Leading semiconductor test equipment supplier Advantest Corporation (TSE: 6857, NYSE: ATE) has begun shipping its new DC Scale AVI64 module, designed to give the V93000 single scalable platform the broadest application coverage on the market. Using Advantest's innovative universal analog pin architecture, the 64-channel module extends the V93000 platform's capabilities to include testing of power and analog ICs that enable smart, internet-connected electronics for the rapidly growing mobile, automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) markets."By expanding our V93000 single scalable platform to enable advanced testing of analog and power devices, this platform can now cover the entire portfolio from low-pin-count ICs to complex, highly integrated SoCs (system-on-chips)," said Hans-Juergen Wagner, senior vice president of the SoC Product Group at Advantest Corporation. "We've achieved industry-leading utilization by combining power/analog testing with full SoC test coverage, allowing us to address the mega-trend of emerging IoT applications, from smart homes to smart cities and beyond."The IoT market is driving the development of new generations of SoC designs with integrated capabilities including analog sensing, mobile computing, wireless communications and high-efficiency power management. These smart devices combine more analog and power functions on an IC than ever before, enabling advances such as longer battery life for handheld mobile electronics and emerging automotive applications for smart and connected cars.With the new AVI64 universal analog pin module, Advantest's V93000 tester has all of the functionality needed to test advanced SoC devices. The module's highly integrated design allows it to perform more test operations with fewer channel cards. This not only leads to a smaller system footprint, but also improves expandability, flexibility, loadboard simplification and multi-site testing efficiency while achieving the industry's lowest cost of test. The total cost-of-test savings are substantial compared to competitors' systems that rely on a fleet of cards to deliver the same test results.Using Advantest's universal pin architecture, the AVI64 empowers each pin with all of the test capabilities that it needs including per-pin arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and digitizers, per-pin high-voltage time measurement units (TMU) and per-pin high-voltage digital I/O. Furthermore, the AVI64 offers floating high-current units, differential voltage measurements, an integrated analog switch matrix and the ability to precisely measure voltage and current parameters simultaneously at every pin. Along with a high density of 64 channels per instrument, the module has the broad performance capabilities to test a wide range of ICs including precision analog, high-voltage digital, mixed-signal, smart sensors and high-current semiconductors. These features enable the AVI64 universal analog pin unit to deliver best-in-class testing accuracy per pin with maximum utilization of test resources and industry-leading throughput.Among the new module's key capabilities for testing smart devices is its Domain Sync feature for aligning the timing between analog and digital signals at the device under test (DUT). In addition, the system's high multi-site efficiency and smooth, glitch-free operation streamlines time to market and time to quality for new IC designs.The AVI64 universal analog pin module is already in use at multiple customer sites and Advantest has received an order from a leading fabless design house in China. At the upcoming SEMICON China trade show, March 15-17 in Shanghai, show attendees can see a live demonstration of the unit's capabilities in testing the newest generation of wireless chargers in Advantest's booth #4431 in Hall N4.New AVI64 module designed for efficient testing of highly integrated SoCs for IoT, mobile and automotive markets

Sage Microelectronics has been recently active as well and has acquired Taiwan based IC vendor Initio Corporation.In the past year, mergers and acquisitions among companies in the integrated circuits space have been a top priority for US and China-based companies like Tsinghua Unigroup. Technology mergers and acquisitions lead the way reaching an all-time high in 2015 with $313 billion. Foreign acquirers outpaced U.S. tech companies, investing 70 percent more capital in the U.S. than U.S. companies invested overseas. The record volume of deals in 2015 showed that the need to consolidate is now seen as essential. The semiconductor sub-sector the most active sector with $38 billion in deals and Intel's acquisition of Altera was a standout at $16 billion.Initio Corporation, a globally renowned bridge IC vendor, is somehow regarded as an US company because it was founded in US and its core design center was located in the Silicon Valley. It has more than 20 years' experience in design of storage interface ICs, an IP portfolio. Through this acquisition, Sage Micro will be able to obtain a wealth of knowledge in terms of global operations and market experience, further strengthening its R&D capabilities, and expanding its presence in the global market.A History of InnovationSage Micro is an international company that designs and builds IC's. Founded by a group of Silicon Valley veterans each having more than 10 years experience in the space. Sage Micro's team members come from all over the world, with its core group having more than 20 years experience in the China IC industry. The company primarily focuses on two core technologies - digital storage and information security. Sage Micro is involved in all aspects the design, development, production