With high-tech industries focusing on artificial intelligence (AI) developments, businesses across all sectors are eager to use AI to help them raise operational efficiency and to uncover new business models. However, they must overcome high barriers to be able to build, train and optimize their AI models using either cloud-based systems or high-end workstations. Not only is the installation and configuration of hardware and software a cumbersome task but the system also consumes a great amount of power and network bandwidth, squeezing profit margins and hindering widespread AI development.To meet these challenges, QNAP and IEI (with the "speeding into the future" initiative) are committed to developing high-performance, easy-to-use AI deep learning training and inference solutions to provide AI benefits to more people. As part of this initiative, QNAP's pioneering QuAI solution particularly grabs attention. QNAP and IEI demonstrated the ingenuities of QuAI at Computex 2018, showing how it helps with diagnosing macular degeneration as a real-world use case example."The development of an AI application essentially includes building and training models, adjusting parameters and putting them to real use," said Ruei-De Chang, AI Product Manager of QNAP. "QuAI is designed to help data scientists, engineers and even students easily control these processes without having to spend time installing or dealing with drivers, libraries, containers or virtual machines. Nor do they need to worry about data backup, data sharing or network settings," Chang added.QNAP NAS coupled with QuAI delivers a deep learning solution with low TCOQNAP believes the success of deep learning hinges on three critical factors: data, computing power, and algorithms. As NAS has always been ideal for data storage, QNAP leverages its accumulated advantages in this field and adds QTS support for deep-learning accelerator cards to equip NAS with additional computing abilities. QNAP NAS users can now easily tap into GPU accelerated computing to increase the performance of AI model training and inference.QuAI is built with QNAP NAS as the underlying structure and the QTS operating system on top of that. It further includes Container Station, supporting Docker and other container technologies. By making good use of containers, users can freely select AI frameworks and libraries such as TensorFlow, Caffe, MXNet, Neon, the Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit, and Torch for easier development.It's easy to start using QuAI. First, install and activate QuAI from the QTS App Center. Then install a deep learning accelerator card into NAS and the corresponding driver from the QTS App Center. Finally, build the needed containers in Container Station and start developing your AI application. Resources of the deep learning accelerator card can be allocated for use by QTS throughout the execution process.QNAP emphasizes that building, training and optimizing AI models are the first and fundamental steps to AI application development. Deep learning accelerator cards, whether installed on workstations, cloud-based systems or QNAP NAS, are the key component. The important consideration is convenience and ease-of-use. QNAP NAS has the advantage of being close to the data, eliminating the need to move data around. Furthermore, with comprehensive data management features including data compression, deduplication, automated storage tiering, SSD caching, all-round data protection technologies, and quick, deployment, QNAP NAS is an incredibly cost-effective option.QNAP is well aware that QuAI and cost-effective NAS are not quite enough to bring AI implementations to reality. It needs one last push - putting them to practical use in vertical applications. For this purpose, QNAP embraced the healthcare industry and developed a medical diagnosis system for age-related macular degeneration using QNAP NAS coupled with QuAI. The system can significantly shorten the time it takes to read OCT images, providing a successful use case that has impressed the market.QNAP provides a wide range of QuAI solutions that target different applications including data analysis, image classification/object detection, and image segmentation. "IEI also provides bare-metal AI solutions for users to combine with QuAI libraries to meet wide-ranging AI model training needs," added Bo-Hong Yu, Product Management Director of IEI. For inference systems, supported models include the Intel OpenVINO TANK AIoT Dev Kit, RACK-500AI and PAC-400 supporting high-end NVIDIA graphics cards. For training systems, there is the GRAND-C422 with Intel Xeon W. Furthermore, AI accelerator cards for different architectures are also available, including CPU (Intel Kabylake ULT), Intel FPGA and Intel VPU.QNAP presents its latest AI achievements and applications at Computex 2018

