Spirox (TWSE:3055), the sole and exclusive distributor of Xcerra Corporation (NASDAQ: XCRA) in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, recently received an email message from Xcerra advising that Xcerra intends to limit the exclusive distribution territory ("Territory") to only Taiwan. Given that both parties' original intentions for cooperation has changed and the mode of business recognized by both parties has differed, to maintain the interests of the company, our shareholders and employees, Spirox has resolved to terminate the distributor agreement with Xcerra. Pursuant to the distributor agreement, the party intending to terminate the agreement has to give the other party at least 365 days prior written notice (such period the "Notice Period"). During such Notice Period, Spirox will continue to discuss its future cooperation relationship with Xcerra and will also develop other product lines, new businesses and other cooperation modes and plans seeking to maximize the interests of investors in and employees of Spirox.According to the distributor agreement with Xcerra, during the Notice Period, both parties will continue to act in good faith in performing all of their obligations under such agreement, and Xcerra shall not make any changes to the exclusive territory without Spirox's consent. Spirox will assert our relevant rights with Xcerra pursuant to the foregoing. At the same time, Spirox will continue discussions with Xcerra and does not rule out other modes of possible cooperation going forward to ensure that the interests of our customers and shareholders are not affected.For the last 30 years, Spirox has significantly contributed to the Greater China semiconductor test market. Our comprehensive and professional team providing satisfactory services is close to and trusted by customers. The core capabilities developed over the many years are our foundations to continue to support future customer services. Meanwhile, Spirox is financially sound and will continue to seek new customers and new products and to adjust our operational structure. Spirox believes this turning point will be a good start for us to welcome the new market and embrace the future development.About SpiroxSpirox was established in 1987 with its headquarter in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Spirox delivers integrated and best-practice solutions to our customers in the major industries of Semiconductor, Flat Panel Display, Micro electromechanical Systems and other high-tech products. Spirox provides leading edge solutions and products from IC Design Characterization Products & Services, Semiconductor Test & Assembly Solutions, and Test & Measurement Instrumentation products. Global offices of Spirox are located in Taiwan, USA, China and Hong Kong. Spirox website: http://www.spirox.com/
Litemax Electronic Inc. (stock code: 4995), the world-leading high brightness LCD panel and industrial computer manufacturer, 7 products (100% hit rate) had been awarded in the 25th Taiwan Excellence Award among 518 competitors with 1,188 products.David King, President of Litemax Electronic Inc., mentioned that intelligent system enhancement is the field that Litemax has been focusing on in recent years as well. To integrate application and aesthetics into the intelligent system, Litemax not only officially completed an M & A with the renowned industrial application provider WynMax in 2016, it has also been dedicated to developing solutions related to intelligent transportation, healthcare care and automation engineering management. The award recipients this time are the best embodiment and recognition of this concept.Litemax presented the world's first high resolution 4K2K resizing, square-shaped LCD display SSD4215, Litemax smart shelf display system SSD2755 also attracted the interest of buyers. SSD2755 is expected to combine big data systems with the store as well as collect details about consumer demand to provide more information to the merchant and create an unprecedented consuming experience. As for industrial computer, IBOX-GPFL-BYT2, Litemax Palm Size wide temperature RuggCore, and IPPC-MR18-IVB1, the model featuring a wide 18.5" LCD and IP68 fully waterproof, also drew attention of marine and industrial automation buyers from many countries. Ever since its launch, the high performance of the modular industrial panel PC has pulled plenty of sample requests and we expect to win more collaboration opportunities in the future.Litemax has been continuously awarded and the number of our award recipients are increasing each year. We'll keep devoting ourselves to enhancing the development of original and innovative intelligence systems.LITEMAX ELECTRONICS INC.http://www.litemax.com/Litemax won 7 awards for Taiwan Excellence Award
Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857) will exhibit a wide array of test solutions at this year's SEMICON Korea trade show, coming February 8-10 to the COEX in Seoul, South Korea. Advantest is also a platinum sponsor of the Presidents Reception, which takes place the evening of February 8.In booth #1612 in Hall C, Advantest will showcase both its newest test solutions and its proven products for the Korean market. Featured products and services will include industry-leading test and measurement platforms, performance-enhancing modules and channel cards, e-beam lithography and metrology-SEM systems, performance boards, burn-in test boards, and probe cards.Technical insight will be provided through demonstrations as well as digital graphics and in-depth presentations, allowing visitors to learn all about the latest IC test innovations offered by Advantest.On Thursday, February 9, at 2:00 p.m., Jeongseob Kim, director of Advantest Korea's SoC department, will present a paper on "The Challenges of Testing IoT Modules on ATE Systems" during the half-day Test Forum in Room 318, Conference Room (South), COEX.Connect on Social MediaFor the latest information on test solutions from the industry leader, follow Advantest on Twitter @Advantest_ATE.About Advantest CorporationA world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tools. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982 in the USA and now has subsidiaries worldwide. More information is available at http://www.advantest.com/.