and marketing products related to storage chips, systems, and solutions. Sage Micro's R&D center, located in Silicon Valley, focuses on research and development of its new technologies and as its global sales office while its Hangzhou office in China is the manufacturing and IC design center for the company. Sage Micro also has sales; marketing and technical support centers located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu and Taipei.Sage Micro's facility located in Hangzhouis where many of China's tech originals have come from. The first mobile phone was introduced by Hangzhou's Eastcom, Hikvision came to be China's largest surveillance company, and then Alibaba successfully established a nation-wide e-commerce platform. It is not surprising that Sage Micro started out and flourished in the city Hangzhou, which has deep cultural roots as well as a large capital market consisting of a wide range of companies in Zhejiang.In 2012 Sage Micro introduced its first solid-state hard drive controller based on its own proprietary architecture. Guangnan Ni, the founder of Lenovo Group was an early adaptor of Sage Micro technology. Currently, only US-based Intel and Marvell, as well as Taiwan-based SMI and JMicron produce similar IC products. Shortly afterward, Sage Micro introduced its first eMMC controller IC based on its own proprietary technology, with the device being used in tablets, smart phones, and embedded encryption systems.A global leader in massively dense SSDIn terms of solid-state hard drive technologies, Sage Micro is the global leader in ultra-high capacity and density technologies. Chris Tsu, Sage Micro's CTO, announced Sage's 5TB SATA IISSD (Figure 2) at the Flash Memory Summit in Santa Clara, California in 2014. At the China Data Summit held in Beijing on November 5, 2015, Sage Micro vice president Robin Chou displayed the world's first 10TB 2.5-inch SSD - the BlackDisk TM series.In December 2015, Sage Micro introduced its first PCIe+SATA dual interface solid-state hard drive controller IC (The S881 series, which supports NVMe). Sage Micro and Marvell are the only companies currently offering multi-interface IC technologies. This sets Sage Micro apart from other competitors that claim to have PCIe hard drive technologies but which are actually still in the FPGA stage. In addition, Sage Micro's S881 chips are being manufactured by SMIC in Shanghai, as well as being packaged and tested in China, making the solution the first solid-state hard drive controller IC completely produced in China.Unique technologySage Micro's solid-state hard drive controller ICs are based on the company's unique technology architecture. Jerome Luo (Sage Micro CEO) and Chris Tsu (Sage Micro CTO) have been working together for more than a decade. Beginning from SD/MMC memory cards, they gradually developed a unique multi-core parallel controller architecture. In multi-core multi-channel flash products, each channel is viewed as a separate hard drive, with the overall multi-channel system functioning similar to a RAID system. Such architectures are referred to as iRAID (intrinsic RAID) architectures. Sage Micro's chips are capable of driving multi-channel flash memories. In addition, Sage Micro was also first in the industry to develop drivers for multi-channel eMMC flash modules, making it a pioneer in this space, with such architectures referred to by the academic community as eRAID�]embedded RAID�^.Data Security in Storage SystemsData security solutions are another key technology for Sage Micro. Since 2014, a series of data leaks have occurred throughout the world. People have begun to realize data security measures established by most nations are completely ineffective, with the root cause being that encryption technologies are not implemented at the hardware IC level. If information security were a house, ICs can be seen as the bricks used to build it. The world's core ICs are mostly produced by a small number of vendors. CPUs, network router ICs, GPS chips, smart phone ICs, as well as video recorder/camera ICs are all monopolized by a small number of vendors. This can be thought of as a data warehouse that contains a safe, but whose bottom layer is already unsafe. Therefore, no matter how many layers of passwords you wrap over it, it will remain unsafe, because a small number of IC designers control how many electronic bombs or backdoors exist in these IC products.Sage Microelectronics possesses security solutions based on technology at the integrated circuit level, as well as utilizing technology from Sage Micro's storage controllers. Sage Micro is one of the few vendors in the world capable of providing a complete line of controller ICs for hard drives, solid-state drives, USB drives and SD/MMC cards. The company further embeds various encryption/decryption technologies in its ICs, allowing users to truly be able to control their data security. Sage Micro's products comply with encryption requirements of various geographic markets.Look into the FutureIn less than five years' time, Sage Microelectronics Corp has emerged as a star in China's IC design and digital storage industries. However, Sage Micro CEO Jerome Luo says that this is only the beginning for the company. Sage Micro's true strength will become apparent in the next three years. In addition to having solidified its status as a global producer of solid-state hard drive controller ICs, Sage Micro is also planning for the future- including a complete line of solid-state hard drive controller ICs (supporting common interface specifications such as USB, SATA, PCIe, and SAS); a complete line of bridge ICs for converting between different