Photronics, a worldwide leader in supplying innovative imaging technology solutions for the global electronics industry, was selected by Nanya Technology Corporation as the excellent supplier for its South Asian Branch in 2017."It is an honor to accept this recognition on behalf of everyone at Photronics, including our PDMC joint venture, that has exemplified our commitment to provide great technology solutions and service every day," stated Peter Kirlin, chief executive officer. "Our partnership with Nanya has continued to expand and is now stronger than ever. By working together with them, we are able to combine our regional and global technical strengths and unique memory mask capabilities, enabling Nanya to deliver leading-edge memory solutions to their customers. This is another notable example of how Photronics works across sites and geographies to deliver outstanding value to our customers."Photronics is a leading worldwide manufacturer of photomasks. Photomasks are high precision quartz plates that contain microscopic images of electronic circuits. A key element in the manufacture of semiconductors and flat panel displays, photomasks are used to transfer circuit patterns onto semiconductor wafers and flat panel display substrates during the fabrication of integrated circuits, a variety of flat panel displays and, to a lesser extent, other types of electrical and optical components. They are produced in accordance with product designs provided by customers at strategically located manufacturing facilities in Asia, Europe, and North America. Additional information on the Company can be accessed at official website.Photronics CEO, Peter Kirlin (left), Nanya President, Pei-Ing Lee (right)

There is no doubt that surface mount technologies (SMT) have been instrumental in the development of the electronics manufacturing industry. Every step carried out during the SMT process, including glue dispensing, coating, solder paste inspection (SPI) and automated optical inspection (AOI), plays a critical role in the successful production of each device. Any machine malfunction or component failure could result in poor performance or even a production halt. In either case, the consequences are unacceptable to equipment suppliers and end users.Each step of the SMT process, from PCB printing, SPI, component mounting, reflow, to AOI, imposes different automation control requirements. During the printing stage, motion control cards are used to precisely control the movement of spray nozzles. Image recognition systems can check if solder paste has been properly coated according to standards during SPI. In the case of any anomalies, an alert in the form of DIO or M2M messages can be sent to data centers for analysis. For component placement, automation equipment is also used to control pre-heating, temperature, and reflow procedures. Image data collected during AOI need to be transmitted at a high speed without errors, which calls for image recognition systems with flexibility. These interconnected steps are all essential for an SMT process to be properly conducted.A well-known machinery supplier based in China that focuses mainly on developing SMT equipment incorporating with industrial PCs (IPC), motion control cards and image control systems from different manufacturers, had encountered serious compatibility problems. Its production line was constantly plagued by minor failures such as machines getting stuck or screens going blank. The production was hit particularly hard by failures during AOI, which demands a high degree of precision. To overcome such reliability issues, the supplier decided to replace the IPC - the brain of industrial automation - and other critical components including motion control cards, image control systems, I/O interface and Fieldbus components all at once.Designed with usability in mind, compatible one-stop SMT solutions satisfy customer requirementsADLINK proposed two solutions that addressed the customer's two major challenges - smooth operation along the production line and high equipment reliability. First, ADLINK recommended the use of the IMB-M43H industrial-grade ATX motherboard, powered by a 6th generation Intel Core processor, supporting Windows 7. This would provide both forward and backward compatibility with current automation software as well as legacy PS/2, COM and VGA I/O ports to enable a painless upgrade process for existing systems. For motion and I/O control, the IMB-M43H has one PCI Express x16 Gen3, one PCI Express x4 Gen2 and five PCI expansion slots for users to flexibly add image capture cards, digitizers, high-resolution dynamic signal acquisition modules or general-purpose modules. Users can therefore easily build a system with the specific configuration required to meet the needs of their automation applications.The second proposed solution was the IMB-M43 industrial-grade ATX motherboard, designed with intelligent PCIe bifurcation to support a wide selection of multi-channel industrial cameras for image detection and meet the needs of various usage scenarios. The IMB-M43 also features a rugged and reliable I/O interface design ideally suited to SMT production lines. ADLINK supports all multi-tasking operations and multi-point connections with its one-stop service to help customers build a complete and compatible SMT production line.Last but not least, to meet SMT process requirements, ADLINK's industrial-grade motherboards are tested to comply with IEC 61000-4-2 to IEC 61000-4-6 (Performance Criterion A) electrostatic discharge immunity standards as well as EN 