ABB has teamed up with India's national electricity grid operator Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) in a mega project worth over $640 million for ABB to deliver a transmission link that will have the capacity to bring reliable electricity to more than 80 million people. The Raigarh-Pugalur 800 kilovolt (kV) ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) system will connect Raigarh in Central India to Pugalur in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.The 1,830 kilometer (km) link will be among the longest in the world. With a capacity of 6,000 megawatts – the equivalent of more than six large power plants – it will be enough to meet the electricity needs of over 80 million people in India. The two-way link will integrate thermal and wind energy for transmission of power to high consumption centers located thousands of kilometers away, supporting electricity demands in the south, when wind strength is low, and transmitting clean energy to the north, when there is excess wind power."ABB is honored to partner with POWERGRID for this smart long distance transmission project," said ABB CEO Ulrich Spiesshofer. "Delivering reliable electricity to India's energy demand centers is a top priority for the Indian government to support the country's impressive growth momentum. ABB is strongly committed to India for more than a century and with this new long distance transmission link we are delivering the benefits from the Energy Revolution to the country, building on the strength of our strong local manufacturing footprint. With our state-of-the-art UHVDC technology, we enable the balancing of renewable and conventional electricity supply over long distances in a smart and reliable way."ABB is the global market leader and partner of choice for stronger, smarter and greener grids around the world as it supports utilities and grid operators to take advantage of the Energy and Fourth Industrial Revolutions. ABB's Power Grids division, which will deliver the mega project, is number one in the world in the segment."As part of our Next Level Strategy, we are committed to delivering cutting-edge technologies like HVDC to integrate renewables and transmit power reliably and efficiently, providing vital access to electricity and making a real difference to people's lives," said Claudio Facchin, President of ABB's Power Grids division. "We will leverage our extensive local manufacturing and engineering base in India and proven partnership with our consortium partner BHEL for the execution of this prestigious project".ABB has an impressive HVDC track record in India, where it introduced the technology over 25 years ago with the Vindhyachal project in 1989. Raigarh-Pugalur is ABB's sixth HVDC project in India and the second UHVDC installation, following the multi-terminal North-East Agra link, which has been already partially energized and is in the final phase of completion. The turnkey project encompasses design, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning and major equipment supplies include the complete UHVDC stations, including transformers, converter valves, cooling systems, as well as control and protection technology.UHVDC transmission is a development of HVDC, a technology pioneered by ABB more than 60 years ago. ABB has been awarded about 110 HVDC projects, which represents a total installed capacity of more than 120,000 MW and accounts for around half the global installed base.HVDC transmission links help to conserve land as they occupy only one third of the space compared to the alternative. In this case that amounts to a saving of approximately 244 square kilometers of space – around one third the area of Bangalore or the entire city of Kuala Lumpur. The mega project will also feature technologies selected to minimize the footprint of the transmission stations.The total project value is worth more than $840 million and the balance will be executed by ABB's consortium partner BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited), a leading Indian public sector company. The order was booked in the fourth quarter of 2016.The mega project is expected to be completed in 2019.ABB wins $640 million mega deal for long distance power transmission link in India
ThroughTek Co., Ltd., a leading IoT (Internet-of-Things) platform and cloud solutions provider, announced today that it has registered as Taiwan's first IoT company on the Emerging Stock Board (ESB) of Taipei Exchange (TPEx), effective January 18, 2016. ThroughTek reported its operating revenue of 153.77 million New Taiwan Dollars for the year of 2016, with a YoY growth of 42%, reaching historical high.ThroughTek was established in 2008, originally selling surveillance systems and integrated cloud service, and has since been applying its leading software connection technology to provide user-friendly device management services for IoT devices. Since the launch of Kalay Platform in 2014, ThroughTek has committed to developing complex data transmission and streaming solutions for video surveillance applications. The Kalay Platform is market-proven, supporting over 15 million devices and more than 200 million monthly device connections, and has accumulated a sufficient amount of data for future use in big data analytics.In November of last year, ThroughTek received an opinion letter from the Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economics on "Successfully Developed Product/Technology With Market Potential", expressing confidence in ThroughTek's technical expertise, service, operation, and future developments. More importantly, ThroughTek is the first IoT company in Taiwan to successfully receive approval and obtain registration on the ESB. Later this year, ThroughTek also plans to list publicly on the Taipei Exchange.Since 2016, the market demand for IoT applications and services has grown significantly. In 2016, ThroughTek registered revenue growth for each quarter was 16%, 37%, 58%, and 61% respectively. In the month of December, ThroughTek generated a record-breaking 16 million NTD in revenue, up 66% over the same period of 2015, which demonstrates its success in developing and expanding its business to the global market. With access to the capital market, ThroughTek expects continued revenue growth as it increases market penetration.
Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857) has opened registration to attend its VOICE 2017 Developer Conference being held in Palm Springs, California, on May 16-17 and Shanghai, China on May 26. Both conferences will feature the theme "Measure the Connected World and Everything in It" as VOICE kicks off its second decade.VOICE 2017 will offer attendees comprehensive learning and networking opportunities, including technical presentations focused on eight topic areas, partners' expositions and social gatherings. In addition, the VOICE Technology Kiosk Showcase will expand in 2017 to include more interactive discussion sessions in both locations. The VOICE 2017 general session in Palm Springs will also feature a keynote on Cyber Security, by former FBI special agent Chris Tarbell, one of the most successful cyber security law enforcement officials of all time. More program information is available on the VOICE website at https://voice.advantest.com/."Over the last decade, VOICE has seen exceptional year-over-year growth in size and quality, and has become one of the most highly regarded technical conferences for semiconductor testing," said Angie Lemon, technical chairman of the VOICE 2017 Developer Conference and principal test engineer at NXP. "VOICE provides a tremendous opportunity for Advantest's global developers, users, and third parties to network and share their best practices and new innovations. Attendees will gain knowledge and insight into Advantest's newest user applications, tester software features, test equipment, and handlers. The 2017 technical program is shaping up to be better than ever as the VOICE 2017 Call for Papers has shattered all previous records in abstract submissions. Be sure to join us as we kick off the next decade of VOICE!"About VOICE 2017 Developer ConferenceManaged by a steering committee of volunteer representatives from Advantest and its customers, VOICE is the leading conference for the growing international community of users and strategic partners involved with Advantest's V93000 and T2000 SoC test platforms as well as Advantest memory testers, handlers and test cell solutions. The conference offers a unique opportunity to take part in making semiconductor testing operations as efficient and cost-effective as possible. Attendees gain and share valuable insights, build long-lasting relationships and learn what's new about Advantest test equipment, handlers and applications.About Advantest CorporationA world-class technology company, Advantest is the leading producer of automatic test equipment (ATE) for the semiconductor industry and a premier manufacturer of measuring instruments used in the design and production of electronic instruments and systems. Its leading-edge systems and products are integrated into the most advanced semiconductor production lines in the world. The company also focuses on R&D for emerging markets that benefit from advancements in nanotech and terahertz technologies, and has introduced multi-vision metrology scanning electron microscopes essential to photomask manufacturing, as well as a groundbreaking 3D imaging and analysis tools. Founded in Tokyo in 1954, Advantest established its first subsidiary in 1982, in the USA, and now has subsidiaries worldwide. More information is available at http://www.advantest.com/.
