The long expected MSI R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G are now available. Packed with all of the power and features to drive UltraHD gaming resolutions the MSI Twin Frozr IV Advanced now ensures your card runs cool so you can enjoy maximum performance because AMD's PowerTune technology enables the R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G to run at their highest clock speeds.With support for the latest industry standards and exciting new technology such as Mantle support in Battlefield 4. Thanks to the bundled MSI GAMING App gamers can quickly switch between three pre-sets including a silent mode optimized for power efficiency and an overclocking and OC Mode to get the most power out of your graphics card, without worrying about learning how to overclock. The R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G have been designed to give you a gaming experience that delivers you true next-gen performance for ultra HD resolutions without sacrificing on thermals to kick-start your gaming rig for 2014.Stay cool in combatThe MSI Twin Frozr IV Advanced has been completely customized for the R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G to deliver the best thermal experience. The design uses a larger copper base for heat absorption and the heat pipes are in contact with a bigger part of the heat sink and exposed to more airflow to ensure the highest performance of the GPU because of optimal temperatures. Combined with the dual form-in-one heat sinks that add both cooling ability and structural reinforcement the R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G stay cool and safe.Optimized for GamersThe new R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G are packed with features that benefit every gamer. AMD TrueAudio technology allows far more realistic positional audio and the added benefit of surround sound over connected displays. Mantle allows game developers to directly speak to the GPU optimizing GPU performance. This can all be displayed in a glorious UltraHD / 4K resolution as the new R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G is leading in performance at 4K resolutions. This can be easily connected through the DVI, HDMI and DisplayPort connectors. Up to six dedicated displays can be connected to the R9 290 GAMING 4G and R9 290X GAMING 4G for an amazing Eyefinity experience.For more information, please visit: http://www.msi.com/product/vga/R9-290-GAMING-4G.htmlhttp://www.msi.com/product/vga/R9-290X-GAMING-4G.htmlhttp://game.msi.com/MSI R9 290 GAMING 4G

In order to avoid driving disputes and protect the safety of bus drivers and passengers, Penghu County Public Transportation Office has chosen EverFocus as the surveillance camera provider to install DVRs on their buses. The installation of the security system will served as an evidence provider as well as a crime preventer.Seven different types of bus models are chosen in this project which makes the installation more challenging. The best place to install the DVR is at the rear-end inside the car; however, passengers are mostly sit in the front of the car, which makes the end of the car vibrates even more. In the long term, the signal line is more likely to disconnect. For the purpose of solving this problem, the M12 connectors are used in this project to make sure the connection is not going to be affected by the vibration of the moving vehicle.EverFocus EMV800 Mobile DVR is an 8-channel recorder with a 500GB hot-swap drive. It offers CIF resolution at 240 FPS. The H.264 compression technology helps in saving storage space and the dependence on bandwidth without compensating on image quality. With mobile device compatibility, it also supports a GPS function with external GPS receiver, and features a GUI (Graphical User Interface). A built-in 3-axis G-sensor function is available with separate programmable alarm levels for X/Y/Z axis.EverFocus EMV800 Mobile DVR features multiple interfaces such as 3 USB ports, RS-485, RS-232, GPS port, wired Ethernet, and IR remote control, and also front/rear video connections (RCA or BNC Monitor Output). Using the mobile mounting bracket, the recorder is shock and vibration resistant. Date can be archived via a USB 2.0 port or network interface. The thermostat-controlled heater allows for an extended low temperature range.EverFocus Mobile DVR

