Korea

Industrial computers closely resemble specialty computers that are suitable for use in extremely harsh environments. Currently, most singleboard computers (SBC) available in Korea are low- and middle-priced products imported from Taiwan. The number of Korean manufacturers producing industrial computers is very few, making it necessary for them to develop new killer products or target high-end applications.







Analysts are of the opinion that the more experienced companies should make a foray into the high end of the market. In fact, some local manufacturers such as BoardWin Enterprise Co. Ltd and Syncus Corp. have recently migrated to this market segment due to increased price pressure, but they plan to continue their OEM/ODM production in Korea.



“It’s nonsense to compete with Taiwan and China companies in providing lower-cost SBCs,” said Chong Whan Chung, product development director at BoardWin. “We are focusing on the high-end market call for special-purpose use and strong support.”



Soo Hyuk Choi, a product manager at Advantech, agrees. “Unit costs of industrial computers have reached the bottom. As an ODM service manufacturer, our strategy is to provide value-added products,” he said. “The company’s revenue for ODM service has steadily increased in ATM and instrument applications,” added Choi.

Post-PC market

Some industrial computer vendors that have their own assembly lines are entering the post-PC market. For instance, Advantech has set up a new CCTV and DVR businessunit and offers various remote monitoring systems. Telecommunication operator KT Corp. has chosen Advantech systems for its Bizmeka platform. Meanwhile, Maxan Co. Ltd is seeking new markets after introducing its

HiPAD home networking terminal.



On the other hand, some Korean manufacturers find it risky to serve the end-market. This is because in the post-PC market, local industrial computer makers have limited capital and capacity to market and sell. Many companies have started to focus on the niche market and are approaching it from various directions. For instance, some firms are developing and releasing embedded boards that integrate ARM core-based RISC processors, instead of Intel x86 family or Via’s CPUs. Such embedded boards are not compatible with x86-based devices, so companies face the added difficulty of developing additional device drivers to support their customers’ demands.



Meanwhile, embedded boards with a form factor below three inches can be used in various applications. As a result, devices can be customized and mass-produced more cost effectively. This is the reason why embedded boards are popular in the OEM market.



Despite computer prices dropping continuously and the introduction of PCs with more features and functions, the industrial computer market has seen no significant changes. Nonetheless, with the OEM/ODM service production sectors booming, the country’s industrial computer manufacturers are set to move forward.