DFI foresaw the need to expand its portfolio of miniature models, and now they have more similar projects in roadmap.There may be two major reasons in DFI's miniaturization success unseen in its competitors, Chang specifically told Digitimes. One is its experienced system-on-module (SOM) development - the know-how in balancing between high-performance and small-footprint. DFI's long-term commitment to this field is believed to have accumulative values that allow it to build a complete product mix. The other reason is that, as a subsidiary of Qisda Group, DFI has received from a few benefits - the access to Qisda's supply chain that results in reduced cost estimation, and leverages for expanding regions and sectors. These advantages have been enabling system integrators to quickly build systems that combine flexibility and performance, thereby tapping new AIoT opportunities.Feel free to visit the DFI's website for more information.DFI's miniaturization asset lacked by its competitors, according to a senior director of DFI, lies in the experienced system-on-module (SOM) development, key to help system integrators build optimized AIoT systems.

Winbond Electronics Corporation, a global supplier of Flash memories and inventor of the popular Multi-I/O Serial Flash architecture, today announced it is now the top supplier of all NOR Flash memories worldwide.Based on recent market data from WebFeet Research, Winbond took the number-one NOR revenue position in 2019 with a 22.8% market share. In support of this mission, it shipped more than 3 billion Flash memories in 2019, which is the leadership position with 27.3% of all NOR Flash units worldwide. Additionally, Winbond has been the top supplier of Serial NOR Flash since 2012 and has 27.1% market share out of a total revenue of $2.009 B.Meeting the growing flash memory needs of its customers around the world with its own 12-inch wafer fabrication facility in Taichung - Taiwan, it has now planned to start construction of a second 12-inch wafer manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan. This second fabrication facility will make it convenient for further expansion and growth of flash manufacturing at the Taichung facility to meet the demands of new applications of flash memories like AI, Automotive, Storage, Networking and 5G.NOR Flash market, particularly Serial Flash continues to grow"Worldwide Serial NOR Flash shipments will continue to grow from $2 billion in 2019 to greater than $2.89 billion by 2024," said Alan Niebel, founder and CEO of WebFeet Research, Inc. "Winbond, a pioneer in Serial Flash memories and now the leading supplier of NOR Flash that is predominately Serial Flash, is well positioned to take advantage of this market growth with its innovation in both products and packaging ingenuity, broad product portfolio and manufacturing capabilities.""We are extremely pleased with the popularity of our SpiFlash memories and becoming the top NOR Flash supplier worldwide," said J.W. Park, Technology Executive of Winbond Flash Memory. "We anticipate further growth after recovering from 2020 and are ramping production of our products to address a wide range of higher-density applications."Advanced Flash technology for high density applicationsWinbond has shipped more than twenty-billion Serial Flash memories since its SpiFlash product line was launched in 2006. Throughout this time the company has continued to advance its Flash process technology and packaging capabilities. Winbond introduced its first 58nm-based products in 2011 and now offers a broad line of high-density 58nm SpiFlash memories spanning 16Mb to 1Gb densities, 3V and 1.8V power supplies, in a range of packages and known-good-die (KGD) solutions, with plans to move to 4x nm technology by 2021. The 58nm technology provides a more cost-effective, feature-rich and higher-performance solution than the 90nm Flash technology, used primarily for lower-density SpiFlash products ranging from 512Kb to 16Mb as well as for several Automotive applications that have been designed in with key customers.Winbond's Flash business is expected to grow further in 2020 and beyond, as applications demand higher Serial Flash densities. Key applications driving this demand include: mobile phones, set-top boxes, digital televisions, electronic games, wearables and hearables, cable and DSL modems, wireless LANs, networking, automotive, servers, next generation gaming desktops and 5G. Winbond is now offering even higher-density 58nm 512Mb and 1Gb NOR Flash memories in 3V and 1.8V to address the need for higher density memory in the industry. For specific details of products and packages please contact Winbond.About WinbondWinbond Electronics Corporation is a total memory solution provider. The Company provides customer-driven memory solutions backed by the expert capabilities of product design, R&D, manufacturing, and sales services. Winbond's product portfolio, consisting of Specialty DRAM, Mobile DRAM and Code Storage Flash, is widely used by tier-1 customers in communication, consumer electronics, automotive and industrial, and computer peripheral markets.Winbond is headquartered in Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) and it has subsidiaries in the USA, Japan, Israel, China and Hong Kong. Based on Taichung and new Kaohsiung 12-inch fabs in Taiwan, Winbond keeps pace to develop in-house technologies to provide high-quality memory IC products.Winbond ships 3.1 billion units in 2019, and continues #1 position in Serial NOR Flash since 2012