55032 Class B-EMI standards. Both standards guarantee minimum electromagnetic interference on peripheral equipment and ensure signal stability during the production process. In addition, ADLINK motherboards have a unique power design that provides a stable 5V +/-5% at each USB port to ensure that power supplies of different brands or low-voltage power supplies can still work well with peripheral equipment and power all connected USB devices at full load. They also have edge contacts with 15 microinch gold plating to provide enhanced protection against corrosive gases.ADLINK gets to the root of customer's problem with synergy of premium hardware quality and professional serviceADLINK provides a complete portfolio of IPC automation systems in addition to motion control, data transmission and machine vision solutions that guarantee 100% compatibility so that SMT equipment can maintain smooth operation at all times and meet customer demand for high reliability. Furthermore, ADLINK has built up customer trust with its prompt and high-quality testing and after-sales support services. For example, if a customer encounters a problem with their ADLINK platform, ADLINK technical services will be on hand to help resolve the issue, regardless of whether it is hardware or software related.Designed with usability in mind, compatible one-stop SMT solutions satisfy customer requirements

STAr Technologies, a Taiwan leading provider of semiconductor probe cards and systems, has announced that it has acquired ProbeLogic, a premier probe card manufacturer in the prime location of North California's Silicon Valley. The purchase will include assets, people, and customer contracts, and will provide customers with unparalleled services and experience by combining probe card expertise and global sales network from two companies.ProbeLogic, founded in 2003, is a privately held company in San Jose, CA. It has been designing, developing, and manufacturing probe cards for customers throughout North America. ProbeLogic product portfolio include high performance cantilever probe cards (fine pitch, low-k, high pin count, high temperature, multi-DUT) and vertical probe cards (flip chip and multi-DUT)."By teaming with one of leading provider in the heart of Silicon Valley, STAr will expand its presence in North America to provide quick response to customers," said Dr. Choon-Leong Lou, CEO of STAr Technologies. "By combining with our engineering resources, we plan to leverage ProbeLogic's location and sales network to meet the demand of wafer testing market and deliver outstanding technology and services to new and existing customers."Additionally, STAr has recently obtained ACE as one of the in-house technology. The ACE is an Anisotropic Conductive Elastomer interconnection technique which supports various applications for either wafer level or final test requirements. STAr is thus broadening its coverage of critical components support, and provide integrated suite of products to customers.About STAr TechnologiesSTAr Technologies, established in August of 2000, is specialized in semiconductor test probe cards. STAr also provided parametric, reliability and functional test systems, advanced integration software and consulting service. Headquarter based in Hsinchu, STAr has subsidiaries in the US, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China and India.

In the current market for interactive device installations, system integrators (SI), brand vendors, and other operators are required to quickly address rapidly evolving market demands. Innovative human-machine interaction systems integrating touch, vision, and/or sound are widespread, including ticketing, vending, and automatic teller machines, kiosks, and a growing variety of facilities in airports and other public transportation, retail, tourism, healthcare, and manufacturing environments. Reducing time-to-market (TTM) is critical in bringing these implementations to reality.Even so, it is difficult to arbitrarily accelerate TTM. Even minor responses to changes in application requirements can resonate, requiring alterations to a host of key components, including touch panel, display screen, mainboard, and I/O interfaces. Developers may have to return to the design stage and revalidate, wasting tremendous time and effort, inflating the development cycle and increasing total cost of ownership (TCO).To accelerate TTM, lower TCO, and enhance design flexibility, ADLINK is pleased to introduce its Smart Panel solution, an all-in-one open frame panel computer integrating touch panel, display screen, mainboard, heat sink, and I/O interface. Coupled with ADLINK's unique Function Module (FM) design, the Smart Panel enables an 80/20 development model, delivering 80% of the total solution ready for use, including circuit layout, drivers, customized touch panel, mainboard and display function validation, leaving only 20% of development tasks remaining, specifically mechanical design evaluation, and FM board customization.The high level of modularization provides optimal flexibility, allowing users to choose from wide-ranging combinations of panel types, display sizes, CPU performance, and I/O interface for the specific configuration