Whether it is manufacturing, export or usage, Taiwan's machine tools are ranked among the top five in the world. The precision engineering industry in Taiwan has been one of the primary strengths in manufacturing, while the machine tool industry has faced a host of challenges. As Taiwanese machine tool manufacturers have mainly focused on mid-range to low-end machine tools, China has steadily caught up in the low-end market.Meanwhile, in the high-end segment, Japanese machine tools have gained a hefty boost in sales due to the depreciation of Japanese currency. The mid-end segment in between, has seen a slow decline. In this M-shaped machine tool industry, Taiwanese manufacturers face stiff competition from both sides. With Industry 4.0 well under its way, open architecture machine control will become a transformation opportunity for Taiwanese manufacturers.Intelligent controller is one of the key components in machine tools. In the past, Taiwanese manufacturers lacked controller technology and relied on German and Japanese imports. Being competitors with Taiwan, German and Japan have remained reluctant to export its high-end controllers, resulting in Taiwanese manufacturers having to focus on the mid to lower-end markets.However, NEXCOM's General Manager of the Industrial Computing Solutions Business Unit, Joe Lin, points out that traditional machine tools used a closed architecture and the control programs lacked flexibility, which were insufficient for sustained use. In Industry 4.0, machine tools need to move to an open architecture using PC-based controllers in order to create a smart factory with build-to-order, high-mix/low-volume, collaborative and unmanned manufacturing capabilities. Designing PC-based controllers to provide these abilities will be key for Taiwanese manufacturers to reach the next transformation milestone.Open Architecture CNC and Cloud Computing: Flexibly Respond to Wide Range of OrdersPC-based open architecture machine tools not only can identify incoming production work orders, it can also automatically determine the product attributes and download the related software through cloud technology, and then create the relevant operations for order picking and production. Similarly, when a new and different order arrives, machine tools can use this production mode to create the required operations for the order, fulfilling the Industry 4.0 vision of smart factories.If Taiwanese manufacturers were to adopt an open architecture machine tool, establish the ability to design PC-based controllers and produce intelligent machines such as CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) machines and intelligent robots before Industry 4.0, Taiwanese manufacturers can secure a niche in the market. In doing so, Taiwanese manufacturers can emerge from the shadows of foreign competition and regain control of the market.In light of this, NEXCOM has, on one hand, actively brought European technology to the development of open architecture CNC controllers. On the other hand, NEXCOM, with its extensive experience in developing fanless computers, has set up another two teams of selected professionals, Embedded Pro and Automation Pro, that will transform the invested technologies into solutions that match customers' needs. Furthermore, NEXCOM also has successful cases in implementing robotic arms and CNC machines in the domestic market.Lin also revealed some insight into NEXCOM's plans, stating, "Overall, there will be two types of solution. One is open architecture CNC controller solution, which includes solutions suitable for 3-axis and 5-axis machine tools, both support single and multiple tasks. The other is open architecture robot controller solution, which includes solutions for different robotic systems such as serial, parallel, SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) robots and many others."Lin further states, "The most common feature that these solutions share is the use of open architecture, which enables the flexibility to adapt to different sizing or parameter variations of different machines, allowing customers to produce unique CNC systems or robots with ease."Overall, to achieve Industry 4.0 based production requires smart factories, smart machines and smart products working together seamlessly. Open architecture CNC controllers with cloud capabilities can provide control of machines, connect to the internet, link to other factories and enable remote management. It will undoubtedly become the key component of this value chain. This window of opportunity not only allows Taiwanese manufacturers to break away from the chains of traditional CNC architecture, but also encourages the transformation of Taiwan's machine tool industry.About NEXCOM: Founded in 1992, NEXCOM has five business units which focus on vertical markets across industrial computer, in-vehicle computer, multimedia, network and communication, and intelligent digital security industries. NEXCOM serves its customers worldwide through its subsidiaries in seven major industrial countries. NEXCOM gains stronghold in vertical markets with its industry-leading products including the rugged fanless computer NISE series, the in-vehicle computer VTC series, the network and security appliance NSA series and the digital signage player NDiS series. http://www.nexcom.com/With Industry 4.0 well under its way, open architecture machine control will become a transformation opportunity for Taiwanese manufacturers.

