CONNECT WITH US
Friday 19 December 2025
DBS and Ant International expand payment network to 150 million merchants across 100 countries
DBS Group and Ant International signed a Memorandum of Understanding on November 13, 2025, that connects Singapore's PayLah! digital wallet to Alipay+'s global merchant network. The partnership connects PayLah! users to over 150 million payment points across more than 100 countries, representing one of the year's largest cross-border wallet integrations. The collaboration removes currency conversion friction and streamlines authorization for Singaporean consumers making international purchases
Monday 22 December 2025
Epic Tech Taiwan Unveils a Software-Driven Blueprint for Next-Generation Smart Living Communities
Smart building and lifestyle service solutions are entering a new phase, driven increasingly by software rather than hardware. As demand grows for equipment-free, low-maintenance and rapidly deployable solutions - and as governments worldwide promote net-zero and sustainable building standards - traditional hardware-centric intercom and property-management systems are reaching their limits.Positioning itself around the concept of "software-defined lifestyle services", Epic Tech Taiwan is building a seamless smart-living ecosystem that connects residents' daily routines - from leaving home, navigating their day, to returning safely.Epic Tech Taiwan, a software startup under Taiwan Secom Group, leverages the group's decades of service experience while operating with the agility of a modern software company. According to VP Harry Chang, Epic Tech Taiwan combines strong software R&D capabilities with rapid market responsiveness, enabling it not only to develop software products but to fundamentally solve pain points in residential living. By adopting a SaaS-driven approach, the company aims to accelerate the next stage of smart-living innovation.Epic Tech Taiwan currently offers three major solutions: the Zhongbao Good Life property-management platform, the CES 2026 Innovation Award-winning G.Talk AI intercom solution, and the soon-to-launch LaLa POS system for retail and food-service operators.Zhongbao Good Life is the company's most mature offering, already deployed in over 6,000 communities, covering roughly 300,000 households and serving more than 200,000 members. The platform consolidates essential community management functions - including mailroom registration, announcement distribution, bill payment, facility maintenance requests and security-patrol records - into a single interface, streamlining operations for property managers and residents alike.Building on this foundation, Epic Tech Taiwan developed G.Talk, a software-based intercom system that eliminates the need for dedicated hardware, allowing residents to communicate with visitors remotely. LaLa POS adds the final piece to the "consumer-services" puzzle. Chang notes that the company's vision extends beyond serving residents - it also seeks to empower local merchants. Designed for retail and food-service businesses, LaLa POS delivers comprehensive store-management features and will eventually integrate with Zhongbao Good Life, enabling merchants to address operational challenges while connecting seamlessly with purchasing needs within the surrounding communities.Expanding into North America to Build an Exportable Smart-Living EcosystemIn its global expansion strategy, Epic Tech Taiwan has identified North America as its initial priority market, with G.Talk serving as the company's primary entry point. According to VP Harry Chang, the North American rental market is vast and highly fluid, creating strong demand for communication tools that require no physical installation and can be activated instantly. During the company's participation in CES 2025, local property-management and leasing operators highlighted that G.Talk's hardware-free and wiring-free design significantly reduces deployment costs. Government agencies also expressed interest due to its sustainability and non-invasive implementation.Given the differences in market conditions, regulatory requirements and maintenance models, Epic Tech Taiwan has adopted a distributor-led approach for overseas expansion. Local partners engage directly with end users, while Epic Tech Taiwan provides system-level support, accelerating the company's market entry and operational scale-up.Epic Tech Taiwan is set to return to CES in 2026. Chang notes that the trip carries two strategic objectives: first, to leverage the CES Innovation Award–winning G.Talk to target government agencies and real-estate developers with clear smart-building demands; and second, to debut LaLa POS on the international stage by engaging U.S. retail and food-service distributors. Together, these initiatives aim to present an exportable smart-living model that extends from residential services to consumer scenarios, advancing the company's global footprint in smart-building and smart-lifestyle solutions.Chang emphasized that TTA has played a crucial role in Epic Tech Taiwan's internationalization journey - not only by providing CES exhibition space, but also by helping refine presentations, sales narratives and messaging, translating engineering-heavy language into business-oriented communication aligned with global investor expectations. TTA also assisted in developing sales tools that can be directly applied in international markets.Looking ahead, Chang stated that Epic Tech Taiwan is transitioning from early-stage market validation to full-scale commercialization. In addition to deepening applications of Zhongbao Good Life and G.Talk, the company will position LaLa POS as its key offering for entering the retail and food-service sector in 2026, with the goal of deploying the system in 1,000 stores in the first phase. This expansion not only accelerates Epic Tech Taiwan's business growth but also lays the groundwork for broader cross-scenario integration and the global export of its smart-living ecosystem.Illustration of Epic Tech Taiwan's G.Talk and Zhongbao Good Life products.Credit: Epic Tech Taiwan 