that best suits their requirements. No matter the choice, there is no requirement to redesign the mainboard, thereby eliminating time-consuming board validation burdens.Reduced TTM key to successADLINK's Smart Panel is factory-configured with display, touch panel, mainboard, and heat sink, with mainboard-mounted I/O. Further I/O port expansion is available via connection of ADLINK's FM board or other I/O boards by board-to-board connector. SI and brand vendors can change I/O format, type, quantity, and/or location with no need to replace the mainboard, reducing TTM for continued success. Industry-leading flexibility and effective pre-configuration allow SP-equipped prototypes to achieve completion in weeks' time.Reduced TCO translates to bigger profitADLINK's 80/20 development model allows Smart Panel users to skip early-phase development, conserving time and effort for validation, and reducing costs. ADLINK's Smart Panel helps customers further reduce TCO by ensuring that all critical components, including mainboard, touch panel, and power supply have been tested to industry standards prior to shipment. The components' high availability enables Smart Panel to maintain long-term reliable operation, significantly reducing the burdens and cost of repair and maintenance.Furthermore, users are free to focus their efforts on enhancing core values and developing their own FM, thoroughly securing their intellectual property, as well as catering to specific vertical markets and maximizing profit margins.Development flexibility widens application scopeADLINK's FM configuration delivers significantly effective solutions to user obstacles. Take railway applications for example. Brand vendors have conventionally been required to spend considerable time wiring and negotiating detailed aspects of product assembly to be able to adapt industrial computer I/O to usable configurations, making the development process overwhelmingly difficult.ADLINK's FM integration now allows fast and easy development of I/O configurations compatible with any vertical application, with significantly reduced R&D time and cost. Utilizing the SP as an embedded building block, a brand client was able to present a prototype in weeks, which its client could verify against its requirements of human machine interfaces used in driver's compartments.ADLINK's Smart Panel can further be embedded in a wide variety of installations. With 4K immersive graphics and media performance, fast video acceleration, support for 3 independent 4K Ultra HD displays, up to 15 Simultaneous 1080p30 decode streams, extensive media codec library, and advanced security powered by Intel Atom and 7th Generation Intel Core processors, the SP can offer self-services in retail kiosks, secure digital transactions for ticketing machines, smooth 3D image rendering for CNC machines, streamline medical examination processes, and serve at poker tables in casinos.The Smart Panel further supports a wide-range of I/O interfaces, including USB 2.0, I2C, 32 function keys, and power and audio control. Power supply supports 12V and 9-36V, and is available through external isolated power modules or uninterrupted power supply (UPS) systems. The optimal flexibility enables SI and brand vendors to meet virtually any application scenario and stay ahead of market trends.Smart panel assets boost competitive advantageADLINK's Smart Panel guarantees ruggedness, flexibility, and long-term supply, fully satisfying the requirements of the dynamic IoT environment. A wide temperature range from -40 degree C to 85 degree C, rugged SODIMM, wide DC input voltage range, over voltage protection (OVP) and under voltage protection (UVP), combined with IP65-rated intrusion resistance, guarantee smart Panel performance in the most demanding settings.ADLINK's Smart Panel provides choices of 7-inch to 21.5-inch 16:9 displays, P-CAP or resistive touch panels, mainboards powered by Intel Atom or Intel Core processors, support for Windows 10, Linux and Android operating systems, and FM boards customizable for vertical application. External power supply can be connected to the FM board to support power-hungry modules such as graphics cards and others.Long-term supply is guaranteed with the proven availability of Intel processors and display modules, and ADLINK's Smart Panel Starter Kit assists SI and brand vendors in validating fundamental elements, providing a complete design guide for Smart Panel use. Early-phase software, hardware, and mechanical design are also sped through early-stage development. Altogether, the ADLINK Smart Panel delivers the highest level of flexibility and integration anywhere on the market.To accelerate TTM, lower TCO, and enhance design flexibility, ADLINK introduces its Smart Panel solution, an all-in-one open frame panel computer integrating touch panel, display screen, mainboard, heat sink, and I/O interface.ADLINK's 80/20 development model allows Smart Panel users to skip early-phase development, conserving time and effort for validation, and reducing costs.ADLINK's FM integration now allows fast and easy development of I/O configurations compatible with any vertical application, with significantly reduced R&D time and cost.