EverFocus Electronics Corporation recently released its latest 600TVL mobile mini vandal-proof IR Dome Camera - EMD332, which is specially designed for mobile video surveillance in taxi, police cars, cash-in-transits, and vehicles that pursuit more concealed surveillance in a limited space.Built-in with 3.4mm pinhole lens, EMD332 is a tiny mobile dome delivering 600TVL high resolution image quality with 1/3" SONY Super HAD DDC II Sensor. The 48 x 43mm /1.9" x 1.7" mini size enables EverFocus EMD332 to be the perfect mini mobile camera. EverFocus has always wanted to create smaller cameras for our mobile users since the space in the economy cars is more limited than buses. The size if EMD332 meets the needs of customers who drive economy cars, sedans, van, and small luxury cars. Equipped with a vandal-proof and IP67 weather proof housing, the camera meets a wide variety of needs for mobile and outdoor surveillance applications, and with the unique 3-axis mechanical designed for adjusting camera angles, which makes it more applicable for installation variety in different environments.The starlight super-high sensitivity of 0.00001 Lux/F-1.2 which is achieved by digital slow shutter (sens-up 32x) is another things consumers cannot miss while choosing a mini mobile dome camera. 10 units of IR LEDs enable the night visibility up to 10m / 33ft (Indoor) and 5m / 16ft (Outdoor), better than most of the mini sized mobile cameras. IR LEDs provide further viewing range in complete darkness, which is more practical for drivers to record image clearer at the night time. EMD332 also supports 3D-noise reduction, auto electronic shutter (AES), auto gain control (AGC), auto white balance (AWB).EverFocus EMD332 camera is also suitable for other applications such as buses, school buses, logistic trucks.EverFocus EDM332

Indium Corporation introduces a new Pb-free solder paste designed to combine best-in-class stencil printing performance, using Indium's unique halogen-free oxidation barrier technology with optimized no-clean residues for enhanced probe testing. Indium8.9HF1-P saves time and money on testing by eliminating false failures and giving the highest first pass yields."Indium8.9HF1-P has proven low cost-of-ownership for PCB assemblies," said Tim Jensen, Global Product Manager for Indium Corporation's PCB assembly products. "Our customers have been asking for a high-performance solder paste that combines excellent printability with probe-testability. This solder paste delivers on all counts. What this means is that Indium8.9HF1-P will deliver long-term reliability for our customers' end products."Indium8.9HF1-P provides high transfer efficiency, and consistent print performance, even at high speeds. Additionally this paste has a robust response-to-pause, lessening the need for frequent under-stencil wiping. Indium8.9HF1-P prints well on apertures with area ratios <0.5, using low print pressures. Indium Corporation's unique oxidation barrier technology enhances reflow performance, eliminating defects such as head-in-pillow and graping.Indium8.9HF1-P is optimized for probe-testability in two ways: it has a soft residue after reflow, which is easily penetrable by test probes, and this residue remains probe-testable after multiple reflows, time between reflow and test, and baking.Indium Corporation is a premier materials manufacturer and supplier to the global electronics, semiconductor, solar, thin-film and thermal management markets. Products include solders, preforms, and fluxes; brazes; sputtering targets; indium, gallium, and germanium metals and inorganic compounds; and NanoFoilR. Founded in 1934, Indium has global technical support and factories located in China, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the USA.Indium8.9HF1-P

Micron Technology has announced the availability of 45nm serial NOR flash memory samples in 512Mb, 1Gb and 2Gb densities with a standard SPI interface. These new MT25Q SPI NOR devices offer a cost-effective solution with high performance, enhanced security and drop-in compatibility with legacy NOR devices, enabling high-density SPI NOR adoption in consumer, automotive, industrial and networking applications, the company said.Micron's MT25Q devices satisfy embedded application requirements with 2MB/s programming speed. In addition, MT25Q devices offer improved erase performance and 66MB/s read performance, enabling fast updates and boot performance for embedded systems, the company said.The MT25Q family also offers the industry's first serial NOR 2Gb device in a 6x8mm BGA package, which is the smallest package available in the market today, the company claimed."The introduction of our new SPI NOR family reconfirms Micron's commitment to NOR technology and further enables us to continuously meet customer needs," said Jeff Bader, VP of Micron's Embedded Solutions Marketing. "As customers increasingly move to higher-density NOR designs, our MT25Q product line, with 2 MB/s programming speed, supports the need for improved performance, higher manufacturing efficiency and a small footprint."Samples of the MT25Q devices are available today in BGA and SO16W packages, according to Micron.