storage interfaces; as well as big data disk array ICs.Recently, China's government has implemented a series of policies and measures to drive growth of the nation's IC industry. Sage Micro CEO Jerome Luo believes that this is undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the Big Fund operating in full swing, other sources of capital are also aggressively entering the IC industry. Tsinghua Unigroup is a well-known example of a Chinese company expanding into the IC industry. However, Luo has calmly stated that semiconductor companies are different from traditional companies, especially IC design companies, which are focused on the development of intellectual property, resulting in the valuation of such companies becoming particularly subjective. Only venture capitalists that are extremely experienced and possess very mature investment strategies are suitable for investing in IC companies. In any case, however, being supported by the national government as well as investors is definitely good for the industry.Governor of China's Zhejiang Province visits Sage Micro(governor Qiang Li is center-left and Dr. Jerome Luo, CEO of Sage Micro is center-right)Dr. Chris Tsu, Sage Micro CTO, Speaking at the 2015 Flash Memory Summit in Silicon ValleySage Micro's unique technology

Shuttle announces its latest XPC cube, the SZ170R8, with new "R8" chassis design. Only a fraction of the size of a normal tower PC, this computer can still accommodate four 3.5" HDDs and high-end graphics cards for various demanding graphics and storage applications.Equipped with the new LGA 1151 socket, the SZ170R8 supports Intel 6th generation (Skylake) Core i3/i5/i7, Pentium, and Celeron processors. Built-in four DDR4 memory slots, it supports dual-channel DDR4-2133 memory with the maximum capacity of up to 64GB (16GBx4). The SZ170R8 includes Intel Gigabit LAN, SATA 6Gbps, as well as USB3.0 high-speed storage interfaces, providing superb data transfer speed and powerful performance.With Intel Skylake processor built-in graphics core, the SZ170R8 is able to support 4K/Ultra HD video playback. Display imaging on up to three independent screens via one HDMI and two DisplayPort. Featured with one PCI-E x16 and one PCI-E x4 slots, the SZ170R8 can be installed up to 120mm of height dual-slot high-end graphics card (max. size of 267 x 120 x 34.6 mm), surveillance cards, or RAID cards to drive video wall, file server, network video recorder, and more applications.Another key feature of the new "R8" chassis design is its storage capacity. The new HDD rack can install up to four 3.5" HDDs to meet the requirement of storage market. With Intel Rapid Storage Technology and RAID 0/1/5/10 disk array modes, the SZ170R8 is suitable for storage applications such as file server, NAS, and multimedia work station. With the specifications and performance of a workstation desktop PC packed into a small form factor, some might be wary of cooling performance. Thankfully, the SZ170R8 employs Shuttle's proprietary I.C.E.2 heat pipe technology for outstanding cooling efficiency and low-noise footprint. The HDD bracket includes an independent cooler to maintain stable, long-term operation.The SZ170R8 with Intel Z170 chipset can support Intel K series overclocking function. Equipped with Shuttle exclusive I.C.E. 2(Integrated Cooling Engine 2) cooling technology configured four heat pipes thermal module and smart fan, the SZ170R9 is able to support CPU TDP of up to 120W. An 80 Plus Silver certified 500W power supply for highly energy-efficient stable long-term operation.The SZ170R8 has built-in one M.2 and one half-size mini PCI-e expansion slots. It can be installed for M.2 (2280) SSD and Wi-Fi module or other compatible devices. Provide four SATA 6G slots, eight USB 3.0, and built-in Intel Gigabit LAN as well as one eSATA for great connectivity.Aluminum SFF cube chassis fits four 3.5" HDDs and workstation-class specifications

Backing up a server has great benefits to a stable playback environment when it comes to digital signage. CAYIN Technology has recently released its long-asked-for server Redundancy program, otherwise known as Failover Solutions. The feature is available on all across the version 9.0 CMS servers.To enable the Redundancy feature, users can purchase 2 identical servers, or simply add a second server (of the same model and firmware version) to an existing network. The second unit will act as a 24/7 safety net should anything happens to the main server. If an outage occurs on the main server, the backup server will automatically take over the connection, and vise versa. The redundancy status can be easily monitored from both the backup and major server dashboard and logged, so there will be no surprises.About the serviceCAYIN's Redundancy is essentially a backup process for preventing data loss and service outage. Redundancy service provides a more secured playback environment for the SMP players managed by a CMS server, by constantly syncing all the settings and contents into a backup CMS server. Whenever a Major CMS is offline, or unable to connect to its SMP players, the backup server will automatically divert the connection until the Major CMS becomes available again.Users are welcome to explore more about CAYIN's Redundancy program at: http://www.cayintech.com/digital_signage_products/redundancy_failover.htmlCAYIN Develops Redundancy Program for Secured Digital Signage Playback