Getac, an innovator of rugged mobile computing solutions for a range of industries, today announces updates to its leading Getac B300 fully rugged notebook, designed to deliver exceptional productivity and deployment speed for defence industry professionals in mission-critical environments.Commenting on the launch of the new Getac B300, Rowina Lee, vice-president of Global Sales & Business Development Center, Getac Technology Corporation, said, "Rapid advances in IT and communication technologies are transforming defence systems at full scale. Defence systems going digital can better cater to the needs of varying operations. They are fundamentally changing developed countries' national defence systems around the world, with rugged computers playing an increasingly important role." Lee, speaking on Getac's efforts and achievements in developing products for this market segment, noted, "To rugged computer providers, the capability to develop combat-strength products meeting the evolving technological challenges and special requirements of defence systems is backed by continuing refinements in craftsmanship, quality, and service. This is also where Getac stands out."Serving a global customer base, Getac provides comprehensive, vertically integrated solutions accommodating regional needs to address wide-ranging extreme conditions. Getac supplies a complete line of rugged computers to fulfill the requirements of different operations and units. Getac has developed a full spectrum of products across a range specifications and sizes, including the B300 fully rugged notebook, V110 fully rugged convertible, S410 semi-rugged notebook, X500 fully rugged mobile server, F110 fully rugged tablet, and MX50 fully rugged tablet with a compact form factor particularly suited for frontline operations. All of these products have received positive reviews from the defence industry and system integrators.Getac rugged computers are primarily engaged by digital defence systems for applications that include command and control, situational awareness, tactical communication, and platform analytics. Products feature top-of-the-line data security technologies, application programs for defence purposes, interfaces and ports supporting compatibility with legacy systems, flexible combinations of computation power, high bandwidth, and fast boot to meet diverse needs. This demonstrates why Getac consistently wins customer trust, establishing a secure presence in the defence product market.Getac facilitates its full line of defence-use rugged computers with the finest craftsmanship and process engineering to perfectly match stringent requirements and extreme conditions. The newly launched Getac B300 fully rugged notebook features the 8th generation Intel Kaby Lake R Core i5 and i7 processors with multi-layered security implementations, boosting system performance and security to a whole new level. Certified to MIL-STD 810G and MIL-STD-461F standards, and incorporating IP65 water and dust resistance with a fanless design, the Getac B300 stands out from the competition.The Getac B300 fully rugged notebook also features an available 13.3-inch touch screen with an output rating of up to 1400 NITs of brightness, glare-free viewing, readability under sunlight, and night vision device support. The B300 integrates a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0 chip and an optional Absolute Data & Device Security (DDS) solution along with hardware-based self-encrypting technologies to provide strong protection against malicious threats and intrusions. Built with state-of-the-art high-speed computing capabilities and ultra-rugged strength, the B300 also provides expandability options to accommodate GPS, 4G LTE, 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 communication for seamless network connectivity in the field. The rugged notebook comes with a standard five-year bumper-to-bumper warranty, providing armed forces with the assurance of long-term product availability. The next-generation B300 fully rugged notebook is a perfect complement to Getac's defence product roadmap.Getac builds defence solutions using reinforced commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. Along with strength and durability, Getac solutions combine portability, high-bandwidth data transfer, and high-speed computing to fully meet the needs of soldiers on the front lines. These solutions benefit from easy mobility, impact resistance, system crash prevention, and improved data and tactical screen viewing, even under direct sunlight, reduced lighting, or through night vision devices. Designed with a precise understanding of defence application scenarios, Getac rugged computers fulfill defence and manufacturing industry standards.AvailabilityThe new B300 will be available for purchase on June 11, 2018. For more information, please visit: www.getac.com

In view of the growing development of cloud-based industries and edge intelligence (EI), a total of 16 Taiwan firms including AOpen, YPCloud, TENLife and Digitimes have jointly set up the Ubiz Spheres alliance to develop and promote multiple applications of cloud technologies.The alliance said it will focus on developing core technologies and products associated with new retail, agriculture and healthcare industries, with EI Sphere involving intelligent and secured edge expected to be widely adopted to offer the best IoT application solutions.The EI Sphere, jointly developed by AOpen and YPCloud, is an isolated system but with the most powerful collaborative computing capability now available in the world, and is applicable to automatic cashiers, tour guide system, smart wards, and more, according to YPCloud CEO Steven Hsu.Richard Lin, vice president of AOpen's cloud technology division, said that the Ubiz Spheres alliance will promote a brand-new business model of turnkey exports to create Taiwan's new service economy with software and hardware integration, with initial target markets including Iran, India, Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries.Lin said that as a leading brand of digital signage solutions, AOpen will join forces with cloud service provider YPCloud, smart IoT solutions specialist TENLife and other related players to develop diverse EI-based cloud and IoT devices, seeking to become a globally leading brand for EI devices.Members of Ubiz Spheres alliancePhoto: AOpen