EverFocus recently announced product release of EPN4220p / EPN4220pi, the newest 2 Megapixel, 20X optical zoom, PoE, true day/night IP speed dome camera.The EPN4220p / EPN4220pi are 2 Megapixel outdoor / indoor IP speed domes delivering image quality of up to 30fps at resolution of 1920 x 1080, built-in 20X optical auto focus zoom, with removable IR cut filter for true day/night function. The outdoor model is equipped with a vandal-proof IK10 and weather proof IP66 housing. Both model feature 360-degree rotation, 0.01-degree~180-degree pan & tilt travel along with the position accuracy of ±0.1 degree, making it excellent in providing the fast and accurate tracking ability. A maximum of 192 preset positions are available to be programmed for precise location of target areas. The EPN models are designed for simple installation and can applied to indoor and outdoor usage at airports, ports, casinos, shopping centers, station and parking lots.According to the product marketing manager Tony Lin, "The biggest difference between the new EPN4200p / EPN4200pi models and previous EPN models is the new EPN4200p / EPN4200pi models are equipped with Power over Ethernet, which provides the power and network connection through one network cable."The camera supports H.264 and M-JPEG multi-stream output for simultaneous live monitoring and high-resolution recording. Moreover, the camera features the Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) function, which can provide clear images even under back light circumstances where intensity of illumination can vary excessively. A built-in micro SDHC card slot and Power over Ethernet (IEEE802.3at, class4) features are provided. Since the camera conforms to ONVIF / PSIA for compatibility with other network video devices, it interoperates with a wide variety of hardware and software systems. EPN4200p / EPN4200pi also support live monitoring of video from mobile devices via EverFocus's CMS & MobilFocus / MobileFocus Plus Apps (iOS and Android), which make it easier for users to monitor their real time images conveniently.EverFocus EPN4220p / EPN4220pi

GIGABYTE TECHNOLOGY, a leading manufacturer of motherboards and graphics cards, announced the winners of its latest overclocking contest, the GIGABYTE 'Feel the Force' Contest. Running from November 1st to December 1st 2013, HWBOT.org members competed on three stages to win GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force motherboards, CORSAIR Graphite Series 230T mid tower cases and Force Series LS 120GB SATA 3 6Gb/s SSDs.The GIGABYTE 'Feel the Force' OC ContestContest StagesStage 1: Highest CPUz CPU FrequencyStage 2: Highest CPUz DDR3 SpeedStage 3: Highest CPUz BCLKContest Winners1st Place Winner: Vivi - South AfricaStage 1: 6899.88 MHz (16 Pts)Stage 2: 1943.1 MHz (16 Pts)Stage 3: 204.5 MHz (25 Pts)Total: 57 Points2nd Place Winner: Hero – ChinaStage 1: 7150.69 MHz (25 Pts)Stage 2: 1867.3 MHz (13 Pts)Stage 3: 203,54 MHz (18 Pts)Total: 56 Points3rd Place Winner: laoshu1919 – ChinaStage 1: 6820.19 MHz (15 Pts)Stage 2: 2027.5 MHz (18 Pts)Stage 3: 200.2 (14 Pts)Total: 47 PointsFor complete contest rules, scoring and more details, please visit the contest page hosted on HWBOT.org: http://hwbot.org/competition/gbt_feelforceGIGABYTE 'Feel the Force' Contest Prizes1st Place Prize:*GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force Motherboard*CORSAIR Force Series LS 120GB SSD*CORSAIR Graphite Series 230T Windowed Mid Tower Case – Rebel Orange2nd Place Prize:*GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force Motherboard*CORSAIR Force Series LS 120GB SSD3rd Place Prize:*GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Motherboard*CORSAIR Graphite Series 230T Windowed Mid Tower Case – Rebel OrangeGIGABYTE Z87X-OC ForceThe GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force delivers a sublime OC experience without compromising on features. Support for maxed-out 4-way SLI and Crossfire graphics configurations is paired with an incredible 16 phase digital VRM for the CPU and memory. The GIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force truly is peerless and utterly ruthless.Learn more about GIGABYTE's exclusive overclocking features here: http://www.gigabyte.com/MicroSite/336/images/oc-features.htmlGIGABYTE Z87X-OC Force