Wednesday 17 December 2025
From Passive Screens to Intelligent Interfaces: Industrial Displays Advancing a New Era of Edge AI
As artificial intelligence (AI) and edge computing continue to accelerate worldwide, industrial displays are undergoing a significant transformation. Once regarded merely as passive terminals for visual output, displays have now become intelligent interfaces that connect human–machine interaction, data visualization, and real-time decision-making across diverse smart environments. From collaborative robots and medical systems to EV charging stations, automated factory lines, and self-service kiosks, industrial displays increasingly serve as the first point of contact between AI-driven systems and users, directly influencing operational efficiency, system reliability, and brand perception.Multi-Scenario Demand Accelerates Industrial Display EvolutionAcross factories, medical equipment, and retail environments, the role of industrial displays has expanded far beyond simple information presentation. Autonomous mobile robots and unmanned transport vehicles rely on displays for real-time navigation feedback. Medical diagnostic equipment requires precise visualization to support AI-assisted analysis. Self-service kiosks integrate touch interfaces, sensing, user identification, and edge computing to deliver responsive, data-driven interaction.  According to Roger Ma, Director of Advantech's Industrial Display Solutions Business Unit, industrial sectors exhibit vastly different display requirements. Medical environments demand high accuracy and easy-to-clean designs; outdoor EV charging stations require high brightness and durable weather-resistant builds; robotics and automation systems prioritize responsiveness, stability, and seamless user interaction. These increasingly differentiated use cases are driving industrial displays toward greater flexibility, durability, and customization—creating new growth momentum for the market.Sector-Driven Strategy Accelerates Customization and InnovationAs industrial applications become more complex, a key challenge is integrating display hardware with edge AI, image processing, and intelligent computing. Backed by extensive cross-industry expertise, Advantech adopts a sector-driven strategy, enabling the company to deeply understand the operational challenges of autonomous systems, robotics, factory automation, medical diagnostics, and retail environments. This approach allows Advantech to deliver display solutions tailored to specific industry demands and expedite deployment.Roger Ma pointed out that a major competitive strength lies in Advantech's Design To Order Service (DTOS) capabilities. Its in-house R&D teams cover the entire design spectrum, including mechanical and optical engineering, electronic and software development, touch-bonding integration, assembly precision, and picture-quality tuning. This vertically integrated capability enables stronger quality control and significantly accelerates development cycles.Advantech further enhances customer responsiveness through agile supply chain management and regional manufacturing, enabling rapid customization and efficient adoption of new technologies such as miniLED backlighting. Looking forward, the company is advancing the integration of edge-AI capabilities directly into displays, including embedded cameras, microphone arrays, and sensor modules to support intelligent video conferencing, AI-enabled recognition, and real-time decision-making. With these advancements, displays are evolving into intelligent front-end nodes capable of analysis rather than merely presentation.AI-Enabled Applications: Real Deployment across Factory and Retail EnvironmentsAdvantech's industrial display technologies are already demonstrating real-world impact across multiple vertical markets. In robotic palletizing systems, Advantech's 12.1-inch WXGA (1280 × 800) industrial display serves as the primary interface for complex robotic operations. Offering 400-nit brightness, wide 160/160° viewing angles, and responsive PCAP touch, the display ensures clear visibility and intuitive control even in demanding factory environments.For real-time information visibility on the production line, Advantech deployed the 55-inch VUE-55 digital signage solution, configured as a 2×2 video wall to create a 110-inch large-format display. With a robust design supporting 50,000 hours of LED lifetime and 24/7 continuous operation, the solution delivers reliable performance for critical factory data.In retail environments closely connected to consumers' daily lives, Advantech's technologies also play a critical role. The 850-nit high-brightness, optically bonded IDP31-101W display enhances the touch experience and durability of intelligent cleaning robots. Meanwhile, the VUE-2238 anti-glare touch display provides flexible landscape and portrait installation options for self-service ordering kiosks and hotel counters. Its IP65 front-panel water- and dust-resistant design, along with its color accuracy, not only improves product reliability but also effectively strengthens brand image.Global Reach and Cross-Platform Integration as Key AdvantagesDisplays serve as the critical bridge connecting humans and machines, as well as data and decision-making. In the era of AI and edge computing, industrial displays are shifting from simple information output devices to core interfaces that drive digital transformation and create business value. According to Roger Ma, the competitiveness of Advantech's display product line stems from the company's unique strengths, including its expertise in multi-platform system integration and its extensive cross-industry experience. These capabilities enable Advantech to deliver complete solutions that go beyond standard display products and integrate seamlessly into customers’ overall application ecosystems.Looking ahead, Advantech will continue to provide high-reliability, rapid-deployment intelligent display solutions for global customers. With stronger edge-AI integration and enhanced customization capabilities, the company is poised to lead industrial displays into a new stage of development.Advantech's Industrial Display Solutions.Credit: Advantech
