Sintrones' in-vehicle computers offer a complete solution for in-vehicle applications, including driver behavior monitoring and self-driving capability. They have high flexibility, support a wide range of peripherals and connectors, and can be adapted to various vehicle management systems. Common use cases include: fleet management with GPS requirements, vehicle maintenance systems, and computing for autonomous vehicles.
The key highlight of Sintrones' in-vehicle computers is their easy-to-use and intuitive interface, which is highly suitable for self-driving cars, public transport, and other applications that require large capacity systems while maintaining functional simplicity. What's more, these systems can manage the capabilities of the inner components of vehicles to accurately assess and track the state of hardware and software, usage status, and operation of all of the fleets.
Among industrial PC manufactures in Taiwan whose core business is in-vehicle computers, Sintrones stands out because of its expertise regarding in-vehicle computer hardware design and manufacturing. They have accumulated years of practical experience and business relationships with end users, which have helped them gain valuable first-hand interactions and insights from countless customers. Sintrones have continuously challenged their own design capabilities for creative inspiration, and eventually rolled out products optimize for in-vehicle environments and usage, achieving impressive results. Since its establishment in 2009, it has continued to accelerate its growth. In 2019, it was successfully became a public listed company in Taipei Exchange.
Technological progress for communication systems, driving in-vehicle computers' growth
Sintrones' Account Manager of the Greater China Region, Juergen Ko, explained during an interview that the development of in-vehicle computers began with integrated systems that incorporated GPS and 3G communication technologies. Back then, Europe was a major region, and also where Sintrones began and developed its business, first by setting a firm foothold in the region with Finland's taxi fleet management, followed by applications in various commercial vehicles such as buses, trucks, taxis, and even trains, etc., which began to sprout and grow rapidly.
Take 4G for example, in-vehicle applications have high demand for Power over Ethernet (PoE) technology. Thanks to the application of Internet of Vehicles (IoV), IoT devices were all , including IP cameras. PoE played an important role by solving power supply issues while greatly reducing wiring complexity, with that, in-vehicle monitoring, troubleshooting, and Internet services became mainstream. Although the market was fragmented in its early days, and the difference between requirements among different applications was vast, Sintrones still seized the opportunities for growth, offering specialized custom-made in-vehicle computers for these industries.
5G applications sparked a new type of competition for in-vehicle computers
With the advent of the 5G era, public transport systems introduced smart applications en masse, realizing various benefits of living in a smart city, such as bus tracking apps, which allow people to catch it right on time, or traffic control for ambulances which reduces the chance of traffic delays and saves precious time. Both of these applications are backed by in-vehicle computers.
The requirements of smart applications center around artificial intelligent (AI), and with the brand new lineup of 5G communication modules and GPUs, in-vehicle computers are on the same track with the future development of next-gen electric vehicle applications. Although the high-diversity, low volume nature of product specs continues to challenge our engineering teams' design flexibility and customization capabilities, the gross margin is over 30%, so the profit structure is relatively stable compared to other electronic manufacturing service industries in Taiwan.
According to Manager Ko, in order to keep up with the advent of 5G applications, Sintrones EBOX-7000 series has built-in hot swappable SIM card auto activation modules, which offers Dual SIM Dual Standby, allowing end users to easily switch between SIM cards. The EBOX-7000 series also supports different 5G telecom service providers, offering users the best online experience. Thanks to this, Sintrones has set a new benchmark in the highly competitive 5G application market.
Wide temperature and voltage range, positioning us as the hidden campion
The competitive edge of in-vehicle computers is closely related to the engineering teams' experience in design, from wiring layout to thermal design, and customers expect every bit of the details to work in unison. Take Sintrones' entry into the snowplow vehicle market for example. One of the global top three snowplow providers separated from the Mercedes-Benz Group, which also happened to be Sintrones' client, and mentioned that in the presence of heavy snow, thickness detection with GPS and real-time readiness of vehicle and personnel information are required for proper plowing; in such cases, resource allocation efficiency and safety monitoring abilities are crucial for a successful operation. Now, when we compare the taxi fleet in the distant desert area of Dubai and this case, it is clear that both rely on the wide range of temperature design capabilities required to adapt to the extreme environments of the polar region and desert.
The biggest difference between in-vehicle computers and common industrial computers is their power input design. Since the voltage supplied to other electronic devices when a car starts up is unstable, our engineering team needs to devise a multi-stage delayed booting mechanism, where the computer will react differently based on the distinct characteristics of cars. For example, a design where the computer is formally booted 5 or 10 seconds after the car starts up once the voltage supply is stable. Moreover, the 9-to-36-volt wide voltage plays a key role in adapting to the voltage fluctuations in cars. The rising trend of electric cars has brought a different set of requirements for power management and control, and Sintrones has already actively deployed applications in the electric vehicle market.
Aiming at electric vehicle applications in the coming age
Taking a look at Sintrones' clientele, we can see that business in the quantity-oriented taxi fleet management is going strong. As for cases that serve as indicators, aside from the application in German snowplow vehicles, the application in AI smart buses in Singapore is a key milestone for our high-grade model. This case combines AI with unmanned autonomous vehicle systems by integrating ADAS and using GPUs' high-speed computing capabilities to predict road conditions. At the same time, it meets the various needs of vehicle emergency response; it is currently one of the best models in high-end applications.
Our AI applications have also entered the Japanese market. Currently, a key example is a case with a client who specializes in the manufacturing of excavators and construction machinery, where are used as integrated applications in machinery safety warnings and GPS linkage. After years of continuous efforts, Sintrones received wide praise from our clients in the Japanese market. This is now our largest market in Asia, and also one of our key growth-driving forces worldwide.
With electric vehicles becoming all the rage around the world, we maintain business relationships with all of the major players, whether it's Foxconn's Make It Happen (MIH) Electric Vehicle Alliance in Taiwan, or mainstream electric vehicle manufacturers from Europe, the U.S., and China. Take France's leading autonomous vehicle manufacturer, Navya, as an example; our collaborative product development plan is only the first of many to come. Regarding the business prospects of in-vehicle computers, as the market continues to undergo huge and drastic changes, Sintrones, who specializes in hardware design and manufacturing, will continue to prioritize promoting this technology and maintaining close contact with frontline system integrators and software vendors. Moreover, by sharing resources with leaders from other industries, such as an alliance with AUO, we will offer more comprehensive solutions to our clients. This is Sintrones' best strategy for our future success.
Sintrones' Sales Manager of the Greater China Region, Juergen Ko
Photo: Company
Sintrones produces flexible high-performing industrial computers, satisfying various smart edge computing requirements
Photo: Company
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