Innodisk, the service-driven provider of flash, memory and peripheral modules for industrial and embedded systems has introduced the world's smallest RAID 1 solution. As embedded systems and devices became smaller, there are more and smaller form factor storage devices that include 2.5", mSATA and M.2 SSDs that can be used as boot-up disks or data disks in small systems.Small industrial or embedded systems usually have small-size, small- capacity embedded storage. For data security and installation of the operating system, it is difficult to have a quick and simple backup solution. In order to prevent the disk failure, Innodisk's embedded RAID 1 solution can achieve real-time synchronization of information to ensure service continuity.Furthermore, with the purpose of allowing users to monitor the status of the RAID card at any time, the RAID 1 embedded expansion card provides a set of Windows management tools, called iRAID. In addition to monitoring RAID card status, iRAID provides e-mail notifications for abnormal conditions and specified events. iRAID, used with Innodisk's SSDs for full SMART information, gives users complete control over their SSDs.Product InformationInnodisk iRAID is a software tool for RAID cards. It simplifies the configuration and management of Innodisk's RAID controller and provides a user-friendly interface that can be used in different types of systems. The iRAID software tool is suitable for the following RAID cards:H ELPS-32R1 provides PCIe x4 and support M.2 SSDH E2SS-32R1 /E2SS-32R2 provides 2.5"form factor and supports mSATA and M.2 SSDH EMPS-32R1 provides mPCIe interface and supports SATA SSDH EMSS-32R1 provides mSATA interface and supports SATA SSDThe Innodisk RAID card series with iRAID is currently available. For additional information, please contact your local Innodisk sales representatives or distributors, or visit us at http://www.innodisk.com/.About InnodiskInnodisk (Taiwan: 5289) is a service-driven provider of flash memory, DRAM modules and embedded peripheral products for the industrial and enterprise applications. With satisfied customers across the embedded, aerospace and defense, cloud storage markets and more, we have set ourselves apart with a commitment to dependable products and unparalleled service. This has resulted in products, including embedded peripherals, designed to supplement existing industrial solutions and high IOPS flash arrays for industrial and enterprise applications. The expanded business lines are leading our next step in being a comprehensive solution and service provider in the industrial storage industry.Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan, Innodisk supports clients globally with engineering support and sales teams in mainland China, Europe, Japan, and the United States. With abundant experience and an unrivaled knowledge of the memory industry, Innodisk develops products with excellent quality, remarkable performance, great cost-efficiency, and the highest reliability. For more information about Innodisk, please visit http://www.innodisk.com/.Innodisk introduces the world's smallest embedded RAID 1 Solution
VIA Technologies has announced the launch of its VIA Custom IoT Platform Design Service to enable customers to accelerate the development of application-specific IoT systems and devices tailored to meet their usage requirements.The VIA Custom IoT Platform Design Service provides a one-stop custom system design solution that covers all steps of the development process, including the definition of the core system specifications, rapid prototyping, hardware and software development, I/O and wireless connectivity integration, and management of the path to production.As part of this process, VIA works every step of the way with the customer to select the appropriate form factor, identify the key components such as the ARM SoC, operating system, storage and memory, and determine the I/O and wireless connectivity features, in order to ensure that the system meets the performance, power consumption, and functionality needs of their target IoT application.Specialist chassis design, middleware and application development, and peripheral validation and sourcing services are also available to enable customers to further accelerate time to production.VIA Custom IoT Platform Design ServicePhoto: Company
The Open Pluggable Specification (OPS) aims to enable easier installation, use and maintenance of digital signage through standardized compact dimension, pluggable interface and signal transmission. To date, over 40 manufacturers provide OPS compliant products. Quanmax introduced the spec to panel PCs, thereby broadening OPS applications.Intel officially announced OPS in the fourth quarter of 2010 to resolve connection incompatibility between devices and establish a common standard for digital signage through organizational standardization and signal integration. The introduction of OPS has attracted many industrial PC manufacturers to devote themselves to developing OPS compliant media players.Although OPS has been used mainly for digital signage since its establishment, Quanmax thinks the concept of OPS standard modularization has more applications beyond digital signage.OPS applications can extend to industrial panel PCQuanmax further pointed out by applying the OPS concept to different application scenarios, OPS compliant displays can integrate with OPS compliant player modules to make industrial panel PC for use in public areas such as airports, stations, department stores and banks to provide infotainment services. This way, OPS applications can expand beyond the originally intended digital signage scenario.Based on the aforementioned idea, Quanmax leveraged its R&D capability in embedded industrial PCs and launched OPS compliant players in a development model similar to its partners. Available products include the OPS-100 series, OPS-1000 series as well as OPS-2002 and OPS-2050 based on Intel sixth-generation