ThroughTek, IoT platform solutions provider, presents use case demonstrations of products and third party services working with Kalay Platform at MWC 2016 in Barcelona. The latest developments to the Streaming Server standout as the primary differentiators between Kalay Platform and the competition, delivering real-time transmission of multimedia and content rich files. This allows easy integration with connected cameras, battery cameras, lighting, smart plugs, sensors, and telecare devices used among various applications, including surveillance, security and home automation.At the MWC booth, ThroughTek showcases the latest Kalay Platform solutions:• Battery Camera for two-way conversation between endpoints using concurrent, real-time audio-visual streaming. Users can remotely access and "wake-up" devices connected to a WAN when in sleep mode. • Home Security & Automation enables seamless integration for a variety of devices including gateway, IP camera, lighting, smart plug, and sensors. It is designed to allow users to set schedules, alerts, and easily manage and control (turn on/off) multiple devices and sensors through device grouping.• Video Surveillance allows for remote access and monitoring of DVR & NVR devices with support for up to 16 multi-channel views for centralized management used in smart buildings and retail environments.Besides working to integrate different device brands to the Kalay Platform, ThroughTek is also further expanding its partnerships with third party services to enrich applications for IoT data security and extend the use of video applications with live broadcast capability, and video analytics used for security. Additionally, ThroughTek gives a sneak preview of the future with SensorStream, a data collection and analytics service provided by the Kalay Platform."The demand for connected-home devices hasn't reached its full potential, and as a company, ThroughTek is shifting its focus from simply enabling connected components to developing machine learning models and analytics to help enterprises manage and monetize IoT" said Patrick Kuo, CEO at ThroughTek.SensorStream is ThroughTek's latest initiative aimed at providing a truly complete end-to-end IoT service, designed to help enterprises connect and manage sensors or devices through real-time data collection. Enterprises further benefit from the data analysis component that SensorStream offers as it helps companies improve operations and decision making on a larger scale thanks to inbuilt predictive intelligence.Visit ThroughTek for a demonstration at MWC Fira Gran Via, Exhibition Hall 8, Booth #E39.ThroughTek Website: http://www.throughtek.com/

ThroughTek, IoT platform solutions provider, will be attending the Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona, from February 22nd-25th. Presenting at Fira Gran Via, Exhibition Hall 8, Booth #E39, ThroughTek will be focusing on the latest IoT solutions for battery cameras, robotics and lighting combined with sensors, as well as demonstrating devices used for surveillance, telecare and home applications to help enterprises manage and monetize IoT.It is now a common customer expectation that smart devices be able to connect to networks and retrieve large data files, including multimedia content. At MWC, ThroughTek will showcase the latest developments for the Kalay Platform Streaming Server which include concurrent connectivity and two-way communication capability. ThroughTek will also demonstrate other crucial developments such as machine learning models for predictive analytics to help businesses better harness their data for decision-making and value creation."ThroughTek's Streaming Server is what largely differentiates us from other IoT platform services," said Patrick Kuo, CEO at ThroughTek. "Security continues to be a leading segment in the smart home applications market, so the ability to effortlessly deliver multimedia content to these applications for surveillance is definitely of the upmost importance."With rapid advances in both network infrastructure and smart devices expected in the near future, ThroughTek recognizes the need to provide unique, cutting-edge services as part of its Streaming Server feature set to meet evolving smart devices. With this in mind, ThroughTek currently has serval key initiatives focused on enhancing data delivery performance and improving the content viewing experience to meet the growing demands of enterprises, telecom and service providers in emerging markets.About ThroughTekThroughTek, a leading IoT total solution provider, is committed to the development of its Kalay Platform. With an extensive partnership for OEM/ODM, technology brands and integration support from over 180 different SOCs, Kalay Platform provides rapid deployment for a variety of devices. Complemented by exceptional modular features including video transmission, cloud recording, automation and data analytics, Kalay provides intelligent solutions to help businesses maximize opportunities and enhance customer experiences for countless application environments, including smart retail, smart building, health care, surveillance, wearable device, home automation, and security systems.ThroughTek Website: http://www.throughtek.com/

