Companies flaunt latest technology at CeBit fair

Taiwanese companies are poised to flaunt their latest technology solutions at CeBIT, the world's largest IT trade fair, when it opens today in Hannover, Germany.

Some of the big names include Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦), Micro-Star International Co (微星科技), Foxconn International Holdings (富士康) and Acer Inc, among others.

"People will exchange contacts at the show, which serves as a future reference for possible business collaborations," Kevin Lin (林福能), Asustek sales director, told reporters at a CeBIT product briefing at his company's Taipei headquarters yesterday.

He said that the PC demand in Europe was growing at a pace of 20 percent each year, and the company was therefore not giving up on the region's potential.

His remarks came after some domestic firms, including BenQ Corp (明基) and Tatung Co (大同), decided not to sign up for the trade fair this year, saying that the show had low impact.

BenQ was the largest local exhibitor last year, with 2,200m2 of floor space at CeBIT.

This year, Taiwan will once again be the largest foreign participant at the fair, with 602 companies occupying 18,320m2.

"The show caters toward European customers, so it is a good chance to mingle with them," Lin said.

Asustek, the world's largest motherboard maker, is going to showcase the AiGuru S2 -- its second Skype mobile phone -- after introducing the first one last October.

The new cellphone is the company's latest attempt at tapping into the growing numbers of Skype users.

The cellphone is not only capable of interfacing with iTunes and Windows Media Player, it also features SideShow -- a Windows Vista feature that alerts users on the display when they have received e-mail.

The cellphone is expected to debut locally later this month, with a price tag above NT$3,000 (US$91).

Motherboard manufacturer Elitegroup Computer Systems Co (精英電腦) is unveiling four new notebook series at the exposition, in addition to its motherboards and graphics cards.