core Skylake. Quanmax has also introduced the MoniQ OPS compliant display, including MoniQ-1500/1700/1900/2150 models, with the numbers indicating the display size. These displays can be combined with OPS compliant players to become panel PCs.Quanmax indicated that introducing OPS to industrial panel PCs brings the benefits of easier maintenance and upgrade as regular panel PCs are not usually placed on desks but are embedded into walls or mounted at special locations. Users are less willing to dismount the panel PC for maintenance or upgrade purposes because this may cause damage to the decoration and wiring. OPS enables the possibility of pluggable/replaceable display so the screen can easily be detached from the computer to lower the complexity of maintenance and upgrade work. System integrators (SI) responsible for providing warranty services can also reduce operation costs.OPS compliant products support 4K display, the highest resolution in the industryRegardless of the brands, it is not easy for products compliant with the industry-wide OPS standard to have differentiating spec but they commonly have certain good quality features to provide positive user experiences. For example, all OPS compliant products support the highest 4K resolution currently available (4000 horizontal pixels; commonly 3840x2160 and 4096×2160 pixels). It is human nature to constantly demand higher quality visual enjoyment. When the mainstream spec progresses to 4K, people will no longer accept Full HD quality. Particularly as screen size gets larger, resolution becomes more important. For example, when banks or department stores use panel PCs to display commercials and provide information search or other interactive services, they will not be happy to see coarse and blurred images on low-resolution displays. Therefore, businesses that run commercials demand 4K quality and all aspects including content, software, display and player have to support 4K display.Quanmax designs its product size with considerations for most infotainment application scenarios where the distance between the user and the screen falls in the range from 20 cm to 30 cm. For this distance, 16:9 wide screens will provide more visual comfort. For other common applications, standard 4:3 or 5:4 screens are more suitable. Quanmax has made available MoniQ-1500/1700/1900 with standard 4:3 or 5:4 screens and MoniQ-2150 with 16:9 wide screens, all of which support 10-point touch control, regardless of size. For customers with special needs for screen sizes other than those provided or even special considerations for frame material, color and water-proof characteristics, Quanmax provides utmost flexibility in custom designs based on individual customer requirement.With the introduction of the MoniQ series, Quanmax is able to penetrate into diverse application markets beyond industrial automation, including airports, stations, hospitals, banks, hotels, department stores, shopping malls, exhibition venues and even outdoor locations. Opportunities are widespread, opening up a new "Blue Ocean" market for Quanmax.Quanmax has also introduced the MoniQ OPS compliant display, including MoniQ-1500/1700/1900/2150 models, with the numbers indicating the display size.
With the development of Industry 4.0, products, manufacturing equipment, and critical infrastructures of the future will all be connected. These interconnected systems require a protection system against growing and harmful internet threats. It is very likely that functional safety of the products will be impacted if their IT security can't be assured, and the situation may ultimately cause severe losses and damages.In response to the trend, TUV NORD has taken the lead to bring up the concept of Security 4 Safety (S4S) and related services. By addressing the interdependence of IT security and functional safety and bundling resources from different business units, the company aims to provide complete solutions to mitigate the risks of overall system safety in the new connected world.Combining Security and Safety to Enable Effective Risk Management"Traditionally, functional safety and IT security are in two separate areas," Gerhard Rieger, Branch Manager of Functional Safety Division at TUV NORD Systems, said. "The former emphasizes on whether the functions of industrial equipment, automobiles, and consumers products are properly designed to ensure the physical safety of users, and the latter on the security protection of IT systems to avoid malicious cyberattacks and data leakage."But now, in the new era of Industry 4.0, more and more industrial equipment and processes are connected to the Internet, so the importance of the two areas is increasingly combining together. Functional safety and IT security should be considered as a whole to truly ensure the overall system safety."Digitalization will be the central subject for the future Industry 4.0. Increased networking poses new and more comprehensive challenges for product safety," said he. "Important requirements such as the standardization of interfaces in production have not yet been conclusively met. Nevertheless, the process of digitalizing Industry 4.0 must be begun, continued and secured. Wherever machines or vehicles are automatically exchanging information, the identity of the end devices must be clearly determined, and all unauthorized influences (cyberattacks) from outside must be avoided, so that the security of the system can continue to be guaranteed."Undoubtedly, companies will need to take the new design considerations into account. In addition to assuring security of new IT interfaces in existing products, the emergence of various new products, such as intelligent home devices, smart meters, IoT devices, will all be required to comply with new security specifications to expand their applications."The latest connected cars and self-driving cars of the future are the most obvious case to show how IT security affects functional safety. These