A new world, fully connected
By Chin, Chen-Chia
The term Internet of Things involves providing inanimate objects with sensory or communicative functions in order to increase their ability to connect and respond with the world as humans do.
An ordinary human uses five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. To create these human-like qualities in man-made objects, designs are developed with specific sensory capabilities, such as video monitoring and recording devices to capture sight, and temperature or humidity readers to recreate the sense of touch. When identification software and wireless Internet service are also incorporated, the acquired data can be transmitted online for recognition and analysis, after which time the corresponding response is transmitted back to the object and the command is executed. The object is essentially transplanted with one or more of the five human senses, making it able to produce responses that can correspond to human behavior and habits.
Consumers are well-aware of the inconveniences of going to the supermarket and unknowingly buying food beyond its expiry date, or of seeing a “sold out” sign on vending machines when wanting to buy a beverage. In the future, however, another Internet of Things application will be made available to monitor information and prevent such inconveniences – namely, the use of intelligent vending machines and intelligent point of sale (POS) machines at supermarket counters.
Consumers using social networking services such as Facebook and Twitter on smart phones can also quickly and easily contact friends for advice on the best ketchup or spaghetti to buy, then use mobile communication devices to scan bar codes, obtain information or download discount coupons. When using mobile phones to make supermarket purchases, intelligent POS machines can use wireless sensor networks to automatically gather product information and complete purchases without the need of cashiers, saving both time and effort.
By Hu, Hsiu-Chu
On July 20, the China Credit Information Service (CCIS) hosted the ‘Top 5000 Largest Corporations in Taiwan’ 40th Anniversary Banquet and High-Level Summit. The theme of the summit discussion was a 10-year forecast of potential Taiwan growth, with the panel comprised of three industry heavyweights: Lu, Shyue-Ching, Chairman and CEO of Chunghwa Telecom; Ho, Show-Chung, Chairman of SinoPac Holdings; and Silicon Valley venture capital consultant Chen, Wu-Fu, who is also Chairman of iD Innovation for iD SoftCapital Group. At the banquet, each of the panelists shared with guests and media in attendance their vision for the next 10 years in Taiwanese industry.
Looking back at the 40 years of industrial successes and failures through the history of the CCIS ‘Largest Corporations in Taiwan’ surveys, we can see the surveys hold a deep significance as a reliable indicator of economic development in Taiwan. At the CCIS anniversary banquet, a special Classic Enterprise Award was presented to companies who have made the most positive long-term contributions to the growth of Taiwan’s economy. Ministry of Economic Affairs Minister Shih, Yen-Shiang was on hand to present the awards and give a congratulatory address. In his address, Dr. Shih made the following statement: “Taiwan’s economy has experienced a remarkable last 40 years, which has included the modernization of China, the regionalization of the Asian economy, and a new era of global innovation. In the next 10 years, Taiwanese industries will be faced with considerable tests and challenges. The signing of the ECFA will represent an expansion of markets. Enterprises will continue to experience job growth and financial growth, and will gain a greater ability to compete in larger markets. In the coming years, I fully expect to see more of these enterprises enter the ranks of the top 500 global companies.”
CCIS Director David Chang explained that, during the early days of CCIS, when it was it just a simple private enterprise attempting to compile and publish the first few Largest Corporations in Taiwan surveys, were filled with unimaginable hardships, as data and resources were much more difficult to obtain. However, with today’s information revolution and universal Internet access, these surveys have gained a new significance and have become an essential reference for numerous sectors.
By Hu, Hsiu-Chu
To gain a better grasp of Taiwan’s potential for development in the biotechnology industry, ideas organized a roundtable forum comprised of Dr. Johnsee Lee, Chairman of the Development Center for Biotechnology (DCB); Professor Yang Huey-Lang, Director of the National Cheng Gong University Center for Bioscience and Biotechnology; and Chris Tsai, Chairman of Bionet, Asia’s first private cord blood bank.
Dr. Lee explains, “The development of a new drug usually takes about 10 years from beginning to end. Its process is not unlike that of a relay race: the first leg is ‘discovery’, which includes research conducted in academic laboratories in Taiwan and abroad. The second leg takes this basic research and transforms it into products that can be used by humans, and is known as ‘translational research’. The third leg consists of clinical trials, which incorporates toxicology, drug effectiveness, and other types of human experiments, while the fourth and final leg is manufacturing and sales.”
In the wake of the global economic crisis, Taiwan currently possesses greater opportunities to develop value-added services within this “second leg” of research. As such, Taiwanese companies should begin to focus more on analysis of patent portfolios, manufacturing, and market competition. Attention should also be given to preliminary clinical trials and the production of small amounts of test drugs. We need to take advantage of this period when the U.S. and Europe have not yet fully recovered from the recent economic crisis and actively integrate all relevant units, so that we can position Taiwan at the forefront of the global biotech industry value chain.
Added Professor Yang: “Taiwan cannot follow the path of major high-tech nations. We must follow a more intricate road befitting that of smaller nations. To develop industrial technology, we must first find a suitable subject. This subject would possess favorable conditions such as market growth and global competitiveness. It is industries that Taiwan must develop, not products. Finding a potential subject is easy - making the right choice is the true challenge.”
By Chang, Wei-Shan
In the view of trend expert Liu Wei-Lin, the rapid development of the Internet of Things will create a new “blue ocean” of real-world/simulated-world integration and social network marketing. The Internet of Things means that one no longer has to use a computer to access the Internet; objects need only a special type of embedded chip to be able to link to the Internet and regularly update value-added services.
For example, by transforming small dolls into information storage devices, businesses can go online to compile sales records, calculate statistics, perform analyses, and develop products that are more closely tailored to the market’s needs. Marketing promotions that traditionally could only be developed in the simulated world of the Internet can now be integrated more effectively with the real world.
At actual storefronts such as drug and cosmetic stores and supermarkets where a wide range of products is sold, not only is extra cost needed to create and display the details of each promotion, but considerable time and effort is also required to instruct all store clerks about the different details. However, this approach is still not guaranteed to prevent employees from becoming confused, which naturally takes away from the intended benefits of the promotions.
Many consumers who read in newspapers and magazines about promotional gift exchanges will immediately run to the nearest store to collect their free gift, but when they arrive at the store, the clerk may be uncertain about how to complete the exchanges or where to find the gift. Today, consumers holding a membership card with Internet of Things capabilities can link to the Internet when completing purchases and automatically receive updated information about promotions. For instance, a customer making a fifth purchase of a certain brand of coffee will automatically receive a free cup of Caffè Americano. Or, customers buying a bottle of face cleansing lotion may receive a complimentary bottle of another product from the same brand. Armed with complete information, clerks will no longer forget or confuse promotions.
Replacing the Internet:A new blue ocean of real/simulated integration
Taiwan's future hopes bright in biotech field
Golden market opportunities forecast for Taiwan over the next decade
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