In September 2012, the Executive Yuan approved the Smart Grid Master Plan and selected Penghu as the location to establish a smart grid demonstration site. This demonstration project, which is being promoted by the Bureau of Energy under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the National Energy Program-Phase II (NEPII), and the Taiwan Power Company, has achieved considerable success, under the fully cooperation of Taiwan's industry, government, and academia in developing smart grid technologies.In order to establish a high-quality, high-efficiency, and environmentally-friendly smart grid, the Ministry of Economic Affairs' Bureau of Energy is keenly promoting the Smart Grid Master Plan, dividing its development into the establishment phase (2011~2015), the expansion phase (2016~2020), and the mature phase (2021~2030). Dr. Faa-Jeng Lin, a chair professor at National Central University as well as the convener of the National Energy Program's smart grid project, says that during the initial phase, the focus is on the Penghu Smart Grid Demonstration Site, testing the integration of related smart grid technologies and efforts to verify smart grid performance and establish a sound foundation for the industry.The Penghu Smart Grid Demonstration Site Project, which is being implemented by ITRI, has made considerable progress in terms of power generation, transmission, distribution and the end users, and will likely conclude the initial establishment phase with a high level of success. For the end users, 2000 low-voltage smart meters as well as 100 home energy management systems (HEMS) have been deployed. In terms of power distribution, the automation of two feeder lines has been completed, covering both the backbone as well as branches, with Taiwan being the first to achieve such a feat. In terms of power transmission, smart substation technologies have been successfully introduced into two traditional substations. In terms of power generation, which is the most critical part, ITRI has joined forces with Tatung (which has full experience in smart grid and micro-grid technologies as well as a strong track record in their establishments and deployments) and they have successfully incorporated Toshiba's Micro Energy Management System (µEMS) to achieve an unprecedented major milestone in localized application of Taiwan's regional micro-grid.ITRI develops control and adjustment technologies to accelerate micro-grid commercializationHaving achieved a great deal of success, ITRI recently held a Penghu Smart Grid Demonstration Site Exchange Exhibition, with Dr. Faa-Jeng Lin (convener of the NEPII's smart grid project), Dr. Wu-Chi Ho (Deputy General Director of ITRI's Green Energy and Environmental Research Laboratories), Morris Liang (Division Director of the Electric Energy Technology Division at ITRI's Green Energy and Environmental Research Laboratories), as well as Wei-Lin Chen (General Manager of Tatung Micro Grid Division Smart Solution BU) were all present to unveil Taiwan's technology and research accomplishments in related technologies.According to Dr. Ho, in the early stages, there were very small electrical grids. But as small grids were economically inefficient, the electrical grids became larger and larger, resulting in a grid in which various large electrical grids supported each other, but also resulting in a strange situation in which the grids also restricted each other. Later there was a major power outage that hit New York. It started when some software and a small number of power distribution lines failed, triggering a domino effect that shut down other parts of the electrical grid. In the end, more than 508 subsystems tripped, causing power outages that affected 50 million people. In light of this, the governments of many countries (including the United States) are incorporating distributed energy systems and actively engaging in the development of the smart grid in order to increase power reliability, making micro-grids a major trend.The global micro-grid developments show that most micro-grids begin on islands where there are rich renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar energy. Once storage mechanisms are established, a balance is formed between electrical power generation and consumption, creating an independent and self-sufficient electrical grid. However, storage equipment is expensive, hindering development. This is why current micro-grids are mostly for demonstration purposes and commercial operations are rare. Therefore, the goal of the Penghu demonstration project handled by ITRI, Tatung and others is to achieve technological breakthroughs in order to reduce costs and enable commercially-feasible micro-grids.Morris Liang further explains that micro-grids do not necessarily need to be "micro" and that the key is not about size (sizes may actually vary). The key is the addition of control capabilities that the existing electrical grid does not possess. In the event of a mains power supply failure, a micro-grid connected with the mains power grid would be able to disconnect from the mains system, operate independently, and maintain a balance between supply and demand of electrical power. The role of ITRI is to provide technologies that can facilitate balancing mechanisms, including storage technologies with reasonable costs, and decision algorithms used for moderation at the user end. And to support the development in these two major areas, ITRI is also developing new technologies and components. An example is the establishment of backup and balancing mechanisms between multiple feeder lines. Ultimately, the goal is to collaborate with related industries and commercialize related technologies.For the Penghu demonstration project, the introduction of µEMS (a collaborative effort between ITRI, Toshiba, and Tatung), is a key. ITRI chose Toshiba's µEMS platform as a foundation because it had already been successfully implemented and validated. The goal of the system is to be able to control solar power generation and to avoid feeder line voltages from spiking. By introducing new algorithms from ITRI to carry out repetitive validation and adjustment efforts, and by incorporating solar power generation systems and smart inverters provided by Tatung, the localization of µEMS technology was successfully achieved.High commercial growth potential exists for micro-grids in