The Internet changed our life enormously. McKinsey Global Institute recently released a report to highlight the number of connected machines has grown by three times over the past five years, due largely to the transformational power of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and their ability to drive greater efficiency in the business world. The invention of IoT enables a new revolutionary thinking of how we look at those devices to be connected and the things we have to deal with everyday.The first market trend to drive this change is making every device connected, or called "Everything Connected" effects. According to McKinsey Global Institute report, there were two billion devices in 2006, then 15 billion in 2015. And the projection to 2020, it will reach 50 billion units for explosive growth.As more than 35 years Intel provided embedded solutions in the industry, more devices become connected every day, companies face increased challenges because fragmentation, interoperability and security threats. To address this, Intel is trying to deliver integrated hardware and software solutions specifically designed to meet market needs. This is the second market trend called "Compute Economics".Along with the amount of data being generated by the immense connected devices and machines is a 10X growth in the amount of data we produce today by 2016. And most of the data is "unstructured data", meaning the information coming in from a wide variety of sources using different protocols and translations, which doesn't mean a whole lot in the context of other sources of information. It is a big demand to drive huge data process and analysis tasks. And this is the third trend "Big data and analytics".All these three major market trends rely on Internet as an integrated platform to link mobile networking, cloud computing, big data analytics and more new solutions to drive business transformation. The true value of IoT is realized when these connected devices and sensors communicate and share data with each other and the cloud, analyzing information and transferring to applications or systems that can change our way to do the business in the world.Intel forms new Group to accelerate business development of IoT marketThe APAC Internet of Things Day seminar was held on November 11, 2013 in TICC Taipei. During the event, Intel presented several CPU product lines and solutions featuring integrated software from McAfee and Wind River applications, opening up opportunities in IoT industries with a convincing product portfolio.Meanwhile, a new organization accelerates the business development of IoT in Intel. Called the IoT Solutions Group, this new organization will include the Intelligent Systems Group and Wind River organizations, bringing together the intelligent systems hardware, software, services and platform elements together into one organization.Jim Robinson, General Manager of IoT Solutions Group Segments and Broad Market Division, is one of keynote speakers. He highlighted IoT implementations will across several industries including medical care, manufacturing, public transportation, retail, telecommunication, consumer electronics and energy industries in the next decade. Intel will deliver solutions for companies that are investing in technologies to both drive operating efficiencies and create new services by connecting devices to each other and the cloud to transform businesses.Expand roadmap for IoT solutions and devicesAn end-to-end strategy requires making devices more intelligent and secure to reliably filter and manage data effectively. The Intel IoT roadmap provides a scalable product lines to power devices in different network infrastructures, from the energy-efficient Intel Quark SoC to the high-performance Intel Xeon processors.First of all, the new Intel Atom processor E3800 product family features improved media and graphics performance, error-correcting code (ECC), industrial temperature range, integrated security and integrated image signal processing. These features help reduce time-to-market, accelerate data intensive applications and reduce energy consumption. This product family is well suited for digital signage applications such as interactive kiosks, intelligent vending, ATMs and point-of-sale terminals as well as portable medical devices and in-vehicle infotainment systems.The addition of the low-power, small-core Intel Quark SoC X1000 will extend the product lines into new and rapidly growing IoT markets. The new product family features error-correcting code (ECC), industrial temperature range and integrated security. ECC delivers a high level of data integrity, reliability and system uptime for equipment required to run at all times, while industrial temperature range helps meet the requirements for industrial control and automation applications. The Quark processor core is a 32-bit, single core, single-thread, Intel Pentium instruction set architecture (ISA) compatible CPU operating at speeds up to 400MHz. This is extremely important to Taiwan Industrial-PC vendors and automation solution providers because massively reduction of software development cost and timing.For better assistance of engineering development, Intel released Galileo development boards to help design engineers shortening development cycles and time to market.Connecting the old and new devices with