Economy

Internet of Things takes off in Taiwan

Embedded Internet of Things technology allows interconnection of household appliances and devices. (Courtesy of Ministry of the Interior)

• Publication Date：09/09/2014
• Source： United Daily News

Taiwan’s leading electronic and information technology companies are gearing up to capitalize on opportunities offered by the coming boom in the Internet of Things.

“The Internet of Things, smart home technology and wearable devices will drive the next wave of development in the electronics industry,” said Morris Chang, chairman of leading global foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. Chang added that his company will concentrate on upgrading manufacturing process and sensor component technologies.

MediaTek Inc., one of Taiwan’s top integrated circuit design houses, plans to focus on next-generation wearable devices, such as smart eyewear, watches and wristbands. The company will collaborate with IT industry leaders including Google Inc.

According to U.S.-based research firm Gartner Inc., the IoT installed base, excluding PCs, smartphones and tablets, will reach 26 billion units by 2020, up from 900 million in 2009. Revenue from related product and service suppliers is projected to top US$300 billion by then, with end markets worth $1.9 trillion worldwide.

The data center market will be particularly susceptible to change, Gartner added. Taiwan’s Foxconn Technology Group has invested about NT$1.1 billion (US$36.7 million) in the mainland Chinese market, paving the way for integration of the company’s global automation, cloud service and IoT.

Acer Inc. and AsusTek Computer Inc., two of Taiwan’s biggest branded vendors, are also seeking to revamp their hardware, software and service products to profit from the industry’s paradigm shift. At the same time, major local telecommunications operators Chunghwa Telecom Co. Ltd., Far Eastone Telecommunications Co. Ltd. and Taiwan Mobile Co. Ltd. will provide enhanced network infrastructure to support the transformation. (YHC-SDH)

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