The coronavirus outbreak has deferred the global 5G network rollout, even though demand remains high. Memxpro, a leading industrial DRAM module and SSD solution provider, formally introduces 16 and 32GB native DDR4-3200 memory modules to the global market.Continuing its production, Memxpro's new large-capacity, high-speed DDR4-3200 DIMM series maximizes high-level performance with clock speed improvements that benefit from the DDR3 to DDR4 upgrade. Using Micron DRAM chips and passing rigorous tests, Memxpro offers -40 degree C to +85 degree C wide temperature products for industrial requirements, along with built-in thermal sensor, suitable for 5G facility deployment in harsh environments.Memxpro's DDR4-3200 industrial-grade memory module uses Micron's 1x nm DDR4 DRAM chip technology. In its first rollout, it comes in SODIMM and ECC SODIMM varieties. Featuring native data rates of 3,200 MHz running at 1.2V and impressive overclocking performance, the new DDR4-3200 RAM modules are offered in up to 32GB capacities and target 5G services as a perfect fit for its promising bandwidth and connectivity improvements. With its high reliability and low latency, Memxpro's industrial DRAM modules are utilized by a global first-tier 5G tech manufacturer for their new generation network appliances used in demanding environments, successfully moving 5G technology development forward.IHS key predictions late last year show the 5G value chain will invest an average of US$235 billion annually to expand and strengthen the 5G technology base that will support up to 22.3 million jobs by 2035. It is estimated that 5G will generate US$12.4 trillion in sales by 2035. Taiwan completed 5G spectrum auction early this year and its 5G value chain expected to output $134 billion in 2035. 5G is the last piece of the network for AI, edge computing, big data, and block chain technology application development.The coronavirus outbreak in 2020 has caused a slowdown in the global economy. Once the outbreak gets effectively controlled, economies are expected to rebound significantly and 5G is poised to drive boosted data center demands for digital business and remote working. In the middle to long term, 5G will bring improved service demands in remote smart healthcare, cloud surveillance and monitoring, and smart manufacturing with advanced automation. All of this will help avoid unnecessary large gatherings in the workplace as people adopt new ways of working.In response to technology innovation and high performance needs, Memxpro maintains its effort to offer complete industrial memory module product lines with quality DRAM chips, quality tests, and storage device monitoring tool development. Memxpro is becoming one of the major industrial memory suppliers for 5G, smart IoT, and edge computing application developers.Memxpro's industrial DRAM solutions in 5G improve communications in remote areas

With the rapid rise of Internet of Things (IoT) combining with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, the emerging application w/ AI engine boosting to be powerful and popular in coming years. To image that the affordable AIoT device can guide people how to enjoy the life, it's so grateful. 1Gb LPDDR3 is the best partner to assist your AI device to get into this market.Like some emerging solutions, especially those eye catching use cases such as video surveillance, smart home applications, and upcoming 8K TVs are boosting semiconductor demands. In view of this, many IC design and chipset suppliers are developing new-generation SoCs with higher performance and expedite Time-To-Market goals in the most cost-effective manner. In addition, from the overall system design perspective, the DRAM that works with the SoC or microcontroller also requires new options to provide better advantages leveraging the existing Specialty DRAM product series.High bandwidth and cost advantages create 1Gb LPDDR3 unique market positionFully understanding these market trends, Winbond Electronics Corporation provides low and middle density memory product families to provide high performance and high speed features to create a successful business model to drive market growth. The existing LPDDR3 and LPDDR4 product lines with specific features to squeeze operation power which is due to LP4x w/ low VDD2=0.6V and FSP(Frequency Set Point) function. For 1Gb x32 LPDDR3, it's the alternative solution for developing high B/W(8.52GB/s) around 0.3W. This move will help Winbond further expand its product portfolio to respond to the diverse AIoT and ultra-high-resolution display application needs.Both Winbond's LPDDR3 and LPDDR4 memory series are completed solution to variety customers. As for data transmission rate getting higher, the lower density memory is adopted like T-Con (Timing Control) of 8K TV panels could leverage LPDDR3 products with x32 or x64 data bandwidth for reaching high performance and cost advantage. These new T-Con chipsets require high speed 1Gb LPDDR3 memories to support key features such as Super Resolution, MEMC and Artificial Intelligence Picture Quality (AI PQ). The LPDDR3 memories used in these SoCs are welcomed by IC design teams.While looking at popular 8K TV T-con SoC design cases, two or four 1Gb DDR3 x16 memory chips are common arrangement. Winbond suggested to use one or two 1Gb LPDDR3 x32 chips to be better one of the cost-performance solution. This approach could provide data throughput of 8.52GB/s or17.04GB/s to fulfill requirements of IC design and semiconductor suppliers. The obvious benefits will