Taiwan: Localized development to meet ODM needs

The last three years has seen Taiwan shift from being purely OEM to more ODM centered. No longer is the island primarily a manufacturing base, but rather a research and development center as well. Local manufacturers now need more design and technical support in product development. In response to this, many chip vendors in Taiwan are adjusting their business and production strategies. Linear Technology is one of the many MNCs that have aggressively enhanced their technical support teams.



“Manufacturers are designing products in response to the uniqueness of the local and regional market. Collaboration and technical support from component vendors are essential, especially in the design process,” said B.W. Jan, Linear Technology’s Taiwan country manager.“Linear Technology’s reputation has grown over the years. But our main objective remains the same, which is to provide highperformance analog components. With the quality assurance of 0.1 FIT, our customers are assured of products that are industry-leading in quality. We frequently interact with our customers, providing the technical expertise to support a broad range of applications and the ability to meet their volume requirements,” added Jan.



IN-HOUSE FABS

Choosing the right solution to cut down system cost is also a main concern for ODMs. Hence, Linear develops various products that fit customers’ requirements. “We need to be able to offer customers product alternatives. For example, Linear has 30 different types of batteries to suit the demands of various customers,” said Jan.



Taking advantage of its two in-house fabs, Linear is able to reduce lead-time of its shipments to customers. “With the back-up of our in-house fab, we can shrink the leadtime of shipment; even when we get unexpected orders,” according to Jan.



DIVERSE COVERAGE

Power, mixed-signal and signalconditioning chips comprise 60, 20 and 20 percent respectively of Linear Technology’s revenue. With 12 design centers around the globe, an assembly plant in Penang, Malaysia, and an automated test facility in Singapore, Linear is in the position to offer a vast product portfolio to meet development requirements in many regions.



In Asia, high-end consumer electronics such as DVD, MP3 players, PDAs and smart phones are the company’s key target applications.