underdeveloped regions in terms of electrical power resourcesDr. Lin explains that the four goals of the Penghu Smart Grid Demonstration Site Project are to develop micro-grid technologies, establish micro-grid demonstrations, support the growth of related system vendors, and ultimately to help related systems vendors expand into the global market. System vendors must work closely with R&D teams and closely collaborate with partner vendors that have particular strengths of their own. In addition, system integration capabilities of a certain scale are also required. Tatung Co. was the one that established Taiwan's first micro-grid (the Pingtung Linbian Smart Micro-Grid Demonstration Park), which not only was awarded the Executive Yuan Board of Science and Technology's 2015 Smart City Innovative Application "Smart Energy Conservation" award, but was also recently awarded the silver medal for APEC's 2015 Energy and Smart Community Application Competition in the micro-grid category, showing that Tatung possesses the strengths and capabilities required for playing a key role in the Penghu Smart Grid Demonstration Project.According to Dr. Lin, developing countries and least-developed countries do not have the capability to build centralized power grids in areas with insufficient power supply coverage, and tend to establish micro-grids in various areas in order to fill in the gaps in terms of power supply. As for island regions, due to the high costs of thermal power generation and fuel transportation, people will inevitably find ways to increase the penetration of renewable energies going forward, replacing diesel-based power generation and resulting in an increase of demand for independent micro-grids.These requirements pose great opportunities for Taiwan's industries. Therefore, in order to help vendors expand into the global market, the Ministry of Science and Technology's National Energy Program will continue to hold symposiums focusing on different countries to help vendors better understand local regulations of those countries, and prepare paper work and project plans needed for tenders, accelerating the pace of vendors winning overseas micro-grid bids.Wu-Chi Ho says that going forward, ITRI will not only continue to improve micro-grid prediction, adjustment and monitoring technologies to meet demands for industrial solutions, but also establish large-scale micro-grid zones for non-demonstration purposes, encouraging operators to establish storage systems, prediction systems, and even their own electrical power equipment in these areas. At the same time, ITRI will also work to improve virtual power plant technologies and begin R&D of control technologies that surpass present demand response (DR) levels. Going forward, ITRI will help vendors provide even better total solutions and expand into the global micro-grid market.Tatung promotes localization of µEMS and helps build Penghu demonstration siteTatung Co. 's Wei-Lin Chen says that when exporting its solutions to other countries, Taiwan's electrical power industry will face regulatory, policy, and financial restrictions, making such efforts very difficult. On the other hand, by using micro-grids as a foundation and focusing on villages, remote regions, and small island areas with underdeveloped electrical power and information technology infrastructures, Taiwan-based companies will have a much higher chance of success. This is the reason why Tatung is actively engaging in the micro-grid industry.There is no denying that electrical power systems allow no room for error, which is why the global electrical power industry places the highest priority on "reliability." Vendors that wish to take advantage of market opportunities in the micro-grid market must be able to provide convincing evidence of the reliability of their systems. Otherwise, their systems will not be accepted, even if their solutions are potentially groundbreaking. Tatung's goals are very clear. Tatung will target the global market, which is full of business opportunities for micro-grid technologies. However, the obstacles are also great, and will require a great deal of time and effort to overcome. This is not a market in which success can be achieved overnight.In light of this, Tatung has actively participated in the Penghu Smart Grid Demonstration Project and worked closely with ITRI, NEPII, as well as the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research in order to overcome all obstacles to technological integration and establish a micro-grid demonstration site that is capable of proving the reliability of micro-grid technologies. Tatung's contributions in this project and the previous Pingtung Linbian Smart Micro-Grid Demonstration Park project have helped establish a solid foundation for expanding into the global market.According to Chen, in the Penghu project, Tatung uses solar power generation incorporated with Toshiba's micro energy management technology to perform localization and adjustment, successfully developing a monitoring platform capable of control as well as reporting of total smart inverter power generation values in a short amount of time. This means that even when renewable energies are added to the electrical grid, the µEMS system will still be able to perform power generation prediction as well as load prediction, thereby maintaining a level of electrical power quality that meets the Taiwan Power Company's requirements. In addition, this will also help realize the ultimate goal of allowing "single renewable energy feeder line installation rates to reach 30%."Tatung joins forces with other organizations to expand the micro-grid industries to overseas markets.