have cost, power saving and, at the same time, reduce the extra issues of DRAM pairing concerns within two memory chips.In the other hand, considering AI PQ features, what Winbond offerings are providing two 1Gb LPDDR3 x64 memory chips to replace LPDDR4 options. This will help engineering teams not only gaining further cost reduction benefits but also saving product development time. From engineering perspectives, the migration from LPDDR2 to LPDDR3 is much easier than jumping directly from LPDDR2 to LPDDR4. This is because both LPDDR3 and LPDDR2 having 90% of similarity in circuit design. It will massively help to shorten development times and reduce its Time to Market for innovations of the end products.LPDDR3 will help engineers to expedite time to marketToday's embedded system developers face challenges to upgrade LPDDR2 memory for new embedded SoC chips. Considering the migration path from LPDDR2 to LPDDR4, the IC design teams will need to invest more resources to deal with more critical signal integrity of LPDDR4 specification under tight timing margins. It is taking a great deal of time to verify and test the new design. And this basically will be a high risk situation while the global coronavirus outbreak causing more people lockdown for many countries. And LPDDR3 approach will have unbeaten advantages with 90% similarity design with LPDDR2.Through past 9 months, there are more than 15 Design In & Design Win projects to implement Winbond's 1Gb LPDDR3 memory into the new SoC design including major IC design customers from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and China in Asia region. The end products will cover AIoT, AI Inference chip, T-Con of 8K TV, AI-enabled video processors, smart speakers, smart video doorbells and mobile POS systems. The great market potential will begin ramping during 2020 and 2021.The trend to use AI technologies to power the smart applications is ushering in a new era for semiconductor devices and embedded systems that will bring many new opportunities but also many challenges. Winbond is a unique Integrated Device Manufacturer that is dedicated to provide niche DRAM solution with complete and competitive services on KGD (Known-Good-Die). This unique product offering is able to provide the best SiP solution by KGD for various applications.With exploiting its advanced design skills and production technologies, Winbond is continually boosting the competitive advantages of its dedicated brand-name products. The completed product series are ranging from Mobile RAM, Specialty DRAM products to Flash memory product lines, which are designed to meet the demands of niche memory market for high-speed memory with low-power consumption. With possession of its own 12-inch wafer fabrication, Winbond keeps pace with the latest technologies to provide cost competitiveness and long-term support for customers.About WinbondWinbond Electronics Corporation is a total memory solution provider. The Company provides customer-driven memory solutions backed by the expert capabilities of product design, R&D, manufacturing, and sales services.Winbond's product portfolio, consisting of Specialty DRAM, Mobile DRAM and Code Storage Flash, is widely used by tier-1 customers in communication, consumer electronics, automotive and industrial, and computer peripheral markets. Winbond's headquarters is in Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP) and it has subsidiaries in the USA, Japan, Israel, China and Hong Kong. Based in Taichung and new Kaohsiung 12-inch fabs in Taiwan, Winbond keeps pace to develop in-house technologies to provide high-quality memory IC products.Windbond 1Gb LPDDR3

From now on, the world's largest vehicle inspection organization DEKRA provides the testing of two major V2X communication technologies DSRC and C-V2X exclusively in Taiwan. Meanwhile, DEKRA also releases the testing of eCall emergency calling service, as its only one TIC supplier in Taiwan.Assist clients to be a step ahead in the 5G marketDEKRA offers testing and certification services for IoT, V2X and network communication products, also the 5G testing and certification value-added solutions to the ICT supply chain, such as wafers, components, modules, terminal equipment and products, which is way ahead of competitors in Taiwan. Its service scopes include mandatory regulatory testing for FCC, CE, ISED, NCC; conformance testing for PTCRB, GCF; DSRC and C-V2X testing; testing for eCall device which is in force by EU for all new cars sold within the EU, said Elvis Chen, Senior Director of Connectivity Test Department at DEKRA Taiwan."For providing the value-added testing and certification solutions, we've recruited experienced technical experts to assist clients in modifying the software of prototypes according to both of the carrier certification and the certificate of 3GPP standards, accelerating the market access, and also to be a step ahead in the cutthroat 5G market!" said Kilian Avilés, the Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Taiwan at DEKRA East & South Asia.Milestone of V2X testingDEKRA was established as the Deutsche Kraftfahrzeug-Überwachungs-Verein (German Motor Vehicle Inspection Association) in 1925 in Berlin, Germany. The original business core was vehicle inspection, but in recent 10 years, DEKRA has transcended to wireless testing realm, and V2X is one of its focuses.Recently, DEKRA has made huge 5G investment in Taiwan, including purchasing the testing instruments for two largest communication V2X technologies DSRC and