Audi unveiled the all-new A8 luxury car in 2017 at Audi Summit, showcasing the first car to reach Level 3 autonomous drive. This is an indication that the car industry is shifting gear fast towards a car revolution. Starting from this year, more automakers will be making big moves to advance their autonomous car efforts. Keeping pace with same momentum, the much anticipated Level 5 autonomous car will hit the road in 2025, according to predictions by industry observers.During the past few years, the development of autonomous driving technology has been in the fast lane. Topics such as lithium battery for the electrical vehicles, ADAS and Internet of Vehicles (IoV) are getting most attention from the public.Digitimes, at the AIoT Ecosystem Forum it held during Computex 2018, devoted a session to the discussion of the trends and opprtunities concerning self-driving cars on June 7: "Car Tech and AIoT, Driving Innovation," with keynote speakers coming from global leading companies of semiconductor and electronics industriesWhile technological development continues, the upcoming business model of autonomous vehicles or robo-taxis (or shared self-driving taxis) is expected to give a big boost to sharing economy.Automotive innovations have increasingly been enabled by semiconductor-based solutions. Around 80% of the core automotive innovation comes from semiconductors, according to an estimation from one of the major automakers. And Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is paving the way towards full autonomous driving. In addition, other applications such as those related to comfort and convenience, infotainment and wireless data connectivity are driving semiconductor use in the automotive sector.At the forum, ARM talked about the scope of silicon architecture for future autonomous car development based on ARM core IP. The automotive industrial standards like functional safety of ISO 26262 and cyber security are inevitable topics in auto space and need to be addressed in the chipset level from the beginning stage of IC design.Dialog Semiconductor talked about the solution of Haptics on touch screen. This semiconductor solution, combining with different types of hardware such as linear resonant actuators, makes use of vibration feedback to simulate button clicking more interactively and optimize user experience while more and more flat panels and touch screen technologies are installed onboard the vehicle. This ultra-low power consumption of Dialog's haptics driver IC makes it easy to implement engineering design compared with existing competitors.The automotive market will see the adoption of high capacity memory led by emerging trend of autonomous driving and in-vehicle infotainment. Silicon Motion leverages its leading technology and strong customization capability in NAND flash memory controller along with multi-chip package solution to introduce Ferri solutions (single-chip storage solutions), including Ferri-eMMC and Ferri-UFS, to the automotive market. For automotive non-volatile memory sectors, the company relies on quality products and flexible engineering design capability for customized specifications.New self-driving technologies and the increasing number of functions within motor vehicles mean that automotive manufacturers have to develop more and more safety systems. TUV Nord talked about the automotive safety standards covering ISO 26262 and ASPICE. For cyber security considerations, the standards of IEC 62443-X and SOTIF ISO PAS 21448 were also discussed to highlight the new challenges of the industries.Texas Instrument (TI) showed its new development of millimeter wave radar CMOS IC solutions. TI's offerings are boosting miniature radar products suited for automotive market. The millimeter-wave SMT packages for automotive radar sensors could be reduced further to 3X3 centimeters of PCB board size. It pushes the limits to fulfil the requirements of new Level-3 self-driving cars.Level 3 self-driving cars will be on the road in 2020. And the 2019 Audi A8 might be the first Level 3 vehicle available on the market.While more and more electronics are featured inside the vehicles, the opportunity of automotive industry shows big potential, though the entry barriers may be high.Digitimes Car Tech and AIoT Technology Forum Photo: Digitimes staff

While IoT (Internet of Things) technology has been developed for years, development of AI (artificial intelligence) technology, which took off in 2017, has been quickly integrated with the former into AIoT. At AIoT Ecosystem Forum hosted by Digitimes on June 6 at Computex 2018, speakers all agreed that AIoT will be fast applied in various industries.Along with widespread application of AIoT, smart sensors and communication networks will be ubiquitous to bring convenience for daily life, said Rahul Patel, Qualcomm Technologies' corporate senior vice president and general manager for Connectivity & Networking Business Unit. However, AIoT-enabled devices should be improved in performance, power consumption and dimension in the future and Qualcomm is making efforts in the direction, Patel noted.In terms of architecture, IoT systems consist of cloud computing platforms and terminal platforms, with each necessarily being intelligent to some extent to secure smooth operation. For cloud computing platforms in particular, as infrastructure is costly and brand image is necessary for reliability, Amazon, Microsoft and Google have dominated the global market currently, with Amazon Web Services (AWS) being the largest cloud computing platform at a global market share of 33%.Complete cloud computing platforms are key to smooth operation of