Clientron Corp., a global leading provider of thin client, POS and embedded systems, announced it will be showcasing the latest advances in its product portfolios for POS terminals at EuroCIS February 23-25, 2016 in Dusseldorf, Germany. Meanwhile, Clientron is going to exhibit thin clients for virtual desktop solutions and IoT edge computers for sensors management at Embedded World February 23-25, 2016 in Nuremberg, Germany.At EuroCIS 2016, Clientron will show its commitment to fulfill demands of smart retail and hospitality industry with innovative products, including brand new all-in-one POS terminals and various POS peripherals with the green benefit, reliability, efficiency. Aimed at the new frontier of POS market segment, Clientron provides the all new POS terminal Bello 650/650w with 15" / 15.6" widescreen and power efficient Intel Bay Trail quad-core processor. Clientron will also introduce the butterfly light-weight all-in-one POS terminal Wing series with new flexible dual-hinge stand design; the mainstream Ares650 series with updated ultra-slim system enclosure; Both the Wing350w and Ares650 win the "Taiwan Excellence Award 2016" with innovation and the best quality design. In addition, Clientron offers the most powerful POS terminal Evo770, equipped with Intel Core-i processor and a big crystal-clear 17" touch display, targets at the niche market seg­ment. Moreover, many extended portfolios of integrated POS peripherals will also be shown in this event.Meantime, at Embedded World 2016, Clientron will provide the full range of thin clients and virtual desk­top solutions from cost effective ARM-based platform to high per­formance x86 quad-core platform. In addition, Clientron is going to display the smart IoT (Internet of Things) concept by demonstrat­ing its brand new IoT edge computer with analytics capabilities for smart sensors management and actuators control."With many years of industry design experience, Clientron works deeply with partners and developers to implement and utilize thin clients, POS and embedded systems for the variety demands from vertical markets," said Kelly Wu, President & CEO of Clientron Corp. To know more about Clientron's custom design, manufacturing capabili­ties and services, please visit Clientron at booth No. 2-551, Hall 2, Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, Embedded World 2016 and booth No.D35, Hall 10, Messe Dusseldorf, EuroCIS 2016. Clientron website: http://www.clientron.com/Clientron exhibiting at EuroCIS and Embedded World 2016About ClientronClientron was founded in 1983. The company is dedicated to providing global intelligent solutions to our Clients. With design, manufacturing and service abilities, Clientron offers high-quality and high-performance computing platforms including Thin Client, POS and Intelligent Systems. Our vision and commitments at Clientron are to continuously provide better IoT client solutions and services for our partners and customers to build an intelligent e-World. Visit us at http://www.clientron.com/Media ContactClientron Corp.Joan Chuang TEL: 886-2-26987068E-mail: joan_chuang@clientron.com

Sage Microeletronique Corp acquired Initio Corporation on the last day of 2015. Since the second half of 2015, Chinese companies were frequently making acquisitions to integrate upstream and downstream sectors of the semiconductor industry. While the shockwaves of Tsinghua Unigroup's recent acquisitions were still rippling through the semiconductor industry, China's only solid-state storage controller chip company, Sage Microelectronique Corp (hereinafter referred as Sage Micro), signed an agreement to acquire Initio Corporation (hereinafter referred to as Initio).Initio is a turnkey storage and retrieval solution provider and also has an extensive line of bridge controller IC products. Sage Micro has also acquired Initio's entire bridge controller IC product line through its US-based wholly-owned subsidiary. The acquisition also includes Initio's related IP portfolio accumulated over two decades as well as its trademark and brand. The price of the acquisition has not been disclosed.Initio, a globally renowned supplier of bridge controller ICs, was founded in 1994. It specializes in high-speed transmission interface control technologies, including SATA and USB, as well as other high-speed interface bridge controller ICs. Its customers include first-tier global optical drive and hard drive suppliers such as WD and Seagate. According to information from reliable sources, Sage Micro's CEO Dr. Jerome Luo & its CTO Chris Tsu worked in Initio's R&D Department from 2008-2011. In addition, Larry Ko, who was Initio's founder and vice president of engineering, also joined Sage Micro one year ago. The founders history of working together will assure that the integration of the two companies will progress smoothly and quickly.After acquiring Initio, Sage Micro will integrate its many bridge controller IC product lines. Through this acquisition, Sage Micro has not only obtained SATA and USB physical layer technologies, but also related patents and certifications. Sage Micro has become China's only vendor that possesses a full line of storage controller IC technologies and products. Going forward, Sage Micro plans on evolving from a solid-state storage IC supplier and