C-V2X, which makes DEKRA the first third party lab that involved in C-V2X. Besides, DEKRA also sets up the exclusive testing of eCall emergency calling service and its next generation NGeCall that based on LTE and 5G, to test the chips, modules, components and telematics boxes. With the global big data and abundant experience in many countries in the world, DEKRA releases the V2X testing and certification value-added solutions.Providing comprehensive one-stop 5G solutionsFor reducing the risks that instruments might not be compatible to 5G chips and modules of all brands as well as offering multiple solutions to clients, DEKRA purchased the testing instruments from Rohde & Schwarz from Germany, Keysight from USA, and Anritsu from Japan simultaneously."DEKRA does not only provide the testing service and reports to clients, as a professional third-party lab, we do offer comprehensive one-stop and effective solutions, which include the testing and certification service, international market access, problem analysis, suggested proposal, etc. We assist our clients in industrial upgrading and transformation, and increasing the market share in the 5G market!" said Elvis Chen.DEKRA provides 2 major V2X communication technologies DSRC & C-V2X testing

Digi-Key Electronics, a global electronic components distributor, announced that it has expanded its product portfolio by signing a global distribution partnership with Fingerprint Cards AB, providing Digi-Key customers with standalone, compact biometric fingerprint sensor solutions.Fingerprint Cards AB (Fingerprints) is a world-leading biometrics company with its roots in Sweden. Its solutions are found in hundreds of millions of devices and applications and are used billions of times every day, providing safe and convenient identification and authentication with a human touch."We are excited about the new partnership with Fingerprint Cards," said David Stein, vice president, global supplier management at Digi-Key. "Biometric authentication is growing as it continues to be implemented into new applications and devices. Digi-Key now offers customers an easy path to develop secure devices with integrated capacitive fingerprint sensor technology.""This is a step for us to be able to scale with FPC BM-Lite and to reach new verticals that require additional sales channels to drive business," said Michel Roig, senior vice president, payments & access at Fingerprints. "Digi-Key will help us reach out and find new potential markets and application areas."For more information about Fingerprints and to order from their product portfolio, please visit the Digi-Key website.Compact Fingerprint biometric module

Are you experiencing the challenge how to provide higher power management capability transferring data and power simultaneously as well as to extend Fiber-to-Ethernet network economically under existent Ethernet Infrastructure? To fulfill high-power-demand applications by future-proofing Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, Proscend launches its hardened Industrial-grade IEEE 802.3bt Gigabit Fiber-to-Ethernet PoE Injector family that includes 1 10/100/1000 Base-TX IEEE 802.3bt PoE, 201MP, offering managed power output up to 90 watts on a single port by utilizing four pairs of Ethernet cabling, and 2 10/100/1000 Base-TX IEEE 802.3bt PoE, 202MP, delivering up to 120 watts of power output to powered devices (PDs).With ultra-compact design, network management software, and dual DC power inputs, the Lite Managed Industrial Fiber-to-Ethernet PoE Injectors 201MP/202MP offer power protection for redundancy and operate in wide temperature range of -40 degree C to 75 degree C.Easy-to-use web managementThe Lite Managed Industrial GbE Fiber-to-Ethernet 802.3bt PoE Injectors 201MP/202MP come with efficient web-based management interface to help quickly evaluate the PoE status and the power usage in hazardous environments as well as to flexibly configure the PoE output budget at remote site. It also provides an optional entry-level central network management software (ISMS One), which includes dashboards, configuration settings, and MQTT publish, allowing the administrator to manage centrally for easily deploying, controlling and monitoring.Secure network detectionSupporting Link Fault Pass-Through (LFPT) function via DIP switch setting, the Lite Managed Industrial GbE Fiber-to-Ethernet 802.3bt PoE Injectors 201MP/202MP enable the uplink device to get the failed link information if the downlink device fails for quick troubleshooting of fault conditions. Built-in relay output warning, the PoE Injectors 201MP/202MP prevent damage and loss from power failure and port link down.Optimal high power sourcing solutionThe Lite Managed Industrial GbE Fiber-to-Ethernet 802.3bt PoE Injectors 201MP/202MP are designed to enable Fiber-to-Ethernet media conversation and to extend the range of PoE network deployment without mass rewiring cost upgrading the Ethernet backbone. Proscend's Lite Managed Industrial GbE Fiber-to-Ethernet 802.3bt PoE Injector family is a perfectly ideal high power sourcing solution to enhance reliable high data transmission speed and stable long distance network communication in a variety of industrial environments, such as traffic control cabinets, smart lighting, PTZ camera surveillance systems, digital signage, POS systems, and outdoor kiosks, all of which can benefit from PoE.Proscend Communications Inc. founded in 1999, is one of the most well-experienced leading global providers in Industrial Ethernet and Internet of Things (IoT) fields. Particularly focus on cutting-edge industrial-grade LTE cellular router line, Long Reach Power over Ethernet Extender line, DSL SFP Modem series, and Ethernet Extender series, etc. Those are well installed more than million sites and 30+ countries.Proscend Lite Managed Industrial GbE Fiber-to-Ethernet 802.3bt PoE injectors applications

