Broadband and telecommunications equipment maker Sercomm Corp (中磊) expects growth to continue this year on the back of rising demand for Internet of Things applications used in “smart” home devices and higher demand for small-cell base stations.
The company is also developing artificial intelligence technologies for “smart” home devices to prepare for the arrival of 5G mobile technology.
New AI solutions will be showcased at next month’s Mobile World Congress wireless show in Barcelona, the company said.
“Sercomm is optimistic about its operation in 2017,” the company said in a statement. “This year will be better than last year.”
Sercomm’s major products include gateways, integrated access devices, small-cell base stations, “smart” home surveillance devices and business routers.
The company posted a record revenue of NT$36.7 billion (US$1.16 billion) for last year, with the fastest growth recorded in Europe, up 5 percent from NT$35 billion in 2015.
Sercomm has seen orders grow in “smart” home products, such as IP cameras and integrated access devices, as well as optical fiber equipment and new “smart” meter hubs.
The company is especially upbeat about growth in Europe this year, as it has seen new orders and customers from European telecom operators, president James Wang (王煒) said.
Growth this year will also come from emerging markets like Russia, Wang said.
China, where sales have plateaued in the past few years in terms of growth, will still be an important market for Sercomm, as major Chinese telecom operators would resume installing fiber networks this year, he said.
The company saw prices decline in products shipped to China last year, as Beijing made a policy U-turn by slowing down fiber installations in the nation, Wang said.
The company returned to growth in the final quarter of last year following a setback in the third quarter, he said.
Total shipments of broadband-related equipment hit a record high of 30 million units last year, up 7.14 percent from 28 million units in 2015, the company said.
Shares of Sercomm yesterday fell 0.75 percent to close at NT$79.1 on the Taipei Exchange.
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