Wednesday 17 December 2025
ASRock Industrial Presents Certified Edge Security and FDO Deployment at FIDO Taipei Seminar
Taipei, Taiwan (December 2, 2025) – ASRock Industrial made its mark at FIDO Taipei Seminar, presenting a keynote on Secure Device integration with FIDO Device Onboard (FDO) deployment technology, demonstrating how automated, trusted, and scalable onboarding is transforming industrial edge AI. As the first industrial computer company in Taiwan to achieve FIDO Device Onboard (FDO) certification, ASRock Industrial continues to raise the bar for industrial cybersecurity. Backed by IEC 62443-4-1 and IEC 62443-4-2 certifications, the company delivers a security architecture that spans from product design and manufacturing to deployment, building an unbroken chain of trust at every layer.With its newly introduced Ai FDO solution, ASRock Industrial empowers enterprises to automate device onboarding and configuration from factory to field, reducing risk, accelerating deployment, and enhancing operational resilience. By merging secure device, verifiable trust, and zero-touch deployment, the company continues to push the boundaries of what's possible at the industrial edge, anchored by its leading industrial cybersecurity platform and in collaboration with ecosystem partners, driving transformation across smart manufacturing, smart retail, smart cities, and other critical infrastructure industries.Security Engineered into Every Layer – Secure Device + FDO DeploymentBuilt on the foundation of the FDO trust chain, ASRock Industrial strengthens security across every layer – from secure device to secure deployment, establishing a comprehensive secure edge AI platform that sets a new industrial cybersecurity standard for critical infrastructure.Secure Device: ASRock Industrial's Secure Device architecture delivers multi-layered, industrial-grade protection built on a hardware-rooted and boot-time chain of trust. Leveraging TPM, Secure Boot, and other trusted technologies, it protects data from boot to runtime through defense-in-depth. The architecture reinforces virtualization and I/O isolation, strengthens memory and code safeguards during runtime, and incorporates accelerated cryptography to secure stored data.It also provides a verifiable security baseline for automated deployment and remote management. Fully aligned with the FDO onboarding stages (TO0, TO1, TO2), it verifies device identity, keys, and configuration integrity, reducing tampering risks and establishing trusted readiness for the intelligent edge.  Secure Deployment: Taking trust beyond the device, ASRock Industrial advances security by integrating its Secure Device design with FDO deployment through the Ai FDO solution, developed in accordance with the FIDO Alliance standard. Upon first boot, devices can automatically connect to designated servers to complete authentication, registration, and deployment - shortening time-to-deploy and minimizing manual intervention and human errors. Supporting bare-metal FDO onboarding, Ai FDO combines cryptographic validation and anti-tampering mechanisms to ensure consistent and scalable secure deployment across both cloud and private environments.Certified for Global Standards, Driving FDO Adoption Across the Industrial EdgeASRock Industrial’s secure hardware platform is certified under multiple international standards, including IEC 62443-4-1 (Secure Product Development Lifecycle Requirements) and IEC 62443-4-2 (Technical Security Requirements for IACS Components). Every stage - from design and development to testing - undergoes rigorous risk assessment and security validation to ensure compliance and resilience.As the first industrial computer company in Taiwan to achieve FDO certification, ASRock Industrial strengthens its leadership in trusted and verifiable edge AI platforms. Beyond product certifications, the company continues to enhance secure applications, supply chain transparency, and incident response capabilities - establishing multiple-layer defenses across device, deployment, and operations.At the FIDO Taipei Seminar, ASRock Industrial showcased its integrated Secure Device and FDO deployment solution that accelerates secure onboarding, reduces cyber risks, and ensures deployment consistency. James Lee, Chairman of ASRock Industrial, stated: "Industrial cybersecurity is the new baseline for intelligent edge computing. With field-proven expertise in secure edge AI, ASRock Industrial unifies secure device with FDO-driven deployment, aligned with international standards. Through zero-touch onboarding and a verifiable chain of trust, every device is protected from the first connection and runs reliably at scale - enabling enterprises to deploy faster, operate safely, and expand edge AI with confidence."For more information on ASRock Industrial's secure device and FDO deployment solutions, visit our Website or contact us via Product Inquiry.