memory module vendor, into a storage solutions supplier with a wide range of high-speed transmission interface technologies.Sage Micro has the most complete propriety solid-state hard drive control IC IP portfolio in China, and has keenly implemented strategies for expanding into the enterprise storage space as well as the data encryption space by adding encryption technologies to its storage controller ICs. Just four years after its founding, Sage Micro gained much interest from investors in China and started trading (#834203) on China's New Third Board (OTC market). In today's semiconductor industry, Chinese tech companies continue to invest heavily in mergers and acquisitions to expand production capacity. China's state-owned companies have taken aggressive and high-profile approaches to acquire intellectual property with Tsinghua Unigroup recent acquisitions and joint ventures being particular noteworthy. Sage Micro's strategy has been to proceed slowly and steadily, using its technological capabilities as a basis for integrating other teams, placing intellectual property and IC technologies at the core of its strategy. In addition to being particularly low key, Sage Micro's acquisition focuses on Initio's product line as well as its trademark and brand, effectively avoiding the complexities of mergers between companies from different countries and regions, and yet still achieving the desired results. This shows that the people handling the acquisition are not only extremely experienced, but also extremely sophisticated, embodying the low-key yet highly practical and effective style of traditional Chinese business people from Zhejiang. This acquisition has also shown to the world how mature China's high-tech industry has become in terms of learning, strategic thinking, and style. From this point of view, Taiwan's related industries need to adjust their attitudes and ways of looking at China's tech industry.From the perspective of the storage industry, Sage Micro is implementing a global strategy for development of China's Big Data industry, which differs from Taiwan-based IC design houses' past strategy, which only focused on the PC industry when designing storage products. Taiwan's controller vendors, such as SMI and Phison, are facing difficulties due to the contraction of the PC industry as well as traditional storage needs being replaced by cloud-based storage solutions. Therefore, these companies are in dire need of transformation in terms of their product lines. In contrast to the strategies of Taiwan's companies, Sage Micro has integrated strategies of Big Data storage vendors in the United States and further strengthened information security features to meet requirements of the local market, making it an unexpected rising star in the industry. The Chinese government is fully supporting Tsinghua Unigroup's aggressive acquisitions and encouraging the techno political campaign of "innovation by the whole nation and entrepreneurship by all people." Rising stars in the tech industry such as Sage Micro are aggressively looking for acquisition target. The global storage industry is heating up but these developments have also deepened the crisis faced by Taiwan's controller vendors and have made it even more difficult for them to survive.In the post-PC era, with Big Data storage trends on the horizon, it can be anticipated that Sage Micro will continue to expand its products and its reach through bold and aggressive strategies. This will have an extremely strong impact on Taiwan's storage IC vendors. We hope that Taiwan's storage IC vendors can quickly rise up to this challenge and devise effective strategies for overcoming the obstacles that lie ahead.Sage Micro's BlackDisk 10TB SSD with a thickness of only 9.5mm

Digital Signage has evolved in the past year faster than ever. While some opt for dynamic billboards, many are exploring the possibilities of various integrations between Digital Signage and other solutions. At this year's much anticipated Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) trade show in Amsterdam, Netherlands, CAYIN will be presenting some of its easy-to-adopt creative solutions for system integrators in Europe and beyond, from February 9th to 12th, at booth 8-R245.By showcasing its seamlessly integrated Digital Signage solutions, CAYIN allows users to experience existing technologies in whole new perspectives. Visitors will get a peek at some of the integration developments aimed for various business application purposes, including flexible video wall solutions and queue management systems.Andrea Lin, international sales manager of CAYIN Technology, said, "CAYIN wants to share innovative ideas that can be achieved by incorporating digital signage solutions with various technologies. CAYIN has been developing solutions to meet market needs, and is prepared to work with SI's around the world to think outside the box, and extend beyond limits."System integrators are encouraged to join and discuss the great potential in empowering the concept of IoT (Internet of Things), so be sure to check out CAYIN's booth at ISE this year- inspirations are guaranteed.Exhibition Information:CAYIN @ ISE 2016Date: 2/9-2/12/2016Venue: Amsterdam, RAI, NLBooth: 8-R245CAYIN Invites Visitors to Think Outside Digital Signage at ISE 2016