AIoT, according to Amazon. Along with mature technological development and increasing successful cases of application, AIoT will be applied in increasingly many industries over the next few years and therefore, enterprises have to select cloud computing platforms that can support multi-industry applications. For example, users of AWS are widely in industries of manufacturing, health care, construction, transportation services, energy and retail.For AIoT, Taiwan-based enterprises are unable to compete with international IT vendors in cloud computing platform and thus mostly step into AIoT-enabled terminal devices, especially models supporting edge computing.Patrick Kuo, chairman of ThroughTek - a Taiwan-based developer of smart application of terminal devices - noted that centralized computing entails transfer of data collected at terminal devices to the center, but large volumes of data put heavy burdens on centralized computing platforms and thereby cause relatively slower computing. Edge computing is the best solution of the problem, Kuo said, adding that ThroughTek's long development of image analysis software has proved the advantage for edge computing.Evolution of AIoT is not only in technology and application concerning cloud computing platforms and terminal ones but also in communication between the two; especially 5G, which is expected to come into commercial use starting in 2019, will bring brand-new business models for AIoT. While 5G is expected to lead to innovative application of IoT systems, telecom carriers should keep trying different business models in a bid to make operation reasonably profitable, Digitimes Research analyst Benson Wu indicated.As global PC demand is declining, AIoT becomes a new hope for Taiwan's IT industries. With advantage in manufacturing capability, however, Taiwan-based enterprises have to enhance capability in innovation and integrate hardware with AI software.AIoT Ecosystem Forum hosted by Digitimes at Computex 2018Photo: Digitimes staff

To encourage entrepreneurs and startups to innovate, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) on June 7 during Computex 2018 hosted InnoVEX 2018 Roundtable, a seminar gathering executives and professionals from IT startups, enterprises, upstream manufacturers, international buyers, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and accelerators to exchange thoughts and ideas.TAITRA president and CEO and the roundtable host Walter Yeh, in his opening speech, expressed his gratitude toward the participants of the roundtable and the support for InnoVEX 2018 from their organizations, enterprises or venture capitals including Amazon Launchpad, Business France, Garage+, Colopl Next, European Business Innovation Center of Murcia (CEEIM), JAFCO Asia, Digitimes, Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Center (MaGIC), Telefonica, Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and more.Yeh noted that the first day of InnoVEX 2018 was a success with visitors and exhibitors both reporting satisfactory experiences during their tours. Computex 2018 attracted 1,600 companies from 30 countries worldwide and there are also 388 participating startups from 21 countries at InnoVEX 2018 with a total of 13 country pavilions at the show, up from three in the previous year. InnoVEX has already become an important platform for startups, venture capitals, accelerators and buyers and have attracted increasing numbers of venture capitals with the total of visiting venture capitals reaching 200 this year.With fresh assistance and support, Computex is able to transform from a traditional ICT trade show covering mainly hardware innovations to a worldwide technology event showcasing emerging applications such as Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) and pushing the development of Taiwan's entrepreneurship, said Yeh.The first topic of the round table was: With the growing popularity of emerging applications including 5G evolution, blockchain, quantum computing, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) and AI, how can governments worldwide assist startups to face the rapidly changing industry trends? Yeh first invited Josephine Chao, president of the Epoch Foundation and founder of the Garage+ project to share her observations and experiences in these new business areas and her thoughts on how government can assist startups over the changes.Chao noted that these fancy technologies are actually not new as many companies such as Google, Amazon have been developing these applications for many years and now they have suddenly become the latest trends simply because the markets are ready. Although the technology is important, what governments worldwide should focus more on is the human capital: the younger-generation is an important asset to a country's future, but such an asset is now growing weaker.Kar Sin Ng, manager of International Partnership and Outreach, ASEAN Center of Entrepreneurship from MaGIC, noted that MaGIC is a government agency that has been looking into emerging industries and they are currently conducting a few projects including gathering startups, government units and companies to talk about the problems that startups are facing as well as regulations that could potentially influence startups to fulfill their ideas, a sandbox that provides a safe environment for startups to test their ideas and products. MaGIC has also been making recommendations to the government to improve startup environments as well as negotiating with multi-national companies, persuading them to provide their expertise to startups as well as cooperating with them to help them grow.Yeh then asked Prakash Somasundaram, head of Global Projects at Amazon Launchpad, about how venture capitalists and accelerators choose startups and what resources they provide to support.Somasundaram responded that when Amazon Launchpad started, the first thing it noticed was that were a lot of funding opportunities for startups. But the problem is that once these startups build their