cars are highly dependent on the information acquired from Internet to assist driving. Any cyberattacks will have adverse impact on their performances and functional safety, which may cause danger or even injuries. For other examples, such as power plants, or any kinds of production facilities, IT security should be further guaranteed to prevent from severe losses and damages caused by malfunctioning."Therefore, for next-generation connected products, the guarantee of their functional safety depends on the assurance of IT security. This is the reason that TUV NORD aggressively promotes the concept of Security 4 Safety and related services.Making Use of S4S (SECURITY 4 SAFETY) Tool to Comply with IEC 62443 StandardKevin Huang, Great China Functional Safety Product Manager, explained that in order to address the IT security requirements for industrial automation and control systems, IECEE has established IEC62443 international standard years ago. Its first and second versions were released in 2005 and 2013 respectively. Also, the testing and certification programs for networking security evaluation was developed in 2015.The standard was originally derived from ISO 27001, and then reconstructed to focus on industrial automation and control system (IACS) area. Unlike ISO 27001, which is used to specify the management system for overall IT and server environments, IEC 62443 aims to improve the digital security of internal process and SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) environment for companies. Complying with the standard can provide higher networking security for company's production environment and process, so that they can be effectively protected from various cyberattacks."With the advent of Industry 4.0, the importance of IEC 62443 is increasingly higher. Though the implementation of the standard is still in early stage with very limited companies adopting, it will surely become an important trend in the future," Rieger stressed.In order to help customers cope with the IT security challenges of automation and control systems, TUV NORD has developed an easy to use, customizable Safety for Security - S4S risk analysis tool, which can be run in various hard- or software environments to find out network weakness and then propose adequate measures.According to Rieger, TUV IT, a subsidiary of TUV NORD Group, has the top-notch security testing technologies and facilities for IC chips. Multiple methods are used to check hardware weakness, including fault induction, SPA (Simple Power Analysis), DPA (Differential Power Analysis) and DFA (Differential Fault Analysis). Combining resources and solutions for IT security and functional safety of the Group, we are able to offer comprehensive solutions to help customers improve their overall system security and safety.In order to prevent terror attacks, EU has issued directives requirements (2008/114/EC) to protect critical Infrastructure. In the future, member countries will publish responding regulations and standards to ensure the normal operations of society functions, as well as health, safety, security, and economic activities. Among them, functional safety and IT security of electronic/electrical and information systems will play an important role. As an export-oriented economy, Taiwan government and companies should be aware of this trend and take necessary actions as early as possible.Taiwan Makers Should Respond to Seize the New OpportunitiesKevin Huang said, "TUV NORD has been offering ISMS IT security certification service for more than a decade in Taiwan. We have very strong position in the market with customers covering from government institutes to various corporate organizations. Building on this foundation, we will actively promote IEC 62443 standard certification service from 2017, with a specific focus on semiconductor industry.""In light of the rapid growth of industrial and automobile markets, semiconductor companies in Taiwan won't be able to move into high-end market without complying with related standards. Take ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance System) as an example, after implementing functional safety standard, IT security will also be incorporated in the next stage."Therefore, the certification services of the latest ISO 26262 standard for automobile functional safety and IEC 62443 for IT security of industrial automation and control systems will be the market that TUV NORD aggressively targets at in the future. Moreover, compared with other competitors, TUV NORD has the unique advantage of offering complete combining services for both IT security and functional safety."We will conduct gap analysis for customers to help them analyze the gap between their existing processes to those of ISO 26262 or IEC 62443 standards in detail and then come up with an implementation plan accordingly. Additionally, we will also provide related management certification services for customers' products," Rieger pointed out."We already have practical experiences of helping customers to implement IEC 62443 in Europe. As the markets of Industry 4.0 and IoT emerge, IT security will be required from chip, device, to cloud and infrastructure. This will be a huge market, with applications covering a wide range of industries, such as medical, wind power, energy, automobile, and semiconductor.""The convergence of technologies will create more novel products and applications. As a result, requirements for functional safety and IT security will be on the rise. I believe that these two technologies will have very strong developments in next five years, and the talents will be in short supply. For Taiwan companies, it is the best time for them to invest in S4S talents and capacities, in a bid to create new opportunities and customers, as well as to maintain their competitive edges."Gerhard Rieger, Branch Manager of Functional Safety Division, and Kevin Huang, Great China Functional Safety Product Manager at TUV NORD Systems
