HK Electronics Fair Presents New Lines, Valuable Solutions

Sep 08, 2005 Ι Industry News Ι G-WAY TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. Ι Electronics and Computers Ι By Ben, CENS
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After scoring a resounding success in its debut edition last year, the second Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring), organized by the semi-official Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), wrapped up its four-day run on April 17 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. This round saw enhanced features, more exhibitors and visitors, and the addition of a coterie of professional forums with a focus on global industry developments.

The electronics industry is Hong Kong's largest merchandise-export earner, accounting for 45% of the former British colony's total exports in 2004. Hong Kong was the second-largest world exporter of telephone sets, radios, and calculators last year.

With respect to finished goods, which constitute about one-third of Hong Kong's electronics exports in 2004, the majority are home consumer electronics. The largest category was audio/visual equipment, consisting of radios, cassette recorders and players, cassette and compact-disk Walkmans, hi-fi equipment, TV sets, videocassette recorders, video compact disk players, and digital versatile disk players/recorders.

Electric toys, games and related articles, including battery-powered toys and TV games, as well as electronic watches and clocks, also share a significant portion of total exports last year. Moreover, Hong Kong exports a variety of computer products, such as desktop/notebook computers and magnetic and optical disk drives, as well as telecommunications products like corded and cordless telephones. Other items with smaller export value include calculators, digital organizers, electronic dictionaries and translators, batteries and personal security and smoke alarms.

Hong Kong's electronics industry is characterized by a heavy dependence on imported components, especially integrated circuits. Given its free port status and the advanced telecommunications infrastructure, Hong Kong companies can easily import such items from around the world. For other parts and components, such as printed circuit boards, passive components, speakers, metal parts, plastics, connectors, gift-boxes and other packaging materials, Hong Kong companies may source from other manufacturers here, or local Chinese enterprises in the mainland.

The success of Hong Kong's electronics industry also lies in efficient management. Against the fast changing markets, Hong Kong companies emphasize quick response to ensure effective marketing services to their customers, and to monitor the changing product trends.

Partnering Paradise

"The timing for the 2005 fair couldn't be better, with a more positive economic outlook and a bullish electronics industry attracting exhibitors and buyers in record numbers," said Anne Chick, HKTDC senior exhibition manager. "The fair is billed as the best place to enable buyers to meet decision makers, industry players to find partners, and companies to obtain outsourcing services."

The show was accompanied by the International ICT Expo, also organized by the HKTDC, which focused on information and communications technologies and solutions. The organizer says the ICT Expo offers tools to help SMEs maintain their competitive edge as well as update their IT knowledge.

The ICT Expo highlighted telecom, mobile and wireless technologies, electronic logistics and retail technologies, enterprise solutions, open source Linux applications, and software outsourcing services.

"The Spring show has quickly caught up with the scope and scale of the long-established Autumn show," states Allan Wong, chairman of the HKTDC's Electronics/Electrical Appliance Industry Advisory Committee, at the opening ceremony of the show. The Autumn show has a history of 25 years.

The Autumn show is slated for October 13-16 at the same venue as the Spring show. The next Spring event will be held April 14-17, 2006.

According to statistics compiled by the HKTDC, the Electronics Fair (Spring) and the ICT Expo attracted a total of 47,150 and 26,323 visitors this year, up 23.89% and 21.74%, respectively, from last year's figures. In terms of the number of visitors from respective areas, mainland China, the U.S. and Taiwan, in descending order, were the top three at the Electronics Fair (Spring) and ICT Expo.

Compared with last year's event, this year's Spring show added three new product lines and services, I.e. digital imaging, healthcare electronics and electronic manufacturing services.

Statistics provided by the HKTDC shows there were over 2,400 exhibitors from 23 nations and regions participating in the Electronics Fair (Spring) and ICT Expo this year. Besides the strong lineup of Hong Kong electronics manufacturers, three other electronics powerhouses, including mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan, set up pavilions to showcase their latest technologies and products.

"Our presence at the Spring Electronics Fair has been encouraging," says Luo Huai-jia, vice president, Taiwan Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers' Association. "We have more exhibitors, totaling 157, than we had in last year's first Spring Edition which came to 130. Half of them are newcomers and half have been here before, but all these Taiwan companies share the common goal of showcasing their latest innovations as well as looking for new buyers."

Taiwan Touts IT Strength

Luo says Taiwan is renowned for its electronics industry, which has a long history. "Today, our strength is not only in manufacturing, but also in R&D, product management, and marketing," notes Luo. "With numerous suppliers linked by well-established supply chains in the electronics industry, the Taiwan industry can offer buyers an overwhelming selection in terms of design and price, accompanied with the best quality and prompt delivery. This event is a golden opportunity to show off the variety of our industry, from electronics components, digital products, and electronics health gadgets to audio visual products, telecommunications products, and computer software and hardware."

The Spring show also featured several forums, attracting manufacturers and industry specialists from around the world.

One of the most successful forums was on the topic "Tripartite Partnership," which was held on the first day of the show. The forum explored opportunities for enterprises to form partnerships now that globalization enables them to benefit from the respective strengths of different countries and regions.

In a keynote address at the forum, Howard C. Dickson, representative of the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer under the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, said the government was working with industry and academia to promote applications, content and services that take advantage of Hong Kong's excellent infrastructure and competitive market. "We are actively exploiting information and communications technologies in the areas of digital entertainment, wireless and mobile applications," he said.

Dickson added that 90% of Hong Kong's public services have electronic options and noted the government expects to continue to take the program forward. Citing the Digital Trade and Transportation Network (DTTN) as an example, he said the government was committed to providing a business-friendly environment for companies. The DTTN would provide an open, neutral and secure interface for logistics players, while strengthening Hong Kong's leading position as an international and regional logistics hub.

Yang Jun Miao, deputy director general of the China Science & Technology Exchange Center, Ministry of Science & Technology of the People's Republic of China, was the second keynote speaker at the forum. She provided an overview on the latest IT developments in the Chinese mainland, highlighting how the cutting-edge research of the National Key Basic Research Development Program (973 Program) has been instrumental in boosting the overall IT level of China; and how the IT industry has also grown to become an important expansion area with its innovative applications in agriculture, traditional manufacturing, environmental science, as well as in medical and health services.

Providing an update on how Hong Kong and mainland enterprises have been collaborating in the IT field, such as in electronic labeling technology, automation, IC design and Chinese medicine research development, Yang stressed the importance of further cooperation between Hong Kong and the mainland specifically in joining forces to develop internationally competitive Chinese brands.

Earning Green from Green

At the "Green Production" forum, K.B. Chan, chairman and managing director of Surface Mount Technology (Holdings) Ltd., said that concern for the environment is one of the benchmarks for world-class companies. It involves every single aspect of the production process, starting with the design and construction of the factory and its day-to-day operations, through the choice of materials, the manufacturing process and the products themselves to what happens to them when their useful life is ended.

He outlined regulations now in place in the European Union, Japan, the United States and the Chinese mainland, all markets of great importance to the Hong Kong electronics industry, and timelines for their enforcement. Compliance, he said, would be a core competence for manufacturers of electronic and electrical products.

Chan said that "green manufacturing" poses many challenges for producers. Identifying hazardous substances, for example, involves a huge workload and a lot of technical know-how. "But if you can master 'green manufacturing' and your competitors can't, you will have such advantages as being qualified by world-class customer and by extension, their supply chains; enhancing your corporate image; and achieving long-term cost reductions."

One of the companies that showcased consumer electronics at the Spring show was the Hong Kong-based John Manufacturing Ltd. In business for four decades, the company has earned international recognition for its lighting, electronic and electrical products. These include cold cathode fluorescent lanterns, coolers, and warmers, rechargeable lanterns, security lights, multi-function lanterns, clock-radio personal security alarms and many other items.

The ISO-certified company (both IS 9001 and 9002) has two factories in Shenzhen, China, with a total workforce of about 3,000 persons and exports its products worldwide. The company showed off several new products at the fair, including light emitting diode (LED) lanterns, coolers and warmers. "The trend is toward LED because it's longer lasting and saves energy," says Thomas Mak, marketing director of the company.

Mak adds that environmental considerations are becoming more important. Multipurpose products that combine LED lamps with rechargeable batteries, and a radio, are also in demand. The company manufactures primarily under its Johnlite brand, but also accepts original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and private-label orders.

Digital Indulgences

Another Hong Kong firm that has strong links to Chinese mainland manufacturing bases and factories is M Bux Electronics Limited, a subsidiary of the M Bux Group, which was established over 38 years ago.

The company's product range for entertainment buffs includes digital versatile display (DVD) players, home theater systems, plasma monitors, MP3 players, thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal-display (TFT-LCD) screens and a variety of digital audio products sold under the Buxtron brand name and on an OEM and private-label basis.

"Since the trend is changing from traditional TVs to plasma and LCD TVs and more digital equipment, we are focused on creating a total digital platform for users," notes company president Naresh Narwani.

At the fairground, the company displayed some new product lines, including a 42-inch plasma TV, new wireless and wired home theater systems, and a digital camera model.

M Bux's focus is on high-tech audio/video products with diversified product applications. Besides A/V products, the firm also produces kitchen and home appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, washing machines and microwave ovens. The company looks forward to appointing distributors and exclusive agents. Its main target markets include Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Middle East, South America, Europe and Africa.

Flashy Products

Established in 1992, data storage and wireless business specialist Microdia Ltd. Has a reputation for quality, innovation, reliability and quality service. A top manufacturer of flash memory, the company uses the most advanced integrated circuit packaging technology in delivering high-capacity, high-speed flash memory cards.

"A lot of mobile phones need a built-in flash memory card slot," says Louis Leung, executive director of Microdia. The company also delivers a full range of leading-edge Bluetooth technology and multimedia products.

In March this year, Microdia's AiroBlue headset was awarded a Bluetooth Brand License by the Bluetooth Qualification Body. AiroBlue incorporates the latest chipsets, with a unique identity design and enhanced battery power that offers one of the longest talk times (14 hours) and standby time (400 hours) in the industry.

The company says its major export outlets include Europe, the Untied States, Japan, South Korea, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

. . . And It's Also a Telephone!

Showcasing new technologies at the International ICT Expo, 3 Hong Kong is the first mobile operator to introduce third-generation video mobile communications services in Hong Kong and the first in Asia to offer Blackberry e-mail solutions.

The Blackberry Service offers instant e-mail access with advanced "push" e-mail technology, which supports Chinese input and display for e-mails and provides full-featured wireless synchronization.

The company displayed a versatile portfolio of new services at the fair, including live-stream stock market information, horse race broadcasts, and traffic updates; video entertainment with an extensive library of music videos, football highlights and multi-players and single-player Java games; location-based services with maps and useful information about restaurants and shopping tips; data cards for high-speed Internet access with data roaming services to nearly 60 nations and regions; and a 3G "Vfone" handset that can handle video calls. It also offers a photo printing service for 2G and 3G handsets.

A company that offered multimedia solutions at the International ICT Expo is iMagic Systems Ltd., a leading developer and provider of advanced public multimedia front-end platforms and back-end management systems. The Hong Kong-based company, founded in 1995, launched the world's first commercially deployed public multimedia touch-screen platform, PowerPhone, in 1996. Since that time, the company has expanded its product portfolio to include a wide range of front-end and back-end multimedia solutions.

iMagic is well-equipped to take its technologies into tomorrow's digital home with a range of innovative Broadband Consumer Products, BONI Anywhere, which was shown at the fair. This line of products include BONI Chat, a plug-and-play broadband Internet videophone; BONI Fun, a wireless home entertainment platform; and BONI Guard, an affordable security system with remote monitoring and surveillance.

"Our company is poised for dramatic development into product applications that have truly global demand, and looking to build up retail distribution channels in the U.S. and Europe," says the company's product marketing manager Eda Chow.

The G-Pod

One of Taiwan's well-established manufacturers showcasing digital music players at the show was G-way Technology Co., Ltd., formerly known as G-Way Electronics Inc.

In the first few years of its establishment, the company's product range covered computer accessories, peripherals, and universal serial bus flash memory products. Later on, the company extended product lines to include MPEG4 players and MP3 players, which are currently the company's hottest-selling items.

G-Way has also been expanding into the multimedia-entertainment sector and currently is concentrating on portable personal multimedia devices. The company recently introduced a pocket MPEG4 player with built-in 2.5-inch TFT-LCD monitor for portable entertainment and storage functions.
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