Asustek Computer Inc (華碩電腦) expects to make more than NT$450 million (US$13.52 million) in sales during the upcoming Information Technology Month (IT Month) trade show, a company executive said yesterday.
The company expects to sell about 6,000 units of Eee PCs during the exhibition, on top of more than 10,000 units of conventional laptops, said Kevin Lin (林福能), vice president in charge of Asustek’s sales department.
IT Month will start tomorrow at Taipei World Trade Center’s Exhibition Halls 1 and 3, where IT vendors are expected to roll out various promotions and gifts to attract holiday shoppers.
In line with its efforts to build a global brand and create a loyal following, Asustek will not be implementing further price reductions for its EeePCs, or low-cost netbooks, as discounts were offered earlier, the company’s notebook product manager Jose Liao (廖逸翔) said.
Limited edition pink S101 netbooks will also be introduced at the show, along with gifts for buyers and the chance to take part in a lottery draw.
Liao said that 7-inch netbooks will be phased out starting in the first quarter of next year, leaving only 8.9 and 10-inch netbooks in the market.
However, the company will not be offering 12-inch screen models for the slim, Apple MacAir look-alike because of restrictions by Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp.
Liao said Asustek was working on increasing collaborations with telecommunications operators to position the netbook as an affordable “second laptop” for consumers.
In related news, Microsoft’s MSN Windows Live online services group said yesterday it considered its proprietary Silverlight technology as an entrypoint into the booming multimedia market.
Solutions Research forecast that from last year through 2010, global online multimedia market revenues would increase from US$1 billion to US$5.9 billion, Leslie Chu (朱會泳), general manager for MSN’s Online Services Group in Taiwan and Hong Kong, said at a press conference.
Microsoft Silverlight technology is similar to Flash which supports powerful applications and delivers high quality, interactive video across Web and mobile devices, the company said.
To promote a content-rich Web site, MSN has collaborated with Japanese TV producer Koichi Toda to create a mini-soap series called Climax to produce five to six-minute clips featuring famous Japanese movie and TV celebrities.
Taiwan is currently the only country running this pilot series in its “Silverlight Multimedia Store.”
“Rather than creating a YouTube kind of environment, which we already have through SoapBox, or an Apple iTunes store, MSN is working at obtaining popular music concert, TV and movie rights to air programs on our platform free of charge to viewers,” said Paul Lin (林伯龍), channel manager at MSN Online Services Group.
The company’s primary business revenues are still derived from online advertising shown when the clips are shown, he said.
The domestic unit of the Chinese-owned, Dutch-headquartered chipmaker Nexperia BV will soon be able to produce semiconductors locally within China, according to two company sources. Nexperia is at the center of a global tug-of-war over critical semiconductor technology, with a Dutch court in February ordering a probe into alleged mismanagement at the company. The geopolitical tussle has disrupted supply chains, with some carmakers reportedly forced to cut production due to chip shortages. Local production would allow Nexperia’s domestic arm, Nexperia Semiconductors (China) Ltd (安世半導體中國), to bypass restrictions in place since October on the supply of silicon wafers — etched with tiny components to
Singapore-based ride-hailing and delivery giant Grab Holdings Ltd has applied for regulatory approval to acquire the Taiwan operations of Germany-based Delivery Hero SE's Foodpanda in a deal valued at about US$600 million. Grab submitted the filing to the Fair Trade Commission on Friday last week, with the transaction subject to regulatory review and approval, the company said in a statement yesterday. Its independent governance structure would help foster a healthy and competitive market in Taiwan if the deal is approved, Grab said. Grab, which is listed on the NASDAQ, said in the filing that US-based Uber Technologies Inc holds about 13 percent of
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) yesterday received government approval to deploy its advanced 3-nanometer (3nm) process at its second fab currently under construction in Japan, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a news release. The ministry green-lit the plan for the facility in Kumamoto, which is scheduled to start installing equipment and come online in 2028 with a monthly production capacity of 15,000 12-inch wafers, the ministry said. The Department of Investment Review in June 2024 authorized a US$5.26 billion investment for the facility, slated to manufacture 6- to 12nm chips, significantly less advanced than 3nm process. At a meeting with
Taiwan is open to joining a global liquefied natural gas (LNG) program if one is created, but on the condition that countries provide delivery even in a scenario where there is a conflict with China, an energy department official said yesterday. While Taiwan’s priority is to have enough LNG at home, the nation is open to exploring potential strategic reserves in other countries such as Japan or South Korea, Energy Administration Deputy Director-General Chen Chung-hsien (陳崇憲) said. While the LNG market does not have a global reserve for emergencies like that of oil, the concept has been raised a few times —
RSS