ideas and validate them and they have a product that is ready to ship, how can they get the product discovered by all its customers they try to reach and even distribute the product to them? This gap will be a good spot for Amazon Launchpad to jump in. Currently, Amazon Launchpad is more interested in startups making physical consumer products such as baby food or new products that are expected to have good demand from regular consumers. Amazon Launchpad has an online store to show their products. We give startups guidance to set up their products for sales and help them promote through our system.For the second topic, Yeh asked about how venture capitalists are adopting different strategies compared to corporative venture capitals and he first invited Jackey Wang, co-founder of Tickle Labs and a venture partner of 500 Startups, to talk about her opinions over the potential competition between venture capitals and corporate venture capitals.Wang noted that in her personal view, there is no competition between corporate venture capital and traditional venture capital. Although both of them are looking to make profits, corporate venture capital has a different purpose over startup investment than traditional venture capital as they are more like government funds, focusing on investing in new technologies and seeking to create a new industry.Another issue is that corporate venture capital will have difficulties participating in many of the startup events as finding startups is not their main work.Venture capitals actually have a more variety of roles to play in startup investment as sometimes they raise their money from corporates and sometimes government. In some cases, corporate venture capitals are actually relying on regular venture capitals to help them find new investment targets.Ines Oliveira Ribeiro, fiinance manager, Wayra Spain, and head of Crowdworking Gran Via Open Future, agreed with Wang, saying that there is no competition between corporate venture capitalists, accelerators and venture capitalists. Telefonica as a corporate venture capital has good relationship with regular venture capital.Edward Lee, director of JAFCO Asia, believes there is competition between corporate venture capital and venture capital, but he noted that they are healthy competitions. Lee said that both sides are in the venture capital business because they want to make money and investors are looking for good targets for investments, and it is natural to see some competitions.Lee noted that there are broad selections of investments worldwide and assisting startups to find good partners is also a job for venture capital. Compared the two, corporate venture capital has more flexibility as it can withstand long-term investments, and is able to provide business resources to help startups grow.Chao then shared her thought on the topic from the startup's perspective. She believes startups are able to receive much help including credibility enhancement, strategic partnerships, mentorship and go-to-market partners from corporate venture capital, but the support may turn out to become crisis, which is something startups need to be aware of.Wang added that now is the perfect time for entrepreneurship as there are many programs and policies that favor startups. However, she noted that the founder of a startup needs to think carefully when the opportunity of being acquired come. Wang said that the scenario of the startup founder leaving the company after being acquired happens quite often. Wang also noted that she has been creating programs to help startups match with venture capital.For the last topic, Roger Huang, senior analyst and deputy director of Digitimes Research, did a presentation on how Taiwan's upstream component supply chain and hardware manufacturing service providers can provide assistance to startup communities to materialize their ideas.Huang noted that how to leverage Taiwan's supply chain to build a creative startup ecosystem as well as how organizations such as TAITRA can set up a new platform to help startups explore the global markets under trade protectionism are key issues that Taiwan needs to think about.Huang believes from 2015-2025, there are four major digitalization drivers: realtime big data, AI, super connectivity and cloud, all of which will significantly boost Taiwan's presence, and Taiwan's comprehensive supply chain is the biggest asset to become the best partner of worldwide innovations.Huang also noted that Taiwan-based large enterprises have already been talking and cooperating with startups to create innovations and are set to launch several projects. Their targets are not just startups in Taiwan, but startups worldwide, and they are looking to have them join Taiwan's ecosystem.Yeh added his thought to the topic, saying that matchmaking startups with venture capitalists, accelerators and OEM/ODM worldwide, and bringing everybody together is an important task for TAITRA and Computex, and the platform is now serving as an important bridge connecting these players.Seung Hee Oh, manager of KOTRA, noted that they have been assisting startups to form collaboration with accelerators in Taiwan and afterward the agency can also help the startup to connect with suitable venture capitals.Emilia Shih, executive deputy director of exhibition department at TAITRA, noted that TAITRA is an accelerator and its task is to help startups grow and create a platform to connect them with venture capitalists and resources and will be looking to create more activities to help Taiwan's entrepreneurial market grow.Gia Dinh TO from Business France noted that Business France is setting up offices around the world with local workers, as a success business model in one place may not guarantee success in another. She believes team work is an important factor deciding success.Walter Yeh, TAITRA president and CEO, presides over InnoVEX 2018 Roundtable at ComputexParticipants of InnoVEX 2018 RoundtableRoger Huang, deputy director of Digitimes Research, at the roundtable