IoT is poised to become the backbone supporting the operation and technological development of vertical markets around the world. However, IoT applications are becoming fragmented as they are being used by a wide range of different industries. To consolidate upstream and downstream demands for IoT applications, global leading CPU manufacturer, Intel launched the "Intel IoT Solution Aggregator" initiative in hopes of leveraging channel operators' professionalism and local networks to drive IoT promotion. WPI, targeting semiconductor component markets in Asia for years, has been chosen as one of the world's few Intel IoT Solution Aggregators for its solid strength in semiconductor technology and application. Through the aggregator role and its own partnership programs with system integrators, WPI will be able to help system integrators and enterprises needing IoT applications quickly bring IoT systems into reality.In explaining what Intel IoT Solution Aggregators mean to the market, Dennis Niu, vice president, IoT solutions department, WPI, notes, "A slew of IoT applications are being developed, including smart city, smart retail and smart manufacturing. The market is also seeing all types of artificial intelligence (AI) development kits to enable IoT solution development. However, these development kits need to be consolidated with the solutions to be able to meet market demand. This is what led to the Intel IoT Solution Aggregator initiative, aimed to help system integrators find suitable target users for their IoT solutions."IoT solutions enabled by aggregators can use Intel certified Market Ready Solutions (MRS) or RFP Ready Kits (RRK, an IoT development toolkit) to develop. According to Niu, MRS targets end users in specific industries. It has a full range of functions and mature architecture which are already market proven. It allows IoT applications to be up and running with only slight modifications by the user. RRK, on the other hand, targets system integrators with R&D capabilities. It can help system integrators design tailor-made IoT systems to suit specific needs.Both end users and system integrators can leverage Intel's MRS and RRK to quickly build IoT systems that meet their requirements. However, there are more challenges to overcome for these solutions to be put to practical use. For example, the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) can be an issue, said Niu. This is where WPI's valuable experience accumulated through years of market operations comes into play. Its deep understanding of the field enables WPI to help enterprises remove the obstacles one by one and get the system up and running. For example, WPI recently helped a large aquafarm operator in Taiwan build an IoT environment control system, which has also been successfully promoted to WPI customers in Southeast Asia.Aside from helping enterprises with its professional know-how, WPI is also closely working with system integrators to address the issue that IoT systems are overwhelmingly large and the IoT application market is strongly characterized by having a small quantity and large variety of solutions as well as requirements so an individual developer can hardly satisfy market needs by itself. As an aggregator, WPI brings together partners specializing in different links in the IoT industry chain to jointly build up a diverse ecosystem.Further to offering professional services and building an ecosystem, WPI is committed to refining its technological strength. With rising popularity of AI and the combination of AI concepts with Internet of Things (IoT) infrastructure, the scope and depth of AIoT applications are catching market attention. In view of this, Intel introduced the Intel OpenVINO platform, which is an open source tool to help developers conduct AI training, targeting machine vision applications. According to Hung-Cheng Lin, associate manager, smart connection, IoT solutions department, WPI, Intel OpenVINO features high flexibility and quick development while supporting common deep learning frameworks including Caffe and TensorFlow. WPI's own AI lab combined with the flexibility of Intel OpenVINO can help firms quickly develop AI solutions suited to their needs. It frees enterprises from having to choose a hardware architecture. They only need to focus on their own R&D. For example, an AI-enabled digital signage can detect a viewer's gender, age and emotion and accordingly display a suitable advertisement to deliver precise marketing. It can also monitor the surroundings and issue an alert in the case of a fire.In summary, with IoT applications being inherently fragmented, enterprises do not want a single device or system but a total solution. Through its aggregator role and partnership programs with system integrators, WPI has successfully built up a complete IoT ecosystem, which will allow governments and firms in Asia to share their successful experiences and quickly bring demand-side IoT applications to reality.Both end users and system integrators can leverage Intel's MRS and RRK to quickly build IoT systems that meet their requirements." says Dennis Niu, vice president, IoT solutions department, WPI