gateway solutionsWith more than 85 percent of today's devices based on existing Intel CPUs and systems, a significant need exists for an interim step to address interoperability instead of replacing all existing infrastructure. Working with McAfee and Wind River, Intel solves this question with a new family of gateway solutions that connect old systems and provide common interfaces and seamless communication between devices and the cloud. Targeting industrial, energy and transportation markets, this system of systems helps ensure that the data generated by devices and existing infrastructure can be shared securely between the cloud and devices for analysis.The new family of new gateway solutions from Intel provides integrated and pre-validated hardware and software, including McAfee Embedded Control and the Wind River Intelligent Device Platform, that help develop, prototype and deploy application services faster so companies can focus on creating new, value-added services. With these solutions, users can securely aggregate, filter and share data from the cloud in areas such as monitoring high-value industrial assets, facilitating manufacturing automation, energy grid automation, and commercial fleet monitoring.The first set of gateway solutions will feature versions based on the Intel Quark SoC X1000 and Atom processor E3800 product family and will be available in the first quarter of 2014.Jim Robinson presented Westfalen Weser Energie project as a good example in the seminar to describe the applications of intelligent gateway. Intel is working with this large power and gas distribution grid operator to develop and deploy gateways in its secondary energy substations. As more renewables come online, managing energy flows becomes more complicated and Westfalen Weser Energie is using intelligent gateways to interface with its legacy devices and acquire, analyze and act on data in real-time.Exploring intelligence in data from device to the datacenterIntel is delivering a scalable product lines of hardware and software designed to explore the data intelligence from the device through the network to the cloud to enable new business models and service offerings. By developing horizontal building blocks for vertical end-to-end analytics as well as distributed analytics for user's systems and datacenter, Intel is enabling companies to turn big data into valuable information.Another example of business transformation in the event is the Daikin Applied project. Daikin Applied, one of the world's largest air conditioning, heating, ventilating and refrigeration company, is using the Intel-based intelligent gateway solutions to deploy solutions for commercial HVAC equipment. Daikin Applied connects its existing Rebel rooftop units and delivers data to the cloud that is then aggregated and analyzed. By using intelligent gateway solution, Daikin Applied is able to focus on rapidly deploying differentiated value-added services such as real-time HVAC unit performance, remote diagnostics, monitoring and control, advanced energy management, and third party content integration services to its customers. This also helps the owner of building to increase property values when negotiated with estate realtors or property management firms.Commonly referred to as the importance of data security and personal privacy issues, this reality is being driven by increasingly connected devices, cloud economics for computing and data, and the acceleration of big data analytics. McAfee is one of the most important partners of security. Greg Brown, vice president and CTO, Cloud and Data Center Solutions at McAfee, presented in the seminar. He highlighted McAfee Embedded Control is a security platform to maintain system integrity and block unauthorized applications and change on fixed-function, point-of-service infrastructures, including retail devices, medical devices, industrial control systems, office equipments and devices. It provides a simple, lightweight software technology to make connected devices resilient to malware infections and attacks.Wind River Intelligent Device Platform is a firmware type product which already a standards-compliant and fully tested system. Namiq Kunimoto, vice president of APAC regions at Wind River Systems, gave his keynote speech to introduce software solutions. The platform provides device security, smart connectivity, rich network options, and device management including broad modem support and PAN, LAN, and WAN network access. This platform will integrated all the features and give the cost support to IoT system developers.IoT focus on exploring the value of Big DataRick Dwyer, vice-president of sales and marketing group and general manager of worldwide embedded systems group at Intel, raised Zipcar service as another good example of innovation of IoT.Zipcar is a brilliant good idea of "sharing" car usage via a membership organization. The founder of Zipcar was a housewife, who has the vision of appreciation the low rates, living without the hassle of car maintenance and paying for gas, parking and insurance. The idea is especially perfect fit for the requirements of students or wives living in the suburbs.People just need to sign up online for Zipcar and went to the parking place to pick up the rented car through Internet or smart phones with membership. The rental fees are US$8 an hour or $72 a day covering gas, parking and insurance expanses. It costs you depending on how much time you use the services.The technologies behind Zipcar services are the applications of IoT. It leverages the power of big data analysis to provide services of localization, satisfaction and customization. Reducing cost of operation and creating a loyal customer base becomes the success of Zipcar business model. Zipcar not only is highly praised by the public, but also contributes to global environmental protection.Today, a bunch of big name IT companies step into IoT development because of emerging business opportunities and potential business model transformation. Aside from focusing on the hardware devices or sensor components, Taiwan IT and electronics manufacturers can also look at some innovative ideas from the IoT Day event and continue to extend the applications to new emerging market.Steen Graham, Asia Pacific Director, Embedded Sales Group at IntelJim Robinson, General Manager of IoT Solutions Group Segments and Broad Market Division at IntelRick Dwyer, Vice President of SMG & General Manager of Worldwide ESG at IntelGreg Brown, Vice President and CTO, Cloud and Data Center Solutions at McAfeeNamiq Kunimoto, Vice President of APAC regions at Wind River Systems

To recognize international firms for their contributions to Taiwan's IT industry, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) held the "2013 Outstanding Electronics and Information International Partner Firm Awards and Appreciation Banquet" in Taipei on November 27. Minister of Economic Affairs Chang Chia-juch presented 20 awards to 18 foreign firms earning recognition as best in six major categories.The six categories were "technology value-added partner," "software integration partner," "green system partner," "strategic bright spot partner," "versatile innovation partner," and "market expansion partner."The following is a list of the award-winning firms and the basis on which they were granted their awards:1. "Technology value-added partner": Foreign firms making special contributions by engaging in joint R&D with Taiwanese partners and establishing R&D centers in Taiwan. In alphabetical order, the three award-winning firms in this category were Applied Materials, ASML, and TDK.2. "Software integration partner": The top three international firms selected by Taiwanese information hardware and software firms on the basis of "outstanding contribution to enhancement of Taiwan's information industry software and systems integration competitiveness." In alphabetical order, the three award-winning firms in this category were Google, Microsoft, and Tokai.3. "Green system partner": The top three international firms selected by Taiwanese information hardware and software firms on the basis of "outstanding assistance with Taiwan's development of a green systems industry, and further assistance to Taiwan's green system exports." In alphabetical order, the three award-winning firms in this category were Hitachi, HP, and Panasonic.4. "Strategic bright spot partner": The top three international firms recommended by the Industrial Development Bureau on the basis of strategy direction consistent with government policy, assistance with optimization of Taiwan's industry structure, and contribution to raising added value. In alphabetical order, the three award-winning firms in this category were Ericsson, Kodansha, and Micron.5. "Versatile innovation partner": The top three international firms selected by Taiwanese information hardware and software firms on the basis of "assisting Taiwanese firms to introduce innovative services, establishing an applied R&D environment in Taiwan, and providing innovative service manpower training." In alphabetical order, the three award-winning firms in this category were Google, IBM, and Sony.6. "Market expansion partner": The top five international firms determined on the basis of weighted calculations using indicators announced the Industrial Development Bureau, including total purchases in Taiwan throughout the year, total purchases of products manufactured in Taiwan throughout the year, effective tax rate during the most recent three years, and growth in number of employees during the most recent three years. The top five award-winning firms in this category were, in alphabetical order, HP, Dell, Qualcomm, Lenovo, and Broadcom.To ensure that Taiwan possesses an all-encompossing information and communications industry supply chain, the MOEA has been encouraging the use of technology to strengthen value chain depth, and the enhancement added value and interdisciplinary cooperation to accelerate industrial upgrading and help Taiwan become a global innovative trade hub. Starting from last year, the indicators by which the award-winning firms are selected have been broadened as part of a shift from the emphasis on foreign firms' purchases in Taiwan to the establishment of partnerships between foreign firms and Taiwanese firms. Because of this, this awards activity seeks to stress a vision of "enhancing value and promoting partnership" and "diverse innovation and considerate services."Apart from recognizing foreign firms for their introduction of new technologies to Taiwan, these awards also expressed appreciation of those firms establishing R&D centers in Taiwan, enhancing the software and systems integration capabilities of Taiwan's information industry, jointly engaging in product development with Taiwan's ODM firms, and thereby helping to train innovative manpower and create employment opportunities, as well as helping Taiwanese firms to develop a green systems industry and expanding investment in Taiwan in conjunction with government policies, and thus helping to enhance the country's overall industrial competitiveness. Apart from this, the MOEA also hopes that foreign firms will join forces with Taiwan's information and communications industry and establish industry chains and partnerships in the areas of software, content, systems, services, and green products at this key moment for industrial transformation, and thus help realize the economic vision of "a strong Taiwan, connected with the Asia-Pacific, and deployed globally."According to Minister Chang, in order to respond to changes in the global environment and the challenges of cross-Strait industrial development, the MOEA will continue to lead Taiwan's ICT industry in the direction of a high added value industry structure and enhanced international competitiveness. The MOEA will take "three industries/four modernizations" (service strategies in manufacturing, internationalization and technologization of service industry, and specialization of traditional industry) and mid-sized "Backbone Enterprises" as its main focal points as it promotes the continued development of industry in Taiwan. Because of this, apart from establishing a highly attractive investment environment, the MOEA will also emphasize the establishment of long-term partnerships between foreign and Taiwanese firms and a higher level of industry chain cooperation, in hope that Taiwanese industry and foreign collaborators can jointly enter a new era amidst the intense industrial transformations of the post-PC age.Looking back on the past decade, foreign firms purchases in Taiwan have continued to soar. According to the Institute for Information Industry's MIC survey, foreign information firms made purchases worth close to US$91.7 billion in Taiwan this year (2013), and this was nearly double the figure of US$48.5 billion of ten years ago (2003). The MIC survey also estimated that the total output of Taiwan's information hardware industry, including both exports and domestic sales, will surpass US$134.2 billion in 2013. Apart from domestic firms' dedicated efforts to strengthen the industry and their innovative R&D undertakings, the current achievements of Taiwan's information industry owe much to the long-term partnerships established between foreign firms and cooperating Taiwanese firms, which have shed light on the contributions to the industry made by these foreign collaborators.Apart from recognizing and expressing gratitude to the foreign companies that have made such great contributions to Taiwan's information industry, this awards event also featured the invitation of approximately 75 persons from domestic firms, associations connected with major international cooperating firms, and foreign trade offices in Taiwan (notably the American Institute in Taiwan). High-level personnel from the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association, Information Service Industry Association of R.O.C., Institute for Information Industry, Quanta, Compal, Liton, Wistron InfoComm, Pegatron, Inventec, BenQ, Delta Electronic, Tatung, Via Technologies. Qisda, Microstar, Mitac International, Alpha Networks, MitraStar, Wistron, Mitac, Systex, International Integrated Systems, and Inotera were in attendance, along with the heads or representatives of government units including the Industrial Development Bureau, Industrial Technology Department, Industrial Development and Investment Center, and Investment Commission.