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Vol 4, 2002 |
Product Features Illuminating Displays Short Circuits To Success Crystal-Clear Choices |
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Short Circuits To Success
Integrated Circuits
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| An LCD driver (top) and graphic controller (bottom) from Solomon Systech Ltd are designed mainly for cellular phones and PDAs. |
HONG Kong-based electronics companies are widening their markets by working with customers and providing exactly what clients need - whether components for cellular phones or for automatic pet-feeding devices.
Exotech (HK) Ltd, for example, was founded in 1996 and produces a wide range of integrated circuits for toys and consumer products.
Sales manager Kenneth Yuen says the company is special because "we have design ability as well as production skills. We provide a service whereby customers give us ideas, and we work with them to produce samples, followed by real products".
Minimum order is 5,000 pieces for shipment 2-3 weeks after order confirmation. The US and Europe are leading markets for Exotech's ICs from a 10,000-square-foot factory in Shenzhen on the Chinese mainland.
Established in 1999, Solomon Systech Ltd (SSL) is a leading fabless semiconductor company with a core team of mixed-mode and high-voltage IC development professionals.
SSL corporate communication manager Yvonne Chan says the company's leading products are LCD driver controller ICs, PDA display chipsets, graphic controllers and OLED/PLED (organic light emitting diode and polymer light emitting diode) driver ICs.
These are used in cellular phones, personal digital assistants and "smart" telephones to drive and control the displays while providing image rendering like graphics manipulation and animation.
Monthly production of model SSD1780Z, for example, is two million units. Minimum order is 570 pieces delivered 10-12 weeks after order confirmation. The company has offices or factories in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shenzhen.
Chan says SSL's main export markets include the US, South Korea, Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. The company enjoys "excellent" customer relationships and global sales channels.
"We have regular meetings with major customers to understand their needs and overall market trends. Early involvement in their new-product development is critical.
"We provide high-performance, high-quality products to big names in the industry, while offering flexibility, cost advantages and fast turnaround time as a small to medium-size fabless enterprise," she adds.
SSL has been ISO 9001-certified for design, development and sales of semiconductor IC products and systems since March 2000. The company has won several major industrial awards, including four in the 2001 Hong Kong Awards for Industry and the 2001 Hong Kong New SME Gold Award.
Not surprisingly, Chan is optimistic. "We see the overall semiconductor market recovering with lots of room for new products with new features like colour displays and other OLED display technology," she says.
Bowin Electronic Co has supplied ICs to factories making toys and premiums or consumer products for 10 years. These products include everything from kitchen timers, pillbox timers, automatic pet-feeding machines, electronic safes, Christmas lights, bicycle lamps, sports meters, handheld games and water-flow meters to educational electronic kits, timed electronic toothbrushes, battery-change reminders, flashing torches and car-brake lights.
Bowin produces some 500,000 circuits monthly. Minimum order is 1,000 units for shipment after 1-4 weeks. Major markets for the company's ICs, produced under the CDT, UMC, LS, M3 and CT brands, are Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland, Europe and the US.
"Our leading customers are Hong Kong companies manufacturing on the Chinese mainland. These customers receive enquiries from overseas and pass the electronic requirements to us. Usually, we can come up with solid solutions for our customers within the same day," says sales manager Edmond Chow.
"We are exploring overseas markets that require ICs, but not end products. For example, some European buyers use our ICs for educational electronic kits for students or as part of an electronics hobby."
Flasher and timer-integrated circuits are important products from Bowin's factory in Taiwan. Silicon wafers are sourced nearby.
Chow welcomes innovative, dynamic customers. "Good new ideas always originate with our creative customers who are closer to the market. Most of our products are market-orientated. Our company specializes in custom-designing ICs so our customers can create new products. We try our best to work out a solution to each customer's requirements," he says.
Wisefield Int'l Ltd has made consumer ICs since 1995. Software engineer Corrina Ng says the company's latest specialization is "voice-overs for toys, and we also supply customers with infra-red for toy controls".
Most of Wisefield's silicon is imported from Taiwan. Sonix brand, model SNAD01 ICs cost HK$0.78 (US$0.10) per unit FOB Hong Kong. Other Wisefield products carry the Maintech and Semisilicon brands.
WRITTEN BY TONI ASTOR
Contact Details
Bowin Electronic Co
Unit 1110, Harry Ind Bldg
49-51 Au Pui Wan St, Fo Tan
New Territories, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2631-7036
Fax: 852-2643-9503
E-mail: bowin@tsl.net.hk
Excotech (HK) Ltd
3/F, Unit 26, Blk B
Focal Ind Centre
21 Man Lok St, Hung Hom
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2656-2203
Fax: 852-2656-2206
E-mail: kenneth@excotech.com
Leadway Technology Corp Ltd
9/F, Unit C, Ching Trade Centre
122-124 Wai Yip St, Kwun Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2552-9600
Fax: 852-2553-2699
E-mail: info@leadway.com.hk
Solomon Systech Ltd
37/F, Units 1-9, Tower 1
Millennium City 1
388 Kwun Tong Rd, Kwun Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2207-1111
Fax: 852-2267-0800
E-mail: sales@solomon-systech.com
Wing Shing Computer Components Co (HK) Ltd
9/F, Unit E, Lladro Centre
72 Hoi Yuen Rd, Kwun Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-2341-9276
Fax: 852-2797-8896
E-mail: ling@wingshing.com
Wisefield Int'l Ltd
8/F, Flat A, World Tech Centre
95 How Ming St, Kwung Tong
Kowloon, Hong Kong
Tel: 852-3101-6989
Fax: 852-3101-9